Serpentine belt replacement

[RJEP]

So my belt is making a really bad sound as I am driving. Stopped using the car for a while, just small trips to bart and the store, but its my daily commuter. Belt shows some wear and seems to be rubbing/slowly cracking/flaking off. Is this an easy fix? Do I need to remove the engine to replace it? So would it be best to take it to a mechanic and pay the but load for labor charge? Havent looked into the cost for the belt, but shouldn't be more than $100 right?

Currently have 144K on the engine

[RedSiBaron]

So my belt is making a really bad sound as I am driving. Stopped using the car for a while, just small trips to bart and the store, but its my daily commuter. Belt shows some wear and seems to be rubbing/slowly cracking/flaking off. Is this an easy fix? Do I need to remove the engine to replace it? So would it be best to take it to a mechanic and pay the but load for labor charge? Havent looked into the cost for the belt, but shouldn't be more than $100 right?

Currently have 144K on the engine

the belt is really easy to do, you essentially just put a big socket wrench or breaker bar on the tensioner bearing to release tension on the belt and you can slide the belt off...it helps if you can jack up the right side and pull the wheel off to get at all the pullys...while you are at it, i would suggest changing out your 2 tensioners

you can order the belt off hondaautomotiveparts.com for like $40 or $56 from a dealer...this job is wicked easy do it yourself

[RJEP]

Thanks Baron. I'm def gna take care of this this weekend. How much would those tensioners run me? Tryin to take care of this ASAP so this weekend would be best. So ordering online may not be an option, I guess picking up parts at the dealer is best for my time and to assure quality as well...Thanks for your help.

[RedSiBaron]

Thanks Baron. I'm def gna take care of this this weekend. How much would those tensioners run me? Tryin to take care of this ASAP so this weekend would be best. So ordering online may not be an option, I guess picking up parts at the dealer is best for my time and to assure quality as well...Thanks for your help.

youll have to look them up, they arent too much if i remember, but i would suggest getting them ordered from the honda dealer today before their parts group closes for the day that way they can order them and get them to you tomorrow or saturday

[LLH]

I did in 30-40 minutes the first time, including changing the top pulley and taking off the wheel. I found it usefull with a pair of helping hands to hold the tensioner back while i put the belt back on.

heres a pic of how the belt should run around the diffrent pulleys
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/95d77a22/belt.jpg

[RJEP]

Was there something wrong with your top pulley that you had to replace it? Would it be ok to keep the original tensioner after removing it? or woud a new tensioner be best? Again i have 144K. Gna change my O2 sensor, serpentine belt, brakes, oil, already did plugs and filters. Any other major thing I should do. I haven't even had a tune up yet and though my clutch feels strong still, the push rod seems to be squeekin and the catch is lower than how it use to be....

thanks for the diagram...Will come in handy

[johnkimble]

^ you don't need to -- it's one of those "do it while it's off" kind of things that you do to know that you won't have to do it in the future.

if you haven't already I believe there is a tranny flush around your mileage -- maybe around 130k I think off of the top of my head. last time I flushed my tranny I got some magnetic drain plugs "while they were off" hah.

[LLH]

I had the famous supercharger whine, so i changed one of them.. need to change the other one too.

my car had 50000miles on it when i changed it.

[RedSiBaron]

ya changing out the pulleys are definitely the "do it while you have it apart things" but its cheap enough that i just dont care, id rather just change it...i did my tensioner pulley at 65k when i did the belt and i have the car torn apart now at 85k and i am doing the belt and the tensioner and the other pulley well...might as well, rather spend money than have a failure that screws something up and also strands me on the side of the road

[RJEP]

Sounds good. Yeah might as well do it all now....Thanks for all the help guys...

[schumacher916]

Isn't the belt good for 100k as Honda recommends?

[RJEP]

schumacher916 - i have 144K on my EP, so mine i guess was over due. I use my car as a commuter as well driving about 100 miles a day.

I actually found out that it was my water pump causing the nasty sound and causing the belt to rotate out of sync. so replaced the water pump and serpentine belt. Car is runing fine now....Now looking into possibly changing my clutch....Sounds fine and i have no problems, but have heard a bnch of people change it around 100-120K. I'm a little past that, and again my car is a commuter....