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Experienced Opinions Needed on Timing Belt Job Gone Wrong
Can my 2004 TL be saved?
I thought I followed the instructions in the factory manual. The timing marks on the cams and the crankshaft line up perfectly but when I reassembled everything and started the engine, it sounds bad.
Video below:
Did you replace the timing belt tensioner also? Video is a little too short but I believe valves or more of a tick and tapping sound. That sounded like a knock from a bad tensioner
Did you replace the timing belt tensioner also? Video is a little too short but I believe valves or more of a tick and tapping sound. That sounded like a knock from a bad tensioner
I was concerned about continuing to run the engine in that condition so I shut it off fast, thus the short video.
Did you manually crank the engine a few times to make sure the marks still line up? and I mean the marks on the cam/crank + the marks you manually made on the belt with a sharpie/whiteout. I crank at least 6 times manually to make sure all marks line up 3 times. And how did you install the new belt? Did you mark the old belt then transferred the marks over to the new belt, or did you just loop up the belt thinking it's installed correctly with the engine in time? If you didn't mark the belt, it's very easy to go 1 or 2 teeth off on the rear cam.
Like 90foxnotch wrote, it sounds like bad tensioner. If engine would be out of time it would't run that well. If it would be out of time enough to cause noise it most likely wouldn't run at all. Here it's running fine and starting right up.
It's not uncommon for those tensioners to fail prematurely. I did couple cars, and recently I had Odyssey come back with failed tensioner after three days! (on Aisin kit from Amazon) since doing the job. Some time ago we had MDX come back after around 6 months with failed tensioner. Usually in that case we will get tensioner from dealership.
Don't like those kits as there is no marks on tensioner. There is just a stamp with brand name. But one of those lives in my car and it's been running fine so far.
Like 90foxnotch wrote, it sounds like bad tensioner. If engine would be out of time it would't run that well. If it would be out of time enough to cause noise it most likely wouldn't run at all. Here it's running fine and starting right up.
It's not uncommon for those tensioners to fail prematurely. I did couple cars, and recently I had Odyssey come back with failed tensioner after three days! (on Aisin kit from Amazon) since doing the job. Some time ago we had MDX come back after around 6 months with failed tensioner. Usually in that case we will get tensioner from dealership.
Don't like those kits as there is no marks on tensioner. There is just a stamp with brand name. But one of those lives in my car and it's been running fine so far.
I'll try putting the old tensioner back in and see if it helps. Thank you.
When you take it apart, check the marks before removal, then check idler as well as the tensioner.
There was a shim needed under the idler if the belt was found to be out of alignment, but it sure wouldn't made that sound.
Idler pulley shim, installed or not installed, doesn't make that sound. I suggest an OEM hydraulic tensioner because I have 3 old hydraulic tensioners in my garage from 3 different timing belt jobs, although the look the same on the outside, the construction inside might be a different story.
Did you take anything else off? MAP sensor? Any of the 6 coil pack connections? Oil pressure sensor by the rear of the oil pump? and good battery connections?
Did you take anything else off? MAP sensor? Any of the 6 coil pack connections? Oil pressure sensor by the rear of the oil pump? and good battery connections?
I accidentally destroyed the stock oil sensor while unbolting the original timing belt tensioner.
Have you looked up that p2649 code? It says its a rocker arm pressure solenoid or something like that. Need to look into that but I didn't find anything on the forums about it
Last edited by 90foxnotch; 08-09-2019 at 02:08 PM.
Given your P2649 it may be a good place to start. That valve timing oil pressure switch assy from Amazon looks like a China 'knock-off' at $11.98 compared to the OEM 37250-PR3-003 priced at $78.60 online.
It's a possibility. I would go OEM for critical engine part That also looks like the wrong o-ring on that picture on Amazon. You could be losing oil pressure during startup.
First, I'd like to express my gratitude to everyone who came here to help me out. It was helpful at a time when I was thinking about throwing in the towel.
That said, this project has been full of some bonkers obstacles; one might think I was in a Twilight Zone episode.
I spent $225 on a new impact gun only to find that it could do nothing to this crank bolt.
After seemingly completing the job, I ran into the problems for which I originally started this thread.
Bear in mind, I've been working outdoors over the past week and it's been 97° here in Jersey with a significant humidity.
When I removed the old tensioner one of its bolts fell down but didn't hit the ground. I spent nearly half an hour looking around the side of the engine and around the axle trying to figure out where it went. I ended up finding it on the lower control arm near the knuckle. How does that happen?
When I put the tensioner in for the second time and went to yank the pin, this happened...
LOL, WTF? Haven't I suffered enough?
I spent another half hour tugging on that pin and ended up ripping through the outer casing of the tensioner getting it out.
Then after assembling the front cover, the engine wouldn't start.
Apparently the wire for the VTEC solenoid got ripped out of the harness in a way that I couldn't readily see (okay that one's on me....)
The engine's purring now. I took the opportunity to change the oxygen sensors and replace the engine oil with Pennzoil Ultra Platinum 5w20.
Between all the weird problems that have crept in, I've had to disassemble this thing four times now. I'll have no trouble doing it again in the future. Thankfully it won't be for another 105,000 miles because I've had my fill of this project for a while.
Last edited by JMiles_T; 08-09-2019 at 11:00 PM.
Reason: Grammar
Glad it's working! Yes, there are 3 connectors around there you need to be careful of. Oil pressure sensor, VTEC solenoid connector, VTEC oil pressure sensor connector, they are all sort of in the way. The tensioner pin, you need to pull fast and hard. If it gets stuck, keep pulling slowly and it will come out. For the crank pulley, you absolutely need the Lisle 19mm harmonic balancer socket for Honda, it's a super beefy socket that literally removes that bolt in a second! You use it once every many years, but it's well worth it. Here is my setup with Milwaukee 2767 with the Lisle socket. It's well worth the investment if you are looking to keep the car.
Yes, but not as big a chunk got ripped out on mine.
Just an FYI, when this happened to me on my CL-S6, I stopped trying to pull the 'pin', and removed the two flange bolts holding the tensioner. This allowed the tensioner to be removed, then I placed it into a vice, compressed it down until the 'pin' became loose. Removed the 'pin' and replaced it with a right angle allen wrench, small enough to fit the 'pin' holes. Reinstalled the tensioner. When placing the allen wrench, I made sure to only have a slight amount of the straight part of the wrench protrude the opposite side of the tensioner, that way when I pulled the 'right angle' part of the allen wrench to activate the tensioner, it pulled through without incident, quickly.
08-04-2019, 10:58 PM
