Timing belt went kaput, looks like it could be original.

[zeus]

I've got 182,000 miles on my 89 Accord LXi. I was driving it up a hill today and the engine shut off. I had a buddy crank it while I watched the valves through the fill hole and they didn't move.

Got it towed home and pulled the valve cover and upper timing cover off. The belt is thrashed, missing tons of teeth and the backside is verrrrrrrrrry cracked and looks as if it has been sitting in the sun for 15 years rotting away.

I'm not sure if its original or not but it looks OLD! I consider myself lucky because I was supposed to drive it 850 miles to Colorado tomorrow morning. At least it happened 3 minutes from my mom's house and the towtruck driver was even able to back it up the drive and in the garage for me.

From what I've read here, the motor should be okay. I didn't hear any noise or anything when it shut off.

Best part is, I only paid $50 for this car 2 years ago!

I'm assuming only the Honda dealer carries this belt?

[buds302]

man any auto parts store will carry the belt for like 25 bucks. be aware that it is a pain in the ass to get the crank pulley bolt off so you can get the cover off. this is where most people giv up! i cut my cover off cause the last time i messed with the bolt on my old accord. it never stayed on again. id get a couple of thousand miles on it and the pulley would go flyin off. this got me stranded in va. beach one time.

[accordlxi2.0]

yea..thats what i plan to do when i change my t-belt.
cut off the cover and do it like that.....
i forgot who did it that way....
but i'm sure it's hella better.

[Oldblueaccord]

yea..thats what i plan to do when i change my t-belt.
cut off the cover and do it like that.....
i forgot who did it that way....
but i'm sure it's hella better.


Gonna need a cover on there down low on the motor incase you catch a rock or gravel under the car it could jam up the belt.


wp

[A20A1]

yea..thats what i plan to do when i change my t-belt.
cut off the cover and do it like that.....
i forgot who did it that way....
but i'm sure it's hella better.

I cut mine off... and it was an impossible task... I didn't have a dremel I have shears and a knife looking saw blade... for the last few inches i couldn't cut into I used a screw driver and just tore at it till the cover came off.

On the rest of my motors I just removed the crank pully... I leave the bottom cover off... it's a risk I'm willing to take.

[AccordEpicenter]

yeah its torqued to like 200lb ft or so, its a nasty bolt. You should also do a water pump at this time since you have everything apart. Only use a honda pump... aftermarket ones dont last long (ive had them fail in 20k miles!)

[accordlxi2.0]

but it did'nt make it easy to remove and put on the belt then did it??

[Vinny]

Crank pulley bolt should only be torqued to 83 ft lbs, unfortunately everyone cranks them down WAY tighter. I'm having that problem right now with the coupe

[zeus]

Well, bad news. Started to tear into the thing and broke a sparkplug off in the head. WTF do I do now?

[zeus]

How do I know when the #1 piston is at TDC? If I can see the T on the timing mark through the little peep-hole, then I'm at TDC right?

[A20A1]

Download the service manual there is a link to the shop manual at the top of the technical and performance forums...
Or you can buy a chiltons, it should help with basic adjustments and remove install questions.

[Vinny]

How do I know when the #1 piston is at TDC? If I can see the T on the timing mark through the little peep-hole, then I'm at TDC right?
Correct, you set the flywheel or flex plate at the mark at that will be TDC for #1 piston

[Oldblueaccord]

Correct, you set the flywheel or flex plate at the mark at that will be TDC for #1 piston

If your bad off goto the public library and copy what you need. They have tons of manuals.

wp

[zeus]

Well, buddy's 1000 lb/ft. impact wouldn't get it. Then I broke a Snap-On extension. Then I broke the tip off the screwdriver that I had shoved in the flywheel. Said tip now resides in the bottom of the bellhousing.

I think I may just cut the case off around the timing belt, this bolt isn't moving.

Honda improved the design in 90 with a hex bolt built into the crank pulley so you could hold it right there.

Not to mention I have a sparkplug still stuck in the head, not sure how that is coming out.

I'm UBER-PISSED now, thinking of burning this pile of shit.

[Oldblueaccord]

Well, buddy's 1000 lb/ft. impact wouldn't get it. Then I broke a Snap-On extension. Then I broke the tip off the screwdriver that I had shoved in the flywheel. Said tip now resides in the bottom of the bellhousing.

I think I may just cut the case off around the timing belt, this bolt isn't moving.

Honda improved the design in 90 with a hex bolt built into the crank pulley so you could hold it right there.

Not to mention I have a sparkplug still stuck in the head, not sure how that is coming out.

I'm UBER-PISSED now, thinking of burning this pile of shit.

Ouch!

try heat on the bolt and pentetrating oil. I use a propane torch. Then the big impact.

The plug well that can be a bitch maybe easy-out. Is the plug stripped?


wp

[zeus]

We tried the EZ out but didn't want to break it off in there, then we'd be up even more of a creek. I may just run a drill through the plug, stepping up in size each time until its almost all the way clean, then chase the threads with a tap.

The plug isn't stipped, its seized in there. I twisted the nut part right off, I know, stupid. I've been hitting it with PB Blaster now and then.

I'm hoping the tip of the screwdriver that is laying in the bottom of the bellhousing isn't going to be a problem. I can turn the motor over by hand and don't hear anything so I'm assuming it made it to the bottom of the bell.

I think tomorrow AM the lower cover is getting dremel'd off and we'll go from there. I really only need the car to get me from St. Louis to Denver, then I'm buying a truck or another car.

[88Accord-DX]

If someone on here could tell you the length of the crank bolt, you would know how far to drill. Don't drill too far. The most important thing to do is hit the bolt with a puch square in the middle before you drill. Tap it out once you get close to the size. Good luck with it.