Timing Belt / Water pump DIY (or rather don't)
02-21-2006, 08:52 PM
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99 2.3CL, 5sp, Iced Teal
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Timing Belt / Water pump DIY (or rather don't)
So my baby hit 89,950 miles on a drive back to PA. Time to get those belts and water pump
changed out! The stealership has been after me for weeks to get it done to the tune of
around $900. Well I found a good Ebayer selling the belt/pump kit for $140. I highly
recommend this seller:
http://stores.ebay.com/NormReevesTemecula-com-Parts
Their kit comes with every single seal and part you need. Not that I used them all though.
First and foremost, I would not have even attempted this if I had not found this site:
http://www.cybertrails.com/~puf/Hond...meBalNote.html
Rob~O gives a fantastic guide to the F22/23 engine teardown and belt replacement. I would
not even attempt to claim any of that info as my own. I used it as my primary guide
to changing my belts/pump. Jim (my dad) and I are pretty handy guys. We have the tools,
garage, and plain stupidity to jump into a project like this just for the hell of it. So
I'm going to tell this story in two versions: How It Should Be and How It Was.
I'm sure there will be some innacurracies and people who disagree with my ghetto rigging at
points. You've been warned. Really you just want to read the What Really Happened part.
Heres the pictures:
http://public.fotki.com/bigdale/acura_99_cl_23_timi/
Outline for How It Should Be:
1. Jack up car on stands, remove driver front tire. Put a jack or some support under your
oil pan because you will be removing an engine mount. Also remove any plastic pieces under the
wheel well.
2. Get your crank bolt off. (one step...45 min and heavy equipment) Like Rob~O says: If you can't
get this thing off you may as well give up now.
3. Remove accessory belts, and all attached gadgets (power steering pump, alternator)
4. Remove valve cover (and cover it with a clean rag, tape it off, something) You need to do this
so that you can line up your top gear to Top Dead Center.
5. Unbolt your upper engine mount so you can get to the belts.
6. Remove upper timing belt cover
7. Remove Timing Belt Tensioner bolt (so you can do next step)
8. Remove lower timing belt cover. (more on this sonofa%$@* later)
9. Gently inspect and remove the old timing belts
10. Remove the rest of the timing sprockets
11. Remove belt tensioners
12. Remove the 5 bolts for the water pump
13. SPLAAAAAAAASH! Now replace that water pump!
14. Replace the shaft seals (clean before the new ones, which come pre-lubed)
15. Lock your rear balancer rod in place by placing a rod (1/4in drill bit works great) in the
service hole. Pics below, you have to remove a plug to get to it.
16. Move your top gear (by the valve train) to TDC, and front balancer to TDC with the marking. The
rear should be immobile by the drill bit.
17. Replace the tensioners, being careful to utilize the "service screw" hole for the rear (main)
tensioner. This mean put a screw in to hold the thing in place and keep the belt very snug. You
will have to remove this screw later...be warned.
18. Replace the belts, be careful to keep everything lined up with their TDC marks. This step is much
harder than I make it out to be.
19. Put the crank bolt in with some washers to shim, and pull it counter clockwise to tighten the belts.
20. Assuming all your marks stayed lined up, start replacing covers. Its really hard to get and keep the
belts tight when you have to remove the tensioner bolt to get the damned lower timing cover back on.
21. Put the engine back together. Replace the Spark Plug seals on your valve cover before re-assembly.
22. Pray.
23. Turn the key.
What Really Happened. (In dialogue)
1. Ok, so far so good!
2. Wrench...no. Add lube (Kroil)...no Torque bar...no. Air ratchet...no. Change airhose to 1/2".
Air ratchet...no. My shoulder hurts, get the torches. FIRE BABY FIRE! Now that sucker came off!
3-7. No problem! Woohoo!
8. How in the unholy hell do you get this lower timing cover out of the engine bay?! I think you're
gonna break it, Rob~O says don't do that. Drop the engine down a few inches. Nope. Shift it this
way. No that..you pull I'll push. Can you bend that one piece? Did we forget some screws some
where? Rotate it 180°. Ok use the prybar there...no there. Uhhnnnnnggggggggggggggggggggg GOT IT!
Oh crap, it has some kind of seal around the edges. Well thats throughly destroyed, is there a new
one in the kit? No?! You mean we have to salvage it? Oh man...well...worry about it later.
9-10. Good, that was simple.
11. Ok pay attention to which direction those things go on. Got it? Good.
12-13. Woohoo making messes is fun!
12-13. Hand me the last screw for the water pump. The last one...I put 2 in, you put 2 in, there was 5
in your hand. What do you mean you don't have it? Well its gotta be around here somewhere.
[30 min later]
12-13. Well I guess a stainless philips head screw won't look THAT out of place. Its not like its a
showcar or anything...
12-13. Well that seems nice and firm. I feel like we know what we're doing again.
14. Scratch that. How do these seal things come out? Not easily thats for sure. After much prying with
tiny flatheads we get the front balancer out. Gotta remove a little plate to get at the crank seal.
Ok and the crank seal is done. Now about that rear seal. Wait its behind the oil pump? Maybe thats
what this other weird lookin seal is for....Umm I think that one is probably good. Its getting late,
lets just leave it.
15. Well I'll be. Once we got that plug out, the whole drill bit tip turned to to be spot on. Awesome!
16-18. Whats he mean service screw? Whatever are those lined up? Ok push..no pull. Oh man these
marks are way off.
16-18. Ok I think we have it this time. DAMMIT! Front balancer is off a full tick.
16-18. The drill bit fell out. ONE. MORE. TIME.
16-18. Screw this...lets take a break for dinner.
16-18. Mmmm that was good. Ok so make these little marks line up. SWEET! HIGH FIVES!
16-18. MORE HIGH FIVES! SOME LOVE FIV...wait. These belts seem awful loose. Oh yeah, read step 19!
Thats what we have to do
19. Uhhh this is hard to turn. Replacing the crank wheel and pulling with an accessory belt worked good.
But aw hell, NONE of the marks lined up after we did a full rotation.
16-18. Why wont these belts stay tight and lined up? OH BECAUSE THE REAR TENSIONER ISN'T ON ITS PIVOT!
16-18. Ok, tensioner in the right place now. Service screw holding belt tight. Front tensioner is on now.
How are we gonna get that one tight? well it should tighten itself right? Ok, lets skip 19 and get the
lower cover back on.
16-18. Er, first we have to remove the service bolt. Thats going to make all the belts loose. Screw it,
at least they'll be lined up correct right?
19. Um, we should see if everything lines up before we get it back together. So what happens if the timing
is off? Oh, the engine destroys itself in a flaming effigy. Well the belts are on, don't need the accessories.
Lets put the valve cover back on and see if it runs.
22. Praying, replacing fluids.
22. Some more silent praying.
22. Man, I'm not even religious.
23. Whirrrr VROOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!! RUNS! IT RUNS! ITS RUNNING CORRECTLY! WOOHOOO!!!!
Crap, it should be downhill from here! Lets get the covers and accessories hooked up!
20. Seriously, the lower timing cover was designed by an evil being from hell. For his mother-in-law.
As a funeral present. Its impossible to get in place without damned near breaking it. Then we use a knife
to shave off the parts we gnawed up getting it in place. THEN we have to salavage the bits of seal that was
previously on it, half ass in place. NOW we can finally put the tensioner bolt back in over the damned cover.
Stupidest. Design. Evar.
21. Ok back it up we have to tighten these belts before we lock down the Tensioner bolt.
16-18. I can use a long screwdriver to hold the rear tensioner taught while you tighten the bolt. Good!
16-18. Lets see if we can tighten up the front a bit.
Houston. We have a problem. I knocked the spring for the tensioner off its bolt. I feel the urge to cry.
16-18. I swear to any god or diety in earshot, if we have to take that lower timing cover back off again
I am flying to a honda HQ next weekend and taking a shit on someones desk.
Maybe we can pull it back on the peg using two wires and our NINJA SKILLS!
Crap this is like performing remote surgury. Just need to get it up and over. Up and over. Uuuuuuuuuup...
ooooooover. Ooooooover. Up..no up..UP!
(20min later)
I AM A GOD AMONG MEN! The spring is back on using 3 wires and some caffiene.
21. Lets replace those spark plug seals in the valve cover. (Gets 1 off) Holy CRAP thats hard. What
the hell...those other 3 don't look bad at all. They're staying on...its getting late.
22. Ok lets get that engine mount back on and we're almost done. What do you mean they don't line up?
Well once the bolt starts it should draw it up right?
....
Yeah, its stripped. Grab the tap-n-die kit. Oh..so theres 3 different TYPES of metric and this 68pc kit
doesn't have the right ones? You have GOT to be kidding me. Ok, grind off the stripped part. Hand me
the air ratchet and lets torque it in. Hah! That worked well (as-long-as-we-never-have-to-take-it-off-again).
Ok what about this double ended one? Of course it doesn't line up, what other luck are we having?
Well we don't have another washer to double bolt it on. Dammit its late. Just weld the bolt on.
BRRRRRZZZZZZTtttttt!
And air ratchet again....DONE!
Finally, we start it up and run it around the block to get it warm. Unbelievably everything is working fine.
I drove home 300miles on Monday without any problems. I can't believe it either.
changed out! The stealership has been after me for weeks to get it done to the tune of
around $900. Well I found a good Ebayer selling the belt/pump kit for $140. I highly
recommend this seller:
http://stores.ebay.com/NormReevesTemecula-com-Parts
Their kit comes with every single seal and part you need. Not that I used them all though.
First and foremost, I would not have even attempted this if I had not found this site:
http://www.cybertrails.com/~puf/Hond...meBalNote.html
Rob~O gives a fantastic guide to the F22/23 engine teardown and belt replacement. I would
not even attempt to claim any of that info as my own. I used it as my primary guide
to changing my belts/pump. Jim (my dad) and I are pretty handy guys. We have the tools,
garage, and plain stupidity to jump into a project like this just for the hell of it. So
I'm going to tell this story in two versions: How It Should Be and How It Was.
I'm sure there will be some innacurracies and people who disagree with my ghetto rigging at
points. You've been warned. Really you just want to read the What Really Happened part.
Heres the pictures:
http://public.fotki.com/bigdale/acura_99_cl_23_timi/
Outline for How It Should Be:
1. Jack up car on stands, remove driver front tire. Put a jack or some support under your
oil pan because you will be removing an engine mount. Also remove any plastic pieces under the
wheel well.
2. Get your crank bolt off. (one step...45 min and heavy equipment) Like Rob~O says: If you can't
get this thing off you may as well give up now.
3. Remove accessory belts, and all attached gadgets (power steering pump, alternator)
4. Remove valve cover (and cover it with a clean rag, tape it off, something) You need to do this
so that you can line up your top gear to Top Dead Center.
5. Unbolt your upper engine mount so you can get to the belts.
6. Remove upper timing belt cover
7. Remove Timing Belt Tensioner bolt (so you can do next step)
8. Remove lower timing belt cover. (more on this sonofa%$@* later)
9. Gently inspect and remove the old timing belts
10. Remove the rest of the timing sprockets
11. Remove belt tensioners
12. Remove the 5 bolts for the water pump
13. SPLAAAAAAAASH! Now replace that water pump!
14. Replace the shaft seals (clean before the new ones, which come pre-lubed)
15. Lock your rear balancer rod in place by placing a rod (1/4in drill bit works great) in the
service hole. Pics below, you have to remove a plug to get to it.
16. Move your top gear (by the valve train) to TDC, and front balancer to TDC with the marking. The
rear should be immobile by the drill bit.
17. Replace the tensioners, being careful to utilize the "service screw" hole for the rear (main)
tensioner. This mean put a screw in to hold the thing in place and keep the belt very snug. You
will have to remove this screw later...be warned.
18. Replace the belts, be careful to keep everything lined up with their TDC marks. This step is much
harder than I make it out to be.
19. Put the crank bolt in with some washers to shim, and pull it counter clockwise to tighten the belts.
20. Assuming all your marks stayed lined up, start replacing covers. Its really hard to get and keep the
belts tight when you have to remove the tensioner bolt to get the damned lower timing cover back on.
21. Put the engine back together. Replace the Spark Plug seals on your valve cover before re-assembly.
22. Pray.
23. Turn the key.
What Really Happened. (In dialogue)
1. Ok, so far so good!
2. Wrench...no. Add lube (Kroil)...no Torque bar...no. Air ratchet...no. Change airhose to 1/2".
Air ratchet...no. My shoulder hurts, get the torches. FIRE BABY FIRE! Now that sucker came off!
3-7. No problem! Woohoo!
8. How in the unholy hell do you get this lower timing cover out of the engine bay?! I think you're
gonna break it, Rob~O says don't do that. Drop the engine down a few inches. Nope. Shift it this
way. No that..you pull I'll push. Can you bend that one piece? Did we forget some screws some
where? Rotate it 180°. Ok use the prybar there...no there. Uhhnnnnnggggggggggggggggggggg GOT IT!
Oh crap, it has some kind of seal around the edges. Well thats throughly destroyed, is there a new
one in the kit? No?! You mean we have to salvage it? Oh man...well...worry about it later.
9-10. Good, that was simple.
11. Ok pay attention to which direction those things go on. Got it? Good.
12-13. Woohoo making messes is fun!
12-13. Hand me the last screw for the water pump. The last one...I put 2 in, you put 2 in, there was 5
in your hand. What do you mean you don't have it? Well its gotta be around here somewhere.
[30 min later]
12-13. Well I guess a stainless philips head screw won't look THAT out of place. Its not like its a
showcar or anything...
12-13. Well that seems nice and firm. I feel like we know what we're doing again.
14. Scratch that. How do these seal things come out? Not easily thats for sure. After much prying with
tiny flatheads we get the front balancer out. Gotta remove a little plate to get at the crank seal.
Ok and the crank seal is done. Now about that rear seal. Wait its behind the oil pump? Maybe thats
what this other weird lookin seal is for....Umm I think that one is probably good. Its getting late,
lets just leave it.
15. Well I'll be. Once we got that plug out, the whole drill bit tip turned to to be spot on. Awesome!
16-18. Whats he mean service screw? Whatever are those lined up? Ok push..no pull. Oh man these
marks are way off.
16-18. Ok I think we have it this time. DAMMIT! Front balancer is off a full tick.
16-18. The drill bit fell out. ONE. MORE. TIME.
16-18. Screw this...lets take a break for dinner.
16-18. Mmmm that was good. Ok so make these little marks line up. SWEET! HIGH FIVES!
16-18. MORE HIGH FIVES! SOME LOVE FIV...wait. These belts seem awful loose. Oh yeah, read step 19!
Thats what we have to do
19. Uhhh this is hard to turn. Replacing the crank wheel and pulling with an accessory belt worked good.
But aw hell, NONE of the marks lined up after we did a full rotation.
16-18. Why wont these belts stay tight and lined up? OH BECAUSE THE REAR TENSIONER ISN'T ON ITS PIVOT!
16-18. Ok, tensioner in the right place now. Service screw holding belt tight. Front tensioner is on now.
How are we gonna get that one tight? well it should tighten itself right? Ok, lets skip 19 and get the
lower cover back on.
16-18. Er, first we have to remove the service bolt. Thats going to make all the belts loose. Screw it,
at least they'll be lined up correct right?
19. Um, we should see if everything lines up before we get it back together. So what happens if the timing
is off? Oh, the engine destroys itself in a flaming effigy. Well the belts are on, don't need the accessories.
Lets put the valve cover back on and see if it runs.
22. Praying, replacing fluids.
22. Some more silent praying.
22. Man, I'm not even religious.
23. Whirrrr VROOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!! RUNS! IT RUNS! ITS RUNNING CORRECTLY! WOOHOOO!!!!
Crap, it should be downhill from here! Lets get the covers and accessories hooked up!
20. Seriously, the lower timing cover was designed by an evil being from hell. For his mother-in-law.
As a funeral present. Its impossible to get in place without damned near breaking it. Then we use a knife
to shave off the parts we gnawed up getting it in place. THEN we have to salavage the bits of seal that was
previously on it, half ass in place. NOW we can finally put the tensioner bolt back in over the damned cover.
Stupidest. Design. Evar.
21. Ok back it up we have to tighten these belts before we lock down the Tensioner bolt.
16-18. I can use a long screwdriver to hold the rear tensioner taught while you tighten the bolt. Good!
16-18. Lets see if we can tighten up the front a bit.
Houston. We have a problem. I knocked the spring for the tensioner off its bolt. I feel the urge to cry.
16-18. I swear to any god or diety in earshot, if we have to take that lower timing cover back off again
I am flying to a honda HQ next weekend and taking a shit on someones desk.
Maybe we can pull it back on the peg using two wires and our NINJA SKILLS!
Crap this is like performing remote surgury. Just need to get it up and over. Up and over. Uuuuuuuuuup...
ooooooover. Ooooooover. Up..no up..UP!
(20min later)
I AM A GOD AMONG MEN! The spring is back on using 3 wires and some caffiene.
21. Lets replace those spark plug seals in the valve cover. (Gets 1 off) Holy CRAP thats hard. What
the hell...those other 3 don't look bad at all. They're staying on...its getting late.
22. Ok lets get that engine mount back on and we're almost done. What do you mean they don't line up?
Well once the bolt starts it should draw it up right?
....
Yeah, its stripped. Grab the tap-n-die kit. Oh..so theres 3 different TYPES of metric and this 68pc kit
doesn't have the right ones? You have GOT to be kidding me. Ok, grind off the stripped part. Hand me
the air ratchet and lets torque it in. Hah! That worked well (as-long-as-we-never-have-to-take-it-off-again).
Ok what about this double ended one? Of course it doesn't line up, what other luck are we having?
Well we don't have another washer to double bolt it on. Dammit its late. Just weld the bolt on.
BRRRRRZZZZZZTtttttt!
And air ratchet again....DONE!
Finally, we start it up and run it around the block to get it warm. Unbelievably everything is working fine.
I drove home 300miles on Monday without any problems. I can't believe it either.
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02-22-2006, 08:54 AM
#8
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Originally Posted by saiko_cl_duck
move to DIY????
Klepto?
02-22-2006, 10:58 PM
#11
99 2.3CL, 5sp, Iced Teal
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: DC
Age: 43
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
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Honestly, I didn't expect anyone to read it all. Just sharing the Acura CL First Gen experience with yinz.
Thanks to those who did read. I think anyone who has actually done this will understand the pain involved. Or at least laugh at my idiocracy.
In any case, I love all you bitches.
Thanks to those who did read. I think anyone who has actually done this will understand the pain involved. Or at least laugh at my idiocracy.
In any case, I love all you bitches.
02-23-2006, 08:51 AM
#12
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Regional Coordinator
(Mid-Atlantic)
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iTrader: (6)
Originally Posted by rage007
Honestly, I didn't expect anyone to read it all. Just sharing the Acura CL First Gen experience with yinz.
02-23-2006, 10:37 PM
#14
Peace, Love & Acura
Wow, sounds like a real pain-in-the-ass. I could get it done for a couple hundred. Better than the amount of damage you may have done to some of those torgue-sensitive bolts. "as-long-as-we-never-have-to-take-it-off-again," well, you will if you keep the car. I am glad it is running for you, only time will tell on the damage. Good luck in the long run.
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