Timing belt change - Honda Prelude Forum

hondamadness · 07-01-2003, 02:47 PM

I've heard the horror stories of what happens when timing belts go bad and the lude has recently past 90K miles. How hard of a job is it? I called and got a quote to have it done out of curiosity and they said that there is a balancer belt and some tensioners that should be changed at the same time and I wanted the valves adj. since we're there. They quoted me around $900 parts and labor. Is this the going rate for this job? I am a pretty competent shade tree mechanic but I have no experience with the 2.3. What do you recommend? nate

hondamadness · 07-01-2003, 02:50 PM

By the way, the car runs fine, it's just that I think I saw in the owners manual that the belt should be changed @90k miles. How many miles do you generally get out of the belt. I fear the whole valve slamming into piston episode.

fiendracer · 07-01-2003, 03:12 PM

$900 sounds a little high to me. i had mine done, minus the valve adj. for about $500. was this at a dealer? also, make sure you get the water pump done while you are at it. as for doing it yourself, it depends on how much effort you want to put into it. i've done it on a crx but never on the lude. my friend said it was a bit more complex than most hondas, but then again you save a lot on labor.

cantdrive55 · 07-01-2003, 03:17 PM

900 for parts and labor is absurd. Buy a helms for 85 bucks, then spend about 150 for parts. Do it yourself. I'm going to do mine before the end of the month.

hondamadness · 07-01-2003, 03:59 PM

So you recommend changing the belts out for its mileage? Or should I just drive it? I normally jump into these things myself but the shop (not a dealer) said that there are a few things that need to be set up just right for it to even run, so I was weary of doing it myself. Where is the best place to get a helms? Thanks for the inputs! nate

DudewithaLude · 07-01-2003, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cantdrive55
900 for parts and labor is absurd. Buy a helms for 85 bucks, then spend about 150 for parts. Do it yourself. I'm going to do mine before the end of the month.

msg me when you do; i'd like to see/help if i can

DudewithaLude · 07-01-2003, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by hondamadness
So you recommend changing the belts out for its mileage? Or should I just drive it? I normally jump into these things myself but the shop (not a dealer) said that there are a few things that need to be set up just right for it to even run, so I was weary of doing it myself. Where is the best place to get a helms? Thanks for the inputs! nate

I think what the guy meant was the setting of the cam gears to TDC, but that shouldn't be too hard given the info on this site

Bazza340 · 07-04-2003, 02:52 AM

Cam belt should be changed at 50,000miles and every 50k thereafter (or every 5 years whichever comes first). Also, at 90,000 you ought to change the water pump as well. Awkward job as you have to drop the engine, so your a brave man doing it yourself. Helms manuals from www.helminc.com

_SBradley_ · 07-04-2003, 06:24 AM

If you are thinking of changing the timing belt and related equipment yourself, this thread has some important information on changing the water pump. Do as I say in the last post in the thread, and you should save yourself a significant amount of time and a lot of hassle with that.

I think all the stuff I changed there came to about $300. Belts were about $30 each; water pump was $80; tensioner was $60; $100 miscellaneous stuff. Oh, and...

Buy (or get hold of) a crank pulley holder tool! It's expensive, at $50, but you will have such a hard time removing the crank pulley bolt without one! (Either that, or get the crank pulley bolt loosened at a garage, then do the work before it has a chance to retighten itself too much. Even then, the tool is a big help.)

Good luck!

munscher · 07-04-2003, 08:53 AM

I might be swapping timing belts on an acura legend engine... its outside of the car though so that'll make it easier... still a bit weary as to whether or not i wanna try it.

As long as the gears are all TDC (which i'm assuming are marked?) then i'm good?

otime12 · 07-04-2003, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by _SBradley_
Buy (or get hold of) a crank pulley holder tool! It's expensive, at $50, but you will have such a hard time removing the crank pulley bolt without one! (Either that, or get the crank pulley bolt loosened at a garage, then do the work before it has a chance to retighten itself too much. Even then, the tool is a big help.)

Good luck!

just jam the flywheel with a big wrench, open the flywheel cover underneath the car to the left of the oilpan, jam the flywheel and kick that pulley bolt loose

vile10 · 07-05-2003, 12:35 AM

call me lazy but this is something that i would pay someone to do it for me, just for the time it takes to do the job, i paid like $500 or so parts and labor (Honda OEM parts) for timing belts, a/c belt, p/s belt, tensioners, and water pump replaced

cantdrive55 · 07-05-2003, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by vile10
call me lazy but this is something that i would pay someone to do it for me, just for the time it takes to do the job, i paid like $500 or so parts and labor (Honda OEM parts) for timing belts, a/c belt, p/s belt, tensioners, and water pump replaced

I'd rather save the ~$300 in labor. It's worth spending a day working on my car to save 300 bucks.

vile10 · 07-05-2003, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cantdrive55

I'd rather save the ~$300 in labor. It's worth spending a day working on my car to save 300 bucks.

just imagine it's the first 3 months you moved to LA, don't know anyone, don't have garage, not even drive way, no tools and you have to park your car at the street

brendon2k · 07-05-2003, 10:39 PM

I would do it yourself. $150 vs $900, you make the call.

cantdrive55 · 07-06-2003, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by vile10

just imagine it's the first 3 months you moved to LA, don't know anyone, don't have garage, not even drive way, no tools and you have to park your car at the street

You know Justin. Justin has a garage. Justin has AIR tools.

vile10 · 07-06-2003, 02:51 PM

i had it done way before i knew justin, i think the first luder here i knew is ryu

_SBradley_ · 07-08-2003, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by otime12

just jam the flywheel with a big wrench, open the flywheel cover underneath the car to the left of the oilpan, jam the flywheel and kick that pulley bolt loose

That's the alternative. But that bolt was tight -- over 500 Nm tight! I would not recommend this method. Removing the crank pulley bolt was the toughest part of the entire job, even with the official tool. In my opinion, it is definitely worth getting hold of the tool.

And remove the crank pulley bolt first. You don't want to remove the P/S pump, alternator, cylinder head cover, timing covers, etc. only to discover that the bolt won't budge. Believe me.