TOH22

Hey guys.,

New guy here. Ex VW owner (actually the wife still has one).

I just bought my 5th gen h22 lude on Saturday for a low price knowing that I might need to have the belt changed.

I called the dealer and was quoted 800cd. (about 600USD) to have the belt and tensioner replaced, he also said that the crank seal may have to be replaced as well if you do the work (not sure what that means) I know V-Dubs pretty well but I know little about the H22.

I was wondering how hard it would be to change the belt and tensioner myself, I'm not a mechanic but I do play around with my car once in a while and probably have any tools required. (I would probably get the bentley manual - but if you guys think its too hard then I might not even bother).

Thanks in advance for any help/ suggestions.

BigLew

It's not too hard just time consuming, also might as well change out the water pump while you are at it. The best manual you can get is a Helm manual, they are the factory/dealership tech manuals.

You will probably need a pulley holder to hold the crank pulley in place while breaking torque on the crank pulley bolt. Also it's pretty cramped, there are gonna quite a few times you are working by feel.

ludeboom

yea its a job.

i found it easier to pull my motor and do the clutch and T-belt together.
then again, its easier for me to pull the motor because ive done it about 6 times now.

either way.
tools wise you will need a TQ wrench, and several other metric sizes between 10mm and 19mm.

u will need to remove most engine components/brackets/belts/hoses/mount etc. from that side of the motor.

to replace it you need the new belt and new tensioner at least. although i agree with biglew on the waterpump.

get the helms from here

the h22a is a great motor, and is actually very well designed. its not hard to work on...it can be overwhelming at first though...best advice is get the helms and go from there.

~boom

joostdyk

do you NEED a new tensioner when replacing the timing belt or is it just recommended?

TOH22

Thanks for the suggestions.

Sounds like it's quite a job.

I think I'll buy the Helms, adjust the valves (to make sure it doesnt just need that) and then decide from there if I want to have the mech do it or not. I have metric sockets - not a problem.

I've started hearing a gargling/ rattling in the engine at low rpms (in the head area) and from the searching Ive done it sounds like it should be the belt/tensioner.


BTW - what a monster this thing is. (Considering I drove a Golf 1.8L 8v with about 95hp)

TOH22

So - I finally got the job done by a honda dealership.

900 after tax ($650US) for the belt,tensioner and water pump and a free loaner. but now i hear a weezing (whistling) is sync with the engine speed. I'm thinking that the new belt needs to be worn in or its too tight?

Is this a serious problem

ludeboom

well if it breaks you know where to bring it.
and then its new motor time (at least the head)

i would give it 1000 miles and then worry about it.
it could be a number of things, but again if it breaks in the near future the dealership is gonna have to pay-out so...
worst case scenario see if breaking in the belt a little silences the noise, if it doesnt then bring it back to honda.

~boom

BigLew

Often times new belts will make a feint whining noise for awhile. I had this type of sound when I replaced my belt with a PE belt and it went away after putting some miles on it.

TOH22

Thanks,

ill see what it sounds like in a week or so.

drift

the belt whine will go away after 10,000 miles or so. just the teeth on the belt wearing in.