HX timing belt

[Xist]

I received my paycheck yesterday and can finally afford to replace the timing belt. The car is at 182,000 miles. As I understand it, you are supposed to replace it every hundred thousand under normal conditions, or sixty thousand if you frequently drive in temperatures of a hundred and ten degrees or warmer.

I do not know how often I drive the car when it is that warm, but it definitely happens, and it does not help that my car is black.

I also do not know if the timing belt was changed previously, just that I do not want to destroy the engine.

Before purchasing the car, I was told that I had some oil leaks, which I could fix by replacing gaskets when I change the timing belt.

Can someone please tell me which gaskets? I was told there was simply a larger kit containing the additional seals, for a negligible additional cost. Where could I find one?

John bought "a Gates timing belt kit, Felpro valve gasket kit, Beck Arnley 192 thermostat and gasket" http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...nes-29186.html

This DIY says to replace:

Power steering belt
Alternator belt
A/C compressor belt
Timing belt
Timing belt tensioner
Water pump
Head gasket
Head cover washers
Spark plug seals

DIY: Timing belt 96-00 - Honda Civic Forum

Although I removed the power steering...

It also says that I need the following tools (which I do not own--yet):
Another breaker bar, preferably a 24" 1/2" one.
A 4 foot pipe that fits over [breaker] bar nicely.
Honda pulley bolt removal tool.
An extra jack stand [to] support for your breaker bar when you remove the pulley bolt.
Torque wrench in inch pounds
17mm deepwell socket.
New radiator fluid. Match the color.
About 14 inches of socket extensions to reach pulley bolt.
Permatex black liquid gasket from autozone.

Automd.com claims that Mobile Car Dr will do this for me for $678.03, although there was not any option to include additional gaskets. That includes an AC Delco Engine Timing Belt, Cloyes Engine Timing Belt Tensioner, and Gates Engine Water Pump. The parts total is $124.03, shop fees are ten dollars, and labor is $544 for 6.4 hours. If nothing else, I would expect them to round to the nearest full hour, so $595 for seven hours. Then it would be 729.03 and $789.54 after taxes, but of course, again, this is without the additional gaskets.

Today is my day off and I would want to replace it now, but I cannot imagine gathering everything in-time!

Amy I missing anything? Are there any tricks here or common problems?

Thank you very much for your feedback!

[user removed]

Crankshaft and camshaft seals.

Not the kind of job you tackle yourself, lots of ways for things to go wrong.

Pully removal can be a real PIA, crank and cam positioning is critical.

Compared to an oil pan gasket exponentially more chances to fail.

Getting the crank pully bolt off on my brothers Integra required borrowing a half inch drive impact and every ounce of power it could provide.

regards
mech

[Xist]

Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?! I will show you! I will show all of you!

Does $789.54 sound reasonable?

Thanks!

[user removed]

No prices sound reasonable to me and I am seldom satisfied with any work I pay someone else to do. Had my neighbor do the font struts on the Sentra after I removed them. He did not align the rubber insulators up correctly and now I have a terrible creaking noise when I turn the front wheels, so I did the rears myself and eventually I will fix the fronts. Might cut half a coil out of the springs at the same time.

$789.54 is 2.5 Sentras + a little more ($39.54), nice not to have a timing belt, about 350 gallons of gas at todays prices.

regards
mech

[Xist]

I found it!

Originally Posted by mwebb

my mom could also replace the timing belt , i can do that with my eyes closed literally ....
so even a pure rookie such as your self should be able to replace it on a saturday , begin to end with a few tools and correct instructions

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post370638

Well, I would need at least nine additional tools...

[Xist]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

No prices sound reasonable to me and I am seldom satisfied with any work I pay someone else to do.

Well, once again, I am doomed.

The other "estimates" range up to $1,050.

[nemo]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

No prices sound reasonable to me and I am seldom satisfied with any work I pay someone else to do.

My sentiments too.

[Miller88]

Ah, 3rd world cost cutting measures that end up costing the owners of the vehicle more than they should.

As long as it's not leaking oil onto the timing belt or any of the pulleys, I'd just do the belt.

[darcane]

Originally Posted by Xist

Today is my day off and I would want to replace it now, but I cannot imagine gathering everything in-time!

Am I missing anything? Are there any tricks here or common problems?

Thank you very much for your feedback!

Those Civics are pretty easy to work on... but first time through I would wait for a two-day weekend unless you have some alternate mode of transportation. Inevitably, you will find something else that needs repair or find that you forgot to buy some tool and it will take longer than expected. I would spend this day collecting parts and tools, and perform the service at a later date.

Do you regularly tackle other projects on your own? Timing belt probably isn't the best thing to get your feet wet on, as you can severely damage your engine if you mess it up. If you are careful, handy, and have good service instructions, you can likely manage it just fine. A Factory Service Manual is highly recommended.

I've never paid for a timing belt replacement as I do them myself, but I understand the typical rates are in the range you are quoting.

[Xist]

I like to fix things, but I have not done anything remotely near the complexity of changing a timing belt, plus the other gaskets. I have my Forester and considered doing this at the O'Reilly across the street from work, where I have my other car parked, so if I need another tool, I can purchase or rent it, if I need something else, I can use my Subaru, and if I need help, hopefully they could put me in contact with a mechanic.

I could also go to U-Fix It, where I had considered going to replace the timing belt for my Forester, and they would rent out a bay with tools, with a mechanic that would take over if necessary, although that really seems to be up to him, not me. He told me that I needed new rear brakes. "Oh, okay, let me get my repair manual." He told me the first few steps, but then said that he was going to finish.

Normally, I research work that I will be doing on the car, and try to figure out what I am doing ahead of time.

So, here is a 2,003 Sentra for $2,350 NISSAN SENTRA XE. Instead of my bad black paint, I would have... bad black paint. It has an EPA rating of 32 highway and the EPA says that it costs $1,000 more to fill up than my HX every five years.

So, I break even if I pay a thousand dollars to replace the timing belt, which I would need to do every five years, if I drive twelve thousand miles a year.

The Blue Book for my car is $2,086, although I might need to sell for less, since it needs a new timing belt. Also, I would have an easier time selling it if I reinstalled the power steering, and then they might not like the holes in the bumper from my air dam.

The Sentra also has manual windows and doors, but still no cruise control.