Have I stripped my timing belt tensioner bolt?

[juxstapo]

Alright, had to change the head gasket, attempted to do so w/o removing the crankshaft pully. Almost succeeded.

How many of you have successfully retightened the timing belt tensioner without removing that lower plastic cover? Is this remotely possible? The bolt on the tensioner takes pressure up to a certain point then loosens abruptly, think I"ve stripped it?

Need this thing running by 9 tomorrow morning, do I need to just bite the bullet and take all the pullys back off? Crankshaft included?

thx.

 

[RonJ]

How many of you have successfully retightened the timing belt tensioner without removing that lower plastic cover? Is this remotely possible?

There is a removable black rubber plug in the lower timing belt cover. It's specific purpose is to give access to the tensioner bolt.

Now you need to remove the crank pulley so that you can rethread the bolt hole and install a new sized bolt. Removing the driver-side motor and torque mounts and jacking up the driver-side engine from the oil pan should give you the access you need to the bolt hole.

 

[juxstapo]

Yea, got that black rubber plug out.... My question is how to you actually place tension on the tensioner without removing that lower cover? Is the spring pressure supposed to be sufficient? (Because mine, just sitting there of its own accord, is nowhere near tight enought). Is tightening that one bolt supposed to do the trick? (Mines not doing that either).

annnd now looking at no possible recourse except take it all apart am I?

Thx.

 

[RonJ]

Yea, got that black rubber plug out.... My question is how to you actually place tension on the tensioner without removing that lower cover? Is the spring pressure supposed to be sufficient? (Because mine, just sitting there of its own accord, is nowhere near tight enought). Is tightening that one bolt supposed to do the trick? (Mines not doing that either).

From the service manual:

annnd now looking at no possible recourse except take it all apart am I?

Sorry, I see no other option.

 

[juxstapo]

Thanks much Ron, been a huge help. . know what I did wrong and everything.

Backwards

totally forgot Honda engines spin backwards.

Yea. Jacked the crankshaft pulley around clockwise to set the timing. Man Chilton books suck didnt' mention that at all.. This is my first major "tear into the engine on the optimistic hopes I'll figure it all out eventually" project, so I guess you can say I've bought some experience.

 

[Finnish~Racer]

its a good project to learn the workings of the actual engine in your car.

 

[juxstapo]

Alzrights, what the general consensus on the best way to get the crank pulley off without the $150 honda tool. (That price will have me quoting "Honda Tool" for a long time, which no one will get but me). Lit into the starter to give me access to the flywheel (again, this has been my first clutch install too), and have been shoving various things in there to see if anything would work.

Nothing has so far.

What if one welded or brazed the pully to the block, removed the bolt, and cut the welds afterwards?

...and before anyone answers that I was kidding.

 

[RonJ]

The Honda hex tool costs about $25.

People with powerful impact wrenches laugh at crank bolts.

I've heard that some people feed nylon rope into a cylinder to prevent the crank from rotating.

 

[jippedonjank]

cover questions

so do you recommend it if one was buyin now?

 

[VSP]

I've never been sorry I bought mine. I tried three times over four months to get my crank bolt off (using all the "tricks" in various youtube and users' DIYs) and the only thing that actually worked...reliably...was the hex tool and a two-foot breaker bar. Yes. It's definitely worth the $25; it will pay itself off by saving you the endless headaches you'd have if you didn't get it.

Or, like Ron said, a massive impact wrench. But from the sound of your post, it doesn't sound like you're going in that direction.

 

[makindue84]

Alright, had to change the head gasket, attempted to do so w/o removing the crankshaft pully. Almost succeeded.

How many of you have successfully retightened the timing belt tensioner without removing that lower plastic cover? Is this remotely possible? The bolt on the tensioner takes pressure up to a certain point then loosens abruptly, think I"ve stripped it?

Need this thing running by 9 tomorrow morning, do I need to just bite the bullet and take all the pullys back off? Crankshaft included?

thx.

For me it is really possible. I tried it in mine and I think it works.