ekxtreem

Oh were you referring to the few times it cranked? Nah I did that manually, I always do that when i do belt work, the rotation of the engine lines the belt up properly on the pulleys and gears so i never go one shot just in case the belt decides to slip off from not being set properly. I usually crank it a few times then check again to see that the belt is still on...

ez12a

nah i meant when starting the car via ignition you didnt hold it long enough. dude was concerned why it didnt start right up.

ekxtreem

yeah lol, that's exactly what i am saying and i really meant to reply to him...

madpoz

Got it, thanks!

TLlove07

BEST WRITE UP EVERRRRRR!!!!!

Taking sway bar off is KEY!!!

Also, had a seized plug, blasted with PB, waited 10 minutes, tighten the plug a hair (to loosen up) and she's came out with NO issues...

ekxtreem

what's PB?

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

PB Blaster, it's a catalyst and loosens stuff.

ekxtreem

updated pics with serpentine belt removal/installation write-up
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ekxtree...7633307733066/

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

Wow, you are the absolute MAN. Aside from Majofo's first post, this is the best post in this whole thread. Lining everything up and getting at everything is what has me intimidated. Although, the funny thing is that over time, I've removed and reinstalled almost everything you've posted so far.

Majofo

J, you'd suck anyone's D.




I like this pic EKZ.. proof that this is not a job for the limp wristed.. sorry J.

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

ekxtreem

lol

ekxtreem

yeah that is for real, one good idea is when you think it is line up, try to see where it woul be if it was off by a tooth/belt rib and that would put it off decently, and the opposite, it it was a little off picture it where it would be if is was 'on' by a tooth, it tha puts it in place then you may need to fix it

Luis1855

Wow I will need this! Great thread

wrxsti04

Could someone recommend a place to purchase all the OEM Acura/Honda Parts? Also is there a clear parts list with accurate part #'s of all the parts we need for 105K maintenance ?

wrxsti04

Also are seals required to be replaced seeing one post with Seal part #s

ekxtreem

any online acura dealer, i use this one ....

http://www.oemacuraparts.com/parts-c...vigation/ka5at

madpoz

Definitely not required to be replaced. Only if they're leaking.

I'm going to do the TB, water pump, tb tensioner, pulley and idler. Also since i'm there, i'll be rebuilding the power steering pump to fix a minor leak, replacing the AC belt, tensioner and thermostat.

Parts are a mixture of OEM and aftermarket. I have a AISIN TB kit, Gates AC tensioner, OEM AC belt, OEM thermostat and PS seals. The AISIN kit is less than half the cost of the OEM components and is of very comparable quality

OEM part numbers have been posted several times, i'd just do a search if you want to go that route.

abracing

I've been reading this thread over and over again to gain confidence and I feel like I can tackle this myself. My question is as 94eg suggested step one should be loosening the crankshaft pulley bolt, would it be okay to do so? Also I would have to align the marks on the rear and front cams looking through the hole before undoing the crankshaft bolt?

ez12a

when you're trying to break loose the bolt, timing marks dont matter so much.

Just remember to line them back up before removing (vs. loosening) the bolt and pulley.

ekxtreem

yeah you can tackle the cam pulley bolt first just in case you can't get it off and may need to drive the car to some shop and have them loose it for you. but in tackling this make sure you have impact tools or you won't have a chance at succeeding

nfnsquared

^^^^he means crank pulley.

And personally, knowing what I know now, I wouldn't even mess with that bolt. I'd gladly pay a shop $25 - $50 to pop it loose for me.

ekxtreem

lol yes thanks

ekxtreem

As stated before you don't need to have the marks lined up to loose the bolt but it is good to have it in the area, so i would say line it up then set your tools to take it off so when it is off you wan't have to do much turning to line the marks up again, also you don't necessarily need to turn the crank pully bolt to line the marks up, once that is off you can turn it from the from cam bolt using a wrench or bar/ratchet and socket. make sure it is lined up before removing the belt and once it is off try to put the new belt on right away without anything turning

abracing

Since its my first time doing this I'd like to try popping the crank bolt first and if I cant do it I'll bring to a shop.
Thanks, Good thing I asked coz I thought the only way to turn the cams is thru the crank bolt with belt attached.

TheLowLife

Would PB blaster not help loosen the bolt up?

ez12a

doesnt hurt to try but with 180 ft/lb (dont quote me on that) to torque it down and then go through several heatcycles and approx 105k miles it's pretty stuck. I bent a breaker bar + extensions 90 deg and it didnt budge. it seems though once its broken from the factory its easier.

TheLowLife

^ very good points made there.

ekxtreem

here is your cam bolt, of course the cam cover has to come off http://www.flickr.com/photos/ekxtree...in/photostream

Decayin

does the TL turn on its check engine light around 105k miles to indicate that I need the service? or will the light not go on at all?

ekxtreem

It doesn't , the need service indication cone on similar to when your oil life percentage is down

jisleyjr

Thanks for the write up and the tips guys, i just knocked this out today and it took me 7 hours all by myself.

It must be my lucky day because I got the CP bolt loose using the starter bump method, no bolts broke while removing them, and i got the timing belt on in one try, the camshaft pulleys didn't shift on me like some people reported.

Installing the thermostat was the worst part and yes smaller hands would have been nice cause mine now look like i got into a fight with an angry cat.

I still got the Honda Crank Pulley tool from Oreilly's and i used that for tightening the CP bolt back up and testing if everything lined up be rotating the engine.

I bought my kit from rockauto, Gates tckwp329

I reinstalled everything and it started right up and purred like a kitten.

This will be a service reminder i'll gladly reset! It popped up at 101462 miles when my oil was due.

Time to get my drink on

ekxtreem

Congrats my friend , well done!

photog

This ended up taking me 12 hours this past weekend give or take a few breaks and typical ADD distractions. I happened to get very lucky with the fact that the CP bolt was already cracked lose from when Acura dealer had to go in and fix an oil pump leak earlier this year. What's scary is that I BARELY had to lean on the bolt for it to unscrew, must've been installed very loosely *face palm*

The hardest parts were ATTEMPTING to torque all of the bolts I removed during the job, and getting to the thermostat turned out to be a major PITA. Partly because I went about it without removing the intake or battery or wire harness...needless to say my hands are shredded to bits. I only got about .7 gallons of coolant out of the front bleeder valve, the other 1.3 gallons ended up pouring out all over the engine and thermostat area in the form of a 5"-wide waterfall of coolant...not too fun.

Crank seal replacement went smoothly but I ended up skipping on the cam seals, as I did not have the extra time this time around. Goodluck to anyone who tries this, involves a lot of common sense and very little mechanical-know how. Just think things through and you will be fine, white-out markings on the case, pulleys, belt all made the swap fairly risk free.

Majofo

Don't say I didn't warn you..

photog

hahah warning was much appreciated I just decided to be an impatient moron

VanGuy

Remember guys, your tools may have a lifetime warranty. If my breaker bar snaps I'll be sure to get a free replacement at the retailer. Thanks for this great timing belt DIY.

Here's another one on a MDX that has also given me great confidence to attempt this:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums...44#Post2985744

wokstar

Just wanted to pop in and say thanks to Majofo and to all the contributed. You guys saved me a ton of dough and gave me the piece of mind knowing it was done correctly.

I just wanted to add a picture of the bump method. It was really nerve racking but it ended up being no big deal. After sweating for an hour with a 6ft pipe and breaker bar I was starting to get desperate. Just swing the bar into the A frame, zipped tie it to remove the slop, turn over and bam. Done

Majofo

I'm surprised that zip tie survived.

database

First, just like so many of us, I like to thank Majofo for an excellent write up. Your write up makes it look easier than it really is. I had spent almost all of my labour day long weekend in the garage, with moments feelings with frustration, lost, worry, pressure, shame, relief, success and finally triumph. What a beg of emotions!!

I have a 2004 TL and am the first owner and had it since April 2004. It is now at 115k km (~approx. just less than 75k miles) and has been running just fine. I live in the great white north, with the extreme temperature, custom wisdom calls for changing the timing belt around this mileage. I never thought of doing this myself, but the dealer wanted $1380 + tax for this job, and that is just too much.

Bought an OEM parts from eBay and spent just $350 on it. In addition, I also bought a video from a person I followed on YouTube for $16 before proceeding. Majofo's write up however helps the most, once again thank you!

I snapped the CP bolt with the O'Reily Hex tool and breaker bar without any issue, it took me less than 20 minutes to crack it upon having extension hooked up. I said to myself, this is easy than many other have experienced, so it gave me confident to proceed, and that was Friday. I then proceed to disassemble the rest, and it took me a total of 7 hours on Friday alone to disassemble till I got all the covers off. The back cover is a bitch but that wasn't the worst.

On Saturday, I proceed to read through this forum again and take out the timing belt, and the water pump. It went very smoothly, and put in a new water pump without much issue. However, when the time to put the new belt on, it was like hell. For the longest time, I could not put the belt on tight enough from the front cam to the back cam which goes under the water pump pully. Many times the back cam either sprung forward or backward and took a lot for me to readjust. At the end of Saturday I had spent another 7 hours worrying how to put the belt on.

On Sunday, I had finally put the belt on by moving the back camp slightly forward by a tooth and then tighten the belt by pushing it toward the firewall. After that, the belt has enough slack to wrap around the adjuster. After double checked the timing mark, I proceed to pull the pin from the tensioner. Huge problem, the pin just got stuck and could only come out half way. I swear I must have taken it out and put it back on the vise at least 7 times before I figured out how I could fix this.... Oh yes the service manual calls for the battery tied down which then made sense. Now I tied it down and finally the pin came out in one piece. For the remaining of reassembling, it was a breeze comparatively speaking. I worked on it until 10:30pm last night until I filled up the radiator with fluids. I held my breath, said a prayer out loud twice before I started the car. IT WORKED! no code, sounded normal and in fact the engine sounds more quiet before I started the job. I thank God for it and slept well. Today as looked at my hands and arms, I really did had a fight with a nasty meow. Fingers were cut, arms with cut and bruises, but now I brag about it. Would I do it again if I knew this is what's going to happen.... the answer is NO, I would have gone to find a cheaper mechanic, but boy, what an adventure it was. Thanks Majofo! You just made it look too damn easy!