Questions and Answers

Replacing A Honda Accord Timing Belt Q. Vince, My 1991 Honda Accord 2.2 liter has 73,000 miles and I'm considering trying to put on a new timing belt and water pump. Will I need any special tools to do the job? How do I reset the tension pulley to the correct pressure or should I mark it before releasing the bolts? I believe I'm better than the average home mechanic and have worked on many mechanical projects. Any other recommendations. Thanks, Mike in Ohio

A. Replacing the timing belt on that engine is not especially difficult, just work. I would allow a full day to do the job although the job usually takes about 5.5 hours, by the book.

I wrote an article, DIY: Replace Your Timing Belt, that you might want to read first. It is for timing belts in general, but will give you a good idea of what's involved.

The Chiltons manual has a good step by step procedure that you can follow and get the job done right. If you can't find it at a local book store, you can get a copy from the Reference Section of the Public Library. Or many libraries now have access to Mitchell Online and they can download and print out the procedure for you.

Another alternative is a subscription to Alldata: DIY. It is only $24.95 and, I believe, well worth the money

As for the water pump, when you have the timing belt off it's a piece of cake to replace. Just five bolts, on and off.