Timing Belt Tensioner Replacement ONLY

Learjet60 · Jan 18, 2017

All, first post on here and am in a unique situation. I recently bought an 2008 EXL-RES with 75k miles, and part of the agreement when I bought the van was that the dealership was going to change the timing belt, tensioner, and water pump. Long story short, where things went wrong is that they did all of the above with the exception of the tensioner...to my dismay they told me to pound sand when I asked them to make it right and put a new tensioner on the vehicle. Because I didn't have it in writing with the purchase agreement, even though I had a confirmed several times with both the salesman and manager verbally before the vehicle was purchased they told me they would not fix it and because it would cost them $800 to go back and do it.

My main in question is to just replace the timing belt tensioner, should I have to worry about setting TDC and making sure everything aligns, removing engine mounts, power steering pump, etc. or just take off the crank pulley, accessory belt tensioner to remove the lower plastic cover to gain access to the tensioner area? I have a service manual for my other car, a 09 Accord V6 and is the procedure the same between the vehicles? TIA!!!!

maxud · Jan 18, 2017

Learjet60 said:
My main in question is to just replace the timing belt tensioner, should I have to worry about setting TDC and making sure everything aligns, removing engine mounts, power steering pump, etc. or just take off the crank pulley, accessory belt tensioner to remove the lower plastic cover to gain access to the tensioner area? I have a service manual for my other car, a 09 Accord V6 and is the procedure the same between the vehicles? TIA!!!!

there is a Timing Belt diy thread. But in short, I think you can skip alot of steps.
In the service manual, it describes a step that looks completely superfluous, where you remove one of the battery hold down rods and thread it into the timing tensioner pulley, allowing you to unbolt the timing belt tensioner, while tension on the timing belt remains in place. This is exactly what you need to do.

Going from the memory.
Remove the serpentine belt and tensioner. Remove crank pulley. Remove the lower timing belt cover. Thread the rod to hold down the tensioner pulley.
Undo 2 bolts that hold the hydraulic tensioner. Then reassemble. No need to mess with top end at all. No need to worry about timing marks, as the belt stays put.
Good luck, sorry to hear the dealer screwed you.

Timing belt process is pretty much the same between all Honda/Acura V6 engines, definitely same as 09 Accord, so look up the steps about threading the rod to get a better idea of what I am talking about.

97trophy · Jan 19, 2017

Wow, that dealer really screwed you. I hope you leave appropriate feedback on Yelp etc.

And yes, change that tensioner.

Good luck/

soliyou · Jan 19, 2017

For some reason, the dealers don't include the tensioner in the standard timing belt maintenance. In my case they didn't even have it in stock. Unfortunately a friend of mine had the dealer do the timing belt maintenance and exactly after one year the old tensioner failed.

DrD · Jan 19, 2017

So you can access the mounting bolts to the tensioner without removing the crank pulley and lower timing cover. You should be able to remove the old one (you can use the j-bolt from the battery to hold the idler pulley in place - probably not necessary, though) - the thing is the tensioner extends under the lower timing cover, so you would probably need to remove the rear upper timing belt cover and remove a few of the bolts of the lower timing belt cover (around and below the tensioner) then you could pull the cover out and remove the old tensioner, and install a new one. That saves you the headache of going through hassle of removing the crank pulley.

So I would put the front of the van on jack stands and remove the passenger side wheel, then undo the mud guard in the wheel well and move it out of the way so that you can access the tensioner through the wheel well. Then remove the serpentine belt, remove the upper timing cover on the back side of the engine, take the bolts out of the lower timing belt cover around the tensioner, then remove the old tensioner. With the new one, you'll need to pull the pin before installing it, but since it moves slowly, you should be able to get it bolted down before it extends out to where it's actually applying pressure to the idler pulley. Once it's in place and bolted down, button everything back up and you should be good to go.

John Clark · Jan 19, 2017

DrD said:
... With the new one, you'll need to pull the pin before installing it, but since it moves slowly, you should be able to get it bolted down before it extends out to where it's actually applying pressure to the idler pulley. Once it's in place and bolted down, button everything back up and you should be good to go.

No way. That tensioner will pop out instantaneously and that pin is under a lot of pressure. I just did a timing belt and that thing popped out instantly when I pulled the pin. You will have to get the lower cover off completely to replace the tensioner. Maxud's advice to use the battery hold down bolt to hold the tensioner pulley in place, R&R the tensioner, and then pull the pin is the best way to do it.

surgeon · Jan 19, 2017

I remember how fast HT popped also when I did it couple weeks ago. Also on my 01 I did have to push in the pin and release again (don't remember what I had to recheck). I used the ball joint kit rental instead of vise to push in pin. It was easier. Pulling the pin (nail), release was quick.

Edit: remembered why... the pin would not come put easy. It bent so many ways, I had to push in to remove the bent stock pin. Use a nail to hold again and then pull out. I still have that bent pin in the tool box.

sontakke · Jan 19, 2017

I do not understand. If you can remove the old tensioner without compressing in, then why would you not be able to install the new one after pulling the pin? Please explain. I am NOT saying that pulling the pin advice is the correct one.

Learjet60 · Jan 19, 2017

Thanks for the info all! I will probably at a minimum get the crank at the TDC mark and will remove the crank pulley and serpentine tensioner to get the lower cover off. While I'm milling around that area, should I replace the ideler pulley opposite the TB tensioner as well as the TB guide plate that is on the crank?

Slight thread drift...when I start the van when it is really cold out (only on first start of the day) it makes a weird noise (a vague as that sounds) for about a second that comes from the engine area. Almost like the sound that the sliding doors make when they first opening. Kind of like a hum with a vibration kind of sound. Any ideas?

John Clark · Jan 19, 2017

sontakke said:
I do not understand. If you can remove the old tensioner without compressing in, then why would you not be able to install the new one after pulling the pin? Please explain. I am NOT saying that pulling the pin advice is the correct one.

You can pull the tensioner because the tensioner will just pop the rest of the way out when after removing the first bolt and loosening the second and removing it. It takes a lot of pressure to push that tensioner back in and you cannot do it by hand.

maxud · Jan 19, 2017

sontakke said:
I do not understand. If you can remove the old tensioner without compressing in, then why would you not be able to install the new one after pulling the pin? Please explain. I am NOT saying that pulling the pin advice is the correct one.

Simple, the push rod on the hydraulic tensioner is longer than what is sticking out of it when its installed.
You just will not be able to install the hold down bolts with push rod fully extended.
Additionally, those bolts are puny 10mm variety, so if you start messing around with tension, you will screw up your threads in no time at all.

maxud · Jan 19, 2017

Learjet60 said:
Thanks for the info all! I will probably at a minimum get the crank at the TDC mark and will remove the crank pulley and serpentine tensioner to get the lower cover off. While I'm milling around that area, should I replace the ideler pulley opposite the TB tensioner as well as the TB guide plate that is on the crank?

Slight thread drift...when I start the van when it is really cold out (only on first start of the day) it makes a weird noise (a vague as that sounds) for about a second that comes from the engine area. Almost like the sound that the sliding doors make when they first opening. Kind of like a hum with a vibration kind of sound. Any ideas?

If you are going to replace actual tb pulleys, then you have to commit to entire timing belt job in terms of all the steps.
What I described above keeps the tension on the belt while the tensioner is replaced. Once you remove a pulley, you risk the belt coming off the marks.
Its not a mistake you want to make on interference type engine.
Look on youtube for clips of bad tensioner sound. It has been documented. No one can answer your question on what makes the noise.

John Clark · Jan 19, 2017

One other source of a short noise like that immediately after starting is the starter. What you describe sounds exactly like what my starter sounded like before I replaced it. The noise went away afterward. Others here have reported the same and I've seen it reported on the Pilot forums, too.

DrD · Jan 20, 2017

John Clark said:
No way. That tensioner will pop out instantaneously and that pin is under a lot of pressure. I just did a timing belt and that thing popped out instantly when I pulled the pin. You will have to get the lower cover off completely to replace the tensioner. Maxud's advice to use the battery hold down bolt to hold the tensioner pulley in place, R&R the tensioner, and then pull the pin is the best way to do it.

I dunno - I've replaced the timing belt and tensioner twice on our van now, and both times the I seem to remember the tensioner extends over a second or two - it definitely didn't shoot out all the way into place instantly... (that would be hard on the seal, as well).

Adonianeze · Nov 26, 2019

Did this today and the hardest part was pulling the pin on the tensioner. Came out by strength alone. Needed to loosen the bottom two 10mm bolts behind the crank pulley. A stubby offset wrench was needed for the one on the bottom right.

Had to take off the power steering wheel to get to one of the bolts on the rear cylinder bank cover. Also a block of wood was used to hold the lower cover open.

if you are like me and grabbed a pair of channel locks (buy needle nose channel locks!) and pulled the pin as hard as you could - take note of how tight the belt is before and after. You could have broken the pin leaving a section in place in the tensioner.

If you have the money you may want to look into buying that Honda tool to take off the crank pulley. Now I have no more noise but doing this was only a way to buy myself time. Still going to have to do the entire timing job in a week or two when I have the money. Will definitely need that tool...

Timing Belt Tensioner Replacement ONLY

Learjet60

maxud

97trophy

soliyou

DrD

John Clark

surgeon

sontakke

Learjet60

John Clark

maxud

maxud

John Clark

DrD

Adonianeze

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