03tlCHARCOL

iTrader: (3)

Just got my timing belt replaced, water pump, drive belts, coolant flush and power steering flush.

My butt dyno tells me the car accelerates (pulls) a lot faster and smoother now. Comments on why, other than my belts were old or is just all in my head?

totaledTL

It's all in your head.

01tl4tl

maybe they replaced the spark plugs, air filter or added supersecretstuff to the gas to clean the injectors etc??
adjusted valves?
those would all make a change you can feel
the rest is you breathing easier now that its done!!

when I was a tech, we set the tire pressure and washed every car--customers were certain we had done a tune up,,, if all we did was fix the low tire pressure and make it shiny
definetly 8 bphp!! (butt perceived horse power)

01tl4tl

it may steer better with new fluid and clean internals of the ps system

rcb2000

no it's not your head, it is running better. Why the timing of the valves is more intune than it was. The belt will stretch with age in turn that throughs off the timing of the valves opening and closing slightly so it isn't optimized with the stroke of the piston anymore. New belt improved timing of the valves relative to the piston stroke. and then add in they should have adjusted the valves too all add improved performance of the engine.

texholdem

around $800.- at dealer I guess, $400.- if DIY

01tl4tl

I thought the timing belt tensioner would take up any slack?
its failure is the same as breaking the belt, massive internal damage

since we have interferance engines, it wouldnt take much to hit an exhaust valve
if belt movement is real

adjustment at the actual valve adjuster on top of each one- will restore spec clearance,
and is important to do- that affects all aspects of running- controls the in/out-- duration and valve lift -of gasses thru the cylinders

01tl4tl

most shops low bid jobs to get them in the door,,on timing belt they wont include tensioner/idler pullies or roller pullies,,or not include all new belts

few include the valve adjust in initial quote,, and many techs are looking to do the easy fast jobs they make double the money on- so they dont offer that job (book says `as needed-only way to know if needed is to put measuring tool in --adjust if needed!!)

valve adjust takes a while--remove intake manifold--based on what we know of egr probs this is also the time to clean the manifold out, then reach the valve covers and finally the valves
adjusting them is the fast easy part of the whole job,,only a few will be out of spec and a few not at their ideal spec but in limit--still worth adjusting to ideal
its just a screwdriver and nut system

03tlCHARCOL

iTrader: (3)

I went to an independent shop. We looked at the tensioner/idler pullies and they all looked good to him and me. So he didn't replace them. The total job was $505 including tax, which included the coolant flush and power steering flush. So overall I was pleased and the level of service.

01tl4tl

yes the pullies can look good today,
the problem is in a year or two, will the grease seal blow out then, bearing siezes and destroys the engine??
If you plan to keep the TL, it would be cheap insurance to replace them while its all apart--in my own opinion

let us know if it makes it another 110kmiles before the tbelt gets done and those parts are still good--they might be,,kris went 200 on his belt and pullies

01tl4tl

what brand parts did you use? gates...other..
no valve adjust?
done plugs already?

500 bucks in seattle- may be worth the drive!!

Karanx7

iTrader: (2)

Lol, prostreet440 went 400k on his factory T belt.

That makes a couple instances of the belt lasting 200k or more. I'm surprised I haven't read any threads about T belt breaking, yet.

03tlCHARCOL

iTrader: (3)

Gates belts and OEM water pump. No valve adjust that would have been an extra $95 plus he said he would only do it if I had left the car overnight because he only likes to do it on a cold engine.

I did my plugs at 75k

He did say my tranny fluid was a bit dirty. I did a drain and fill last March. So I went to the Honda dealership and picked up some fluid to do the drain and fill sometime this weekend. Only thing is that the dealership only had the ATF-DW1 not the ATF-Z1. I've been reading a couple threads on the new DW1 hopefully it's good stuff.

Karanx7

iTrader: (2)

$95 valve adjustment? Nice.

My Acura stealer quoted me $600. The Honda dealer next door quoted $400. I figured I'd rather give it a shot myself down the road.

AZN.M3NACE

Did you go to the shop you recommended me to go to 6 months ago? I believe he is located in Maple Valley isn't he..? If it is, he does a great job.. I got my timing belt and water pump for $400.

rcb2000

so explain how the tensioner counter acts the effects of the wear on the teeth of the belt and the widening that occurs. And with a stretched belt the timing events get extended, not enough to cause interferance but enough to effect performance.

01tl4tl

i ran this past our internal engine gurus who said some pretty funny things about your understanding of this problem... vs how smart you say you are

03tlCHARCOL

iTrader: (3)

Yup that's the place, kind of far but I don't mind the nice drive. I will definitely go back there for service.

01tl4tl

K7 == a search will reveal several times the tbelt has broken and person found azine looking for help

often the shop would convince them to replace the belt and wp--
only to `find` the valves are messed up and now it needs another $2000 in repairs,,,,
on top of the $1200+++ they just overcharged you!!!

did all those techs really not know about how to test engines in this situation,,or were the shops run by scoundrels??
Its real, and you cant say when its going to happen
is 7/105 conservative so they dont get a bunch of complaints..of course
Do I know a wife who long ago- had a 4cy acura with interferance engine
10 years-175kmiles and t-belt shredded itself,,kept running several minutes as it went to nothing but string wrapped around everything,,
beat the bajezzeesus out of the valves too!!!

01tl4tl

there have also been reports here of tbelt failure while at idle or near idle speed and immediate shutdown
they got away with it and didnt have any contact

rcb2000

do your self a favor first spend the money on the special tool that makes adjusting them easy.

01tl4tl

do you know of something better than a good Go-NoGo feeler guage.
Please share with us

its the time required to get to the valve covers and remove is the worst part
Doing them dead cold makes the adjustment more accurate/precise
95 bucks is a steal

xtremex626

iTrader: (1)

it's not all in your head lol. i am 100% sure you'll feel a difference with a new belt tensioner, timing belt, water pump, and valve adjustment.

i still need to do the 105k service.. but im selling my car soon.. and i noticed my belt tensioner needs to be replaced along with the timing belt and i need a valve adjustment. could be the main reason my car feels sluggish and why i am getting poor mpg.

03tlCHARCOL

iTrader: (3)

Good Sell yours, so I can be the best looking not lowest AM 2G TL on the West Coast

rcb2000

never heard of a go-nogo feeler guage, designed many go -nogo gauges to inspect parts for size requirements but feeler gauges are of a set thickness stamped or printed on the individual pieces of the gauge, the tool that is helpfull is the tool that you adjust the valve with, they are to be set at specific clearance and why the valve is adjustable and why you only need one of the feeler gauges. But I'm sure you have it all figured out, but what surface is actually doing the moving of the cam shaft pulley? the teeth of the belt, the od of the pully and id of the belt or both. Also is the tensioner on the drive side or the slack side of the belt? what happens when the tensioner starts to go the friction between the belt and pully decreases doesn't and in turn the teeth of the belt never wear do they. only thing funny is you.

95 bucks might be a steal provided they actually know what they are doing odds are they don't and why the price is soo cheap.

totaledTL

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...dentifier=1928

01tl4tl

must be too general a tool,,or I didnt use the technical name, for you know who to think exist

used by millions of mechanics everywhere to check and adjust valve clearances quickly--
Stick it in the space= it goes in and stops--its right on,,
it goes in and keeps going--too much clearance,,
wont go in at all--too tight

sure things wear,,examine most TL tbelts at change and they look almost new
Yes the tensioner adjust the back side to compensate for wear and motion
isnt that its job?
the very small amount of valve timing change thats even possible is --according to a zine guru- is approx 1/8 a degree--may affect car in slight way,,so lets say thats possible,,but thats not the only thing making the car better~

01tl4tl

`what happens when the tensioner starts to go the friction between the belt and pully decreases doesn't and in turn the teeth of the belt never wear do they. only thing funny is you.`

now thats funny!!!
if the tensioner fails- lets say from grease starvation- its going to lose tension- possibly sieze in place on the timing belt = in short order there will be a major noise from where the timing belt used to be

Just one of the reasons to replace tensioner with belt--- but many dont and suffer the failure in a few months or years

rcb2000

ooohhh I see the problem autozone tools POS.... Like I said never have I ever heard of feeler gauges refered to as a go no go gauge.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/tools...e=snapon-store

rcb2000

never did I say it failed I said when it starts to go meaning it will decrease in tension long before it fails. After all the main purpuse is to prevent the belt from jumping track on the slack side of the belt, all the slop is taken out on the drive side and the tensoner has no effect what so ever on that side of the belt, ever see the top side of a chain on a bicycle ever have slack in it, bottom side has tons but never is there any on the top. The timing belt is the same other than it's orientation is more vertical.

totaledTL

Come on... that was just an example. Look at the description of one of the Blue Pt. sets, right from the link YOU provided. It's just a terminology thing, that's all.

Does "Step Blade" sound better to you??

Description "Go-No" blades with 2 sizes each.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog

01tl4tl

I have only seen tensioners dead or alive--no,, its failing and losing tension
so I cant say on that subject

call the guage for valve adjustment what you want,,but walk into any name brand mechanics `tool truck`,, or parts store,, and ask for a go no-go,,, guess what they hand you!!!

rcb2000

I have never seen anyone actually have or use the style of feeler gauge you discribe, everyone I know and the Matco and Snap-on reps both have the traditional feeler gauges that are of a constant thickness, most want to know the exact gap not that it's within .002" of the desired clearance. Guess I should have been looking for guages enstead.

FYi tensioners lose tension before the the bearings ever give out.

totaledTL

Snap-on reps sell Blue Pt., or at least they used to-

01tl4tl

blue point is snap-on ..their starter brand

most techs I know use a go nogo for fast easy setting of valve clearance
Sure I own 3 sets of standard single thickness blades for the same job,
and on certain engines they get used, mostly ones with bending of the tool required for access to valve, and with human interpretation of what the specified drag needs to be
but having a tool that works as well as a nogo...!!

where do you get its not the exact measure??--they make a blade then shave down a ramp on it,,so there is a step

If I have used 8 gallons of fuel from the TL tank,,am I half full or half empty?

totaledTL

I don't know why he thinks that either-