What a shame. Too bad inferior junk parts were installed including a junk timing belt. There is a 100% chance you have bent valves and other catastrophic engine damage. It’s probably not worth fixing as it would be several thousands of dollars.

 

I am torn on this, I would have never thought this would happen. My wife says its not worth it, but this car has sentimental value to me. It ashame this car has to be junked, the car body was in good condition for its age and it was rarely driven.

If I spend the $1600, how much are valves going to cost?

 

Wait for others to reply.

 

What’s sad is the proper timing belt kit which includes a new water pump is the Aisin kit and it only costs about $160. Labor would be about $500-600. Unfortunately it’s too late now. The timing belt kit you bought on eBay was likely counterfeit.

 

I am a new member and thank you all for all the great write ups.

We had an error code on the cam position sensor in January 2020, when I looked at the location, I knew we would need to change the the water pump too to access this part along with the belts. I purchased the parts (cam position sensor from AutoZone) and water pump kit from Ebay (big effing mistake), my friend who is a great mechanic help me change it out and it was done in 6-7 hours.

Fast forward to Sunday 10/11, while driving on the Wantagh State Parkway at 60mph, the car stalled while I was cruising. I pulled over and thought it was the alternator as I just bought a new battery 3 weeks ago. I called a tow truck to pickup the car and brought it back to a local mechanic, here what they are telling me.

1. Need TB and tensioner, TB is broken
2. Replace water pump and flush coolant out
2. Right side motor mound needs replacement

They also said since the TB was broken at 60mph, there is no guarantee the car will be fine/idle correctly and that the valves and pistons could be damaged. I have read numerous threads from this forum about the TB being broken and 99% chance the valves are damaged and will need to be repaired.

I am totally torn, as I bought this car used in 2011 with only 67k on it, and we only drive this vehicle with the kids on road trips. I only drove this for 60k in 9 years.

He said for him to repair the above, the cost is $1,600.00

Questions:
a. What are the chances that I repair the above and the car will be fine?
b. What would be the additional cost if I need to repair the valves?
c. Sounds like it would be cheaper to replace the entire motor, but you could not find an engine with less than 180k.

I am concern this will be a money pit. Please give me your thoughts on what the cost will be for valves repairing? Is it even worth it? Has anyone gone through this?
I am located in Nassau County in New York and would like to get this fixed, however, with the car being 13 years old, I'm thinking it might be time to move on. View attachment 158270

Honestly if it comes to be that, you only have bent valves you might as well take it to a machine shop to repair the heads and reseat ALL the valves, more costly but, you save the original heads and valves except for whichever ones are bent which they will verify all of them. You can also just buy a new head but, not all heads are created equal. A used head would be better but, the valves would need to be looked at and checked and all that.

Sent from my SM-N976V using Tapatalk

 

As I repeatedly said, people selling fake Genuine Honda Timing Belt kits on eBay/Amazon should be jailed....
You are very likely to have bent valves. You can:
1) Take a chance putting everything back, do a compression test to see if you have valve damage.
2) Take the heads off, examine internal damage, if any. You can send the heads to a machine shop to rebuild it. Usually $200 per head. If you need to cut seats, replace guides, that would cause more. Or you can buy reman heads.

It sucks. It's gonna be expensive if you are not able to DIY.

 

It sucks. It's gonna be expensive if you are not able to DIY.

This is the issue...rebuilds are expensive and some shops don't want to do them due to labor/time.

 

I guess it really comes down to what it's worth to you. If the numbers make sense (when someone is able to give you some idea) I'd personally do it for your mileage, it's going to be hard to find something similar.

@John Clark

Sent from my SM-N975U1 using Tapatalk

 

You almost certainly have bent valves, and mentioned above. You will need a new engine or an engine rebuild. Are low mileage junkyard engines that hard to find?

I think it is still worthwhile to fix. If you fix the valves and pistons for a few thousand, and the car lasts you a few more years (which it absolutely should), that's still cheaper than the depreciation of a newer car.

Don't spend the $1600 hoping it will run perfectly, though, because it won't.

My vote would be to look for a junkyard engine with low miles. It would be much easier to put a new timing belt/water pump on the new engine before it goes into the car. Ask your mechanic, since he might know where to get a good used engine. Ask what it would cost to put in a used engine with around 100K miles vs. rebuilding your current one.

 

Shop said the cost to find a good used motor would cost around $2k + any seals that need to be replaced. With the engine in sight, you can change out the water pump and any other items at cost. The labor to install the motor would cost another $2k. I would estimate the total cost to be around $4k-$5k to have this done. But with a used motor, you wont know what you're going to get, junk yard will say one thing, until you get it and install it, you won't know. I am curious to know if anyone has repaired their valves when it was damaged due to broken TB? And what that cost would be to repair valves? Would you rather install a used engine or go with repairing the original engine? Cause it seems like the cost maybe the same. Appreciate your help guys.

 

Another questions would be: how good is the transmission on this vehicle? I've read alot of comments on the transmission failing, and if that happens, it will be sad. One of my friends just called and said his buddy had the Odyssey 2005 EX with 160k and the tranny failed. He junked it last year.

I'm thing to go for it as I need this car to last 5 more years, and with us driver very little, it should last. But the problem is the damage done now.

 

As was said earlier in the thread, the 05-06 have a different transmission to the 07-10s, with the latter supposedly being better (I say supposedly because I really don't believe the 05-06 ones are all that bad as long as they aren't neglected) as it is taken from the Ridgeline.

 

If the valves are bent, then what is the one thing that bent them? The pistons, and those need to be inspected as well, as others have said. If the pistons are damaged, then the rods, bearings, etc. could be compromised as well. So now you have a 13 year old vehicle with over 125K miles and it needs major engine repair.

Sentimental value? It's a machine, it gets us from point A to point B in comfort (hopefully), and economically (well, it used to). Think rationally, not emotionally. Yes, some get sentimental about their vehicles, but when it starts clouding our judgement it's time to step back and a good hard look at what is really going on.

 

Just junk it, it's not worth it, it will cost 4K-6k to fix and the car is worth like $2,500-$3,000. I would junk it and buy a used one again.

 

I disagree. This is not a black or white issue. It depends on your circumstances. Your vehicle has only 125k, and if it is in otherwise decent shape, it can easily go 200-250k without any more major expenses.

You said you have a friend who can do this work, but apparently he doesn't know when to buy the quality parts. Whoever made the decision to purchase the counterfeit parts from eBay (or Amazon)? That's where the responsibility really lies, in my view. Barring the use of the fake parts, he did the job correctly, right?

Fixing it is going to be cheaper than car payments for an equivalent vehicle. I would be inclined to fix what you have unless you can get a low-mileage engine that works with your PCM (the powertrain control module, or engine/transmission computer). Used engines can be had for under $1000, or double that, but yours has fairly low mileage for its age, and maybe you know the maintenance history.

The job should cost around $2000 for parts, or maybe less. Labor cost is variable, and could be around $1000 or less, if your friend won't help you for no or low cost. Remanufactured heads will cost $1500 or less for the pair, from eBay or Rockauto. Replace the timing belt with the complete Aisin kit from Rockauto ($200), and - DO - get rid of all of those counterfeit parts. You will need a head gasket set with new head bolts, maybe camshaft and crankshaft seals, maybe some new exhaust manifold nuts. The cost for these is maybe $150, from Rockauto. And a new serpentine belt and tensioner? And maybe some new (genuine) plugs - all from Rockauto, where you'll be safe and get good pricing.

You should spend some time here on the forum, and with U-tube. That way you'll see what is involved, how the job is done. But don't believe everything you read or see - be cautious and check things out first. Some advice is more reliable than others.

I would see this as a great opportunity to learn how to do a job like this, if you're so inclined and have the mechanical interest. It could be a real confidence builder. The money you save on labor will help buy some tools you may not have, like a torque wrench, some jack stands, and maybe a can of Liquid Wrench and a tube of Never Seize. Overall, this is not that difficult of a job, and doesn't require special, expensive tools, or a college degree. Instead of paying others to do the work, I have always bought the tools and figured out how to do the job with my own labor. Hopefully you have or can find a place to do the job.

Then - maybe you would like to tackle rebuilding the heads? Then you can recoup some of the money by selling them on eBay.

Lots of options here!

 

Did you tried car-part.com for a used engine? If not available locally, find one may be like within 200 miles range with low mileage. If it is too expensive, get rid of this van and get another one. It is not worth it. Since you have EX-L model with the VCM engine, it may not be worth it to fix it. This VCM have its own issues.

Arcadia Auto Parts is a local place for me found from car-part.com. Engine with 85K, $1450. Get one like this, replace the belt and all before putting it in (use the kit from RockAuto - Aisin) and it should be good. If not muzzled, do it to disable the VCM.

Yes.. those sellers should be banned from eBay and Amazon. Selling all fake parts. I got burned once with the spark plug. Don't know why Honda is not doing anything about it for faking their name.

 

Would your friend the mechanic be willing to take this on as a project he could do at his convenience over a few weeks? At your house or his? At maybe $50/hr x (up to maybe 20?) hrs? You pay parts. At least to pull the heads and evaluate damage. Reman heads look to run $550 apiece at Rock if local machine shops are sketchy or expensive.

To me, my known to be well maintained vehicle is worth more than the pig-in-a-poke I'd be buying, particularly in the sub $5k market.

 

To me, my known to be well maintained vehicle is worth more than the pig-in-a-poke I'd be buying, particularly in the sub $5k market.

Exactly! I took apart heads on these j35a7, spent big dollars on Mitutoyo precision gears to measures wear on cam, guides, valve stems, seats. I was amazed how well these engines hold up over the years.

 

Sorry to hear that. I normally go with after market parts but I specifically asked my mechanic to only buy genuine TB and WP from dealership.

 

Hold on...is the "shop" the dealership? 2k for just the engine plus 2k to install? Look somewhere else. I recently helped someone to get an engine/transmission installed at a shop for $1400. You just have to shop around.

Again, it's your call. Shop around for rebuilds/replacements and see if it's worth putting the $$$$ into, understand that once the heads are replaced/rebuild, it shouldn't have any other issues.
It was working before fine until the belt snapped and bent valves.

 

I tend to agree on junking the car at this point. The fact that you take it to Jiffy Lube for transmission fluid service is a indicator to me that the car has not been well maintained, even aside from the catastrophic engine damage. You went cheap on crucial timing belt parts and now you are dealing with the consequences of that decision. Expensive lesson learned. Sorry if this comes across harsh or cruel.

 

BTW, the $1600 price for the three items seems high, even for Nassau Co.

 

Thanks all, valuable input from everyone. Spending 4k - 5k on this car is probably not worth it, I'll start looking at another mini-van for replacement.

RIP: 2007 Honda Odyssey / 125k

 

SAD. If you were close to me, I would buy your van, spending few hundred on OE parts and 2 weekends and put it back on road. At 125K, she is just breaking in

 

I had my tensioner break on me a month ago and had some bent valves. My mechanic put a new tensioner on and we were going to see how it ran. I clearly had some bent valves since the timing had skipped. He said it would be cheaper for a used engine than doing the heads. As I drove it over the next week it would occasionally misfire at idle. I noticed if I drove it really hard on the highway and got the RMPs up for a while it stopped misfiring. I haven't had a misfire in about 3 weeks. It's great when cars can heal themselves. Maybe you can get yours running again with a new timing belt. If mine was no good I would have put in a new engine.

 

If you have very slightly bent valves, it's very possible the they would straighten themselves under the spring tension. It usually bent at where the stem meets the valve. the main stem should be fine, it wouldn't damage the guide. During the self straightening process, the seats will have to take some hits which is not good. Once it stops misfiring, drive in low gear for a while, or do an Italian tune-up.

 

You are about the 4th or 5th victim of fake genuine Honda timing belt kit that saved you $300 but ended up with $1500+ and beyond of damage. There are 2 victims at acurazine also on a 3rd gen TL just a few month ago.

Aisin or OEM period.

 

Hey, I am one of the aforementioned victims from Acurazine that t-rd mentioned, and I figured it couldn't hurt to share my experience here.

Same story with me on my Acura TL. I was going up a hill, probably like 40-50mph, higher than usual RPM. Belt snaps, car is towed back to my driveway, I push it in my garage where it sits for the next month.

I too am thinking worst case scenario. I had sourced engines to swap in, as well as just the heads, if it came down to it. I used a borescope to look down the plug holes to see if I could see any debris, but that didn't help much.

I thought, you know, what's thirty more dollars at this point. I'm going to throw a new belt on and see what happens. So I took apart everything, cleaned out the broken belt, bent the guides and plate back into somewhat normal shape, made sure my timing marks were correct, and said F it, lets turn the key.

Lo and behold, the car turned over, and was running just like it did the day it died. I couldn't believe it. I went ahead and ordered a ton of new parts (not off ebay, lol) to replace now that I knew it was worth investing in.

Now, I'm not saying to bank on this, because typically in this situation, you have to expect the worst. Though I have heard multiple stories of some timing belts on J series engines snapping and the engine still being okay. But again, I wouldn't count on it.

All I'm saying, is that if you have the tools, it's actually pretty easy of a job. Especially if you said it's an extra car (i think you said that?) you can work on it at your own pace. Ericthecarguy has a INSANELY great video on how to do this job on youtube.

If the valves are bent, or you have compression issues, etc. you'll know the second you turn it over. Oh well. You're out a bit of money for the belt, but you now have invaluable experience.

Just my two cents.

 

Hey, I am one of the aforementioned victims from Acurazine that t-rd mentioned, and I figured it couldn't hurt to share my experience here.

Same story with me on my Acura TL. I was going up a hill, probably like 40-50mph, higher than usual RPM. Belt snaps, car is towed back to my driveway, I push it in my garage where it sits for the next month.

I too am thinking worst case scenario. I had sourced engines to swap in, as well as just the heads, if it came down to it. I used a borescope to look down the plug holes to see if I could see any debris, but that didn't help much.

I thought, you know, what's thirty more dollars at this point. I'm going to throw a new belt on and see what happens. So I took apart everything, cleaned out the broken belt, bent the guides and plate back into somewhat normal shape, made sure my timing marks were correct, and said F it, lets turn the key.

Lo and behold, the car turned over, and was running just like it did the day it died. I couldn't believe it. I went ahead and ordered a ton of new parts (not off ebay, lol) to replace now that I knew it was worth investing in.

Now, I'm not saying to bank on this, because typically in this situation, you have to expect the worst. Though I have heard multiple stories of some timing belts on J series engines snapping and the engine still being okay. But again, I wouldn't count on it.

All I'm saying, is that if you have the tools, it's actually pretty easy of a job. Especially if you said it's an extra car (i think you said that?) you can work on it at your own pace. Ericthecarguy has a INSANELY great video on how to do this job on youtube.

If the valves are bent, or you have compression issues, etc. you'll know the second you turn it over. Oh well. You're out a bit of money for the belt, but you now have invaluable experience.

Just my two cents.

I can see how your "lucky" scenario can happen. You're certainly not the only lucky one that I heard of. When it snapped, cams were no longer driven. They tend to settle at "all valve closed" position and stop due to the spring tension, cam lob arrangement, and the limited angular momentum the cam pulley and cam hold. Try to turn the cam to TDC of any cylinder by hand you get a feel.

The problem is OP was quoted $1,600 to put things back together to see what would happen, that's expensive.... Learning to fix cars can save a lot of money.

 

Thank you for all your input and a great debate for our understanding, I deffinately weighed my options. I could not just put the TB on, I needed a new drive tensioner assembly kit. If it was under $200 to do it all. I would have taken the chance and been a casino guy and said go for it. The chances of this car not having any issues is extremely rare as the mechanic said. The mechanic said there is 99% chance there are damages (driving at 60mph on highway), he said if I wanted to risk it, they will do it. But he said be worn that if the $1600 does not work: The next is to fix the valves, and that cost is unknown until you take it out. That cost will be $3k-$4k for repair. Now we get into the territory of spending $5k min to fix a 13 year old van with more minor problems coming (doors cannot close, steering pump failure, radiator, etc...)

Once the numbers come to a this pricing, I think the best bet would be to take the $5k you will spend and put that money to another quality van that will be in the 2017 model. Living in New York with crappy pot holes, and harsh winters, the shocks and struts would be next.

The forum is great, I've fixed cars before when I was young, but with kids now, time is limited. Hopefully people who read this don't have to go through this. But its a good debate and life is a learning lesson and I'm glad to share with everyone.

Based on thread, I can see it's still 50/50 which says many would still opt to fix it. Pretty cool man.

 

Thank you for all your input and a great debate for our understanding, I deffinately weighed my options. I could not just put the TB on, I needed a new drive tensioner assembly kit. If it was under $200 to do it all. I would have taken the chance and been a casino guy and said go for it. The chances of this car not having any issues is extremely rare as the mechanic said. The mechanic said there is 99% chance there are damages (driving at 60mph on highway), he said if I wanted to risk it, they will do it. But he said be worn that if the $1600 does not work: The next is to fix the valves, and that cost is unknown until you take it out. That cost will be $3k-$4k for repair. Now we get into the territory of spending $5k min to fix a 13 year old van with more minor problems coming (doors cannot close, steering pump failure, radiator, etc...)

Once the numbers come to a this pricing, I think the best bet would be to take the $5k you will spend and put that money to another quality van that will be in the 2017 model. Living in New York with crappy pot holes, and harsh winters, the shocks and struts would be next.

The forum is great, I've fixed cars before when I was young, but with kids now, time is limited. Hopefully people who read this don't have to go through this. But its a good debate and life is a learning lesson and I'm glad to share with everyone.

Based on thread, I can see it's still 50/50 which says many would still opt to fix it. Pretty cool man.

The Aisin timing belt kit includes everything you need including the tensioner and water pump. Total cost is about $160, plus labor to install it all of course.

 

Too bad you can't just put a belt on and do a quick compression check to see if things are really bad or not - maybe you got lucky... otherwise, I agree with what's been said so far - $4k is a lot to spend on an older vehicle. That being said, you need to look at what $4k spent on another vehicle would get you, vs. fixing what you have. If the van is otherwise in excellent condition, and does everything you want - you'd be hard pressed to get yourself into something comparable (in terms of condition/mileage) for $4k. As for other problems - I can't tell from your post if you have those issues, or you are thinking you might have those issues - if you already need a PS pump, radiator, door repairs, etc., then maybe the van's not in very good shape, and use the cash towards something else. (for the 2017, you aren't going to find one for $5k - the comparison is more $5k to fix what you have or $15k or more for a 17, or something like that.

 

$160.00? where is this kit you can buy from? pls provide website?

 

Rockauto. FYI only buy parts from rockauto or dealership to avoid this situation again down the road.

 

Aisin TKH002

2007 HONDA ODYSSEY 3.5L V6 Timing Belt, Water Pump & Component Kit | Shop Now at RockAuto

Engine Parts and More for Your 2007 HONDA ODYSSEY at Reliably Low Prices. Fast Online Catalog. DIY-Easy. Your Choice of Quality. Full Manufacturer Warranty.

www.rockauto.com