4th gen high mileage?
06-01-2003, 09:08 PM
#12
Throbbing Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: A2, MI
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Completely forgot to talk on-topic. Yeah dude, that kind of mileage is mid-life, but like any other car, make sure it wasn't used and abused. Oil changes, and other engine maintenance should have been done regularly and on schedule, and PROPERLY (by a dealer or equally reliable technician [oil changes being the mostly-applicable exception, the owner, if competant, could've done that him/herself). I lucked out, when I found mine last month after looking high and low for a year, it had only 54,000 miles on it, and was in excellent condition, minus the fact that Battle Creek Honda in Michigan has/had a technician who "dun forgot" to properly adjust the timing belt tensioner when he replaced the belt. How loose was it? Well, when I took the car down to my dad's dealer in Ohio (thank god it didn't jump timing... you'll find out why--->) for a valve adjustment a few weeks back, one of his techs said there was "this much" play in the belt (hold out your thumb straight, and bend the tip of your thumb almost all the way down to make a 90-degree bend at the first joint)... yeah... I mean, how can you FORGET to do something like that? Anyway, nothing bad happened, so it's all good.
06-02-2003, 01:15 PM
#16
A little chin music
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Cleveland, Ohio - Rock 'n Roll capitol of the World
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You will need the timming belt and the counter balance belt as well. You should absolutely change both accessory belts while you have the engine appart. You will also change the water pump at the same time whether it's still good or not (internally driven). As for the actual change, hehe. If you guys think it's a backyard mechanics job you have another thing comming. The front driver's side wheel first comes off, then the plastic skid plates. The motor mounts come off, engine is jacked up, and the valve cover and front engine cover then comes off. All the accessories, crank pulley, and pretty much everything forward of the engine must come off. This is about an 8 hour job. You will pay about 600.00 at the dealer, or cheaper at a garage but beware of who has the patience to do it. I was lucky enough to have my uncle take care of the timming belts, acc belts, and valve adjustment as well as my brakes (turn rotors, new pads) all for 530.00. But we worked on the engine from about 7:30 till 3:00 in the morning. It's a big job that must be done. That's the downside of Hondas. However, it's most likely the only major service you will need to do to a Honda every 90,000 or so. That's pretty good, all things considered.