11-17 Honda Odyssey Failed J35Z8 Engine Teardown. Cheap Parts Can Cost MORE!

Check out our website at www.Importapart.com or email us at [e-mail] for parts and part inquiries.
I've been tearing down engines on camera for 2 and a half years! Search my channel to see what I've torn down.
Todays teardown is a J35Z8, the 3.5L V6 from a 2011-2017 Honda Odyssey. This is a core engine I picked up at a local salvage yard, which means someone replaced this engine with another used engine. While I do really like the J series engine design, some of these engines, equipped with VCM are quite problematic. This particular failure had little to do with the normal reasons these engines and instead due to the quality of the regular maintenance parts replaced.
Why on Saturn am I doing these teardowns? I own and run a full service auto salvage business in the Saint Louis area called Importapart. Part of our model is buying blown, core and unwanted engines and dismantling them to resell the good, usable parts. We do not rebuild engines, we merely supply parts to those who do.
I really hope you enjoyed this teardown. As always, I love all of the comments, feedback, and even the criticism. Catch you on the next one!
-Eric

[@willgriffin3490]

"That wasn't tight, that wasn't tight... Someone has been in here." The story of my life. 😂

[@nocturnusbostok2636]

Yup. 😂

[@riccocool]

They aren't ever your engine it's just your turn.

[@BecauseM3Racecar]

Are you sure? Bet if we asked the women in question, they’d say “that’s not as stiff as I’d like it to be” was more applicable. 🤣

[@mikem9536]

@@BecauseM3RacecarYou're never stiff enough after the football team is done with her.

[@Thedoug369]

Yeah, sorry about that brother lol

[@bryced3832]

“Bad things are happening but it’s fine ” that’s literally my life motto 😂

[@GrandPitoVic]

I thought that was just Eric and myself. I'm sorry but good to know we're not alone lol.

[@boba1024]

I can agree.

[@Shotgun_Messenger]

My Dad used to say "If you don't think or talk about it, it will go away". The bedroom window had a water leak and that's exactly what happened. The wall went away, and the window fell out in a storm. Moral of the story, don't ignore those noises.

[@seinundzeiten]

it did not sound like good advice

[@leokarasinski4217]

As soon as you popped those covers I knew what happened.. people of the comments section I'm going to give you some advice here quick. If you have a vehicles with a timing belt do not let anyone put on anything less that an original equipment tensioner! At the very least use an aisin timing belt set ( they're the o.e. for most Japanese vehicles) any of the cheaper sets have the most bargain basement made tensioner I've ever seen. The cheap tensioner scourge on the world started a few years ago. I've changed hundred of tensioner back to o.e. after some big wig decided that the an important part needed to be done super cheaply and sold for the most money.. yes aisin stuff is more expensive. But it's a hell of alot less expensive than an engine. Just putting this out there. Hope someone hears it and saves themselves a motor

[@mikefoehr235]

Watch pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics with Ivan....HE HATES CRAPPY AFTER MARKET PARTS because way more often than not, they are inferior.

[@leokarasinski4217]

@mikefoehr235 alot of aftermarket parts are a crap shoot. But let's be honest most of them won't cost you an engine. Theres a time and place where taking a chance on a cheaper part could pay off/ not end up costing you a buttload of money. Timing belts and tensioner are definitely not that place !

[@riccocool]

10-4. Copy that.

[@Watchman999]

I love those crank bolts. They make me want to work on Hondas 24/7

[@Cartier_specialist]

I only use oem or better. Also watch out for big brand names long associated with quality and make sure it's still made in Japan or USA. I'm not going to point fingers at any single company because they are probably all guilty of going with the lowest bid manufacturer to source their production.

[@davidtappe5337]

Round of applause for Blue. Always in the game!

[@donaldvincent]

Yes, I vote Blue for employee of the month!

[@Tony-112]

I call out "Oh Blue!" Now when I need something . 😂

[@Backroad_Junkie]

I saw Blue on someone else's channel, but it was Red. Was probably Blue's distant cousin in Utah, lol....

[@narc1408]

Blue did a great job!

[@drive-channel1834]

I have Orange, it's Blue's cousin. I love it.

[@TheProjectHelpDesk]

It still amazes me just how little a modern engine wears out a cylinder wall. When I took auto mechanics in the 80's, most of our engines came from the 70's. And every single one REQUIRED a ridge reamer to get those pistons out. And they only had about 100K miles by the time they made it to us. So still seeing cross hatching at 200K is an utter miracle to me.

[@Jakek200]

Modern oils and lower tension piston rings putting less force on the bores I'd say is a big factor, plus some engines have fancy cylinder wall coatings.

[@Zt3v3]

My dad used to say the same thing.

[@jimmyaber5920]

@@Jakek200 fuel injection had a lot to do with far decreased top of bore wear as far back as 70s. 74 260Z with carbs would have ridges and FI 280z would fare much better at over 100k miles. Saw tje same on early 70s Volvo 4 cylinders that had FI option or carbs in the same year model. Lots of extra fuel from choke and overrich on initial throttle opening are not good for cylinder lubrication.

[@kinglangren]

Honda has really good coated / hard metal/ piston walls. Plus as the other guy said the later stuff is better .

[@timlee4204]

Same here

[@mattt198654321]

I gotta say, that engine stand has to be the best investment you've made on this channel so far...

[@williammogey1829]

As the owner of a 2014 Odyssey, I find myself compulsively buying a new hydraulic tensioner as I watch this video. Thank you, Eric, for a very educational edition. You may have saved another Odyssey engine tonight.

[@MrGamerholic]

buy oem tensioners only. the aftermarkets are junk just like the one in the video. a genuine honda tensioner has a light brown hue to it.

[@williammogey1829]

@@MrGamerholic I'm cancelling my tensioner two pack for $49.99 special from Amazon right now.

[@mrpbody44]

Get that Muzzler and save your motor. I am glad I put one on mine

[@briantii]

@@MrGamerholicThe tensioner in the Aisin kit is identical to OEM. Same stampings, same everything. With that said my 7.5 year old OEM tensioner with 65k miles was leak and going bad so even the OEM ones can be suspect.

[@TheBandit7613]

@@williammogey1829 And get RID of the cylinder deactivation. They sucked in the 80's and they suck now.

[@yodasbff3395]

My niece has one of these, I deactivated the cylinder delete mechanism at 160,000 miles, I hope I wasn't too late. Thanks for the teardown video. 👍

[@KookiDowg]

I really love the 4th gen Odysseys but this is what I'm worried about as well since the average Joe are usually not aware about the VCM errors. Currently have a 3rd Gen Odyssey and did plan to buy a pre-facelift 4th gen Ody but might just get another 3rd Gen non-VCM Ody when the time comes for mine...or I get into an accident and I survive lol

[@Icewater101]

You should get yourself a weighted harmonic balancer socket they help a lot on those Honda crank bolts

[@isaiahleach1604]

It's pretty sad that the engine as a whole looks very well taken care of.

[@jtoddk98]

I mean, not really, as a whole it looks “fine” but by the amount of varnish in the front cover and the head with the PCV, it was the typical mom mobile getting the oil changed when the gauge cluster told her to. Looks like the typical 10k mile oil change “dealer maintained” special.

[@isaiahleach1604]

@@jtoddk98 I've never seen any 200k engine with less varnish. I'm not saying they were great at maintaining their engine, just that they didn't do too bad. :)

[@WhenImGoneCa]

Look at the enside of the engine. Someone didn't replace their oil every 5k miles

[@leokarasinski4217]

@jtoddk98 that's a 200k mile engine with basically perfect bearings in it. There was 0 sludge only some discoloration.... it would take another 200k miles before any of thay added up to anything that would ever cause an issue. Sure could they have changed it more... yes, would it have really made a difference.... not really. There's a fine line between going overboard with oil changes with no benefit, and letting an engine self destruct from neglect. I think that this engine/owner did a good job of keeping the engine alive and not wasting a bunch of money on oil changes too early.

[@leokarasinski4217]

@markmonroe7330 that's true as well. However the pcv design plays a role in some of these engines too. There wasn't any buildup on that engine just some discoloration. They took care of that one. 200k with no buildup is good! It's too bad the cheap tensioner took that sucker out

[@brianl8983]

In all honesty, I was a bit sad you didn’t have to get out the loader😢

[@muhammadmuqsith6276]

As always, your teardown videos are very entertaining and educational. As for that core, it's sad that because of that one "small" part, all was ruined. Never go cheap. And check your oil, as usual.

[@skirmich]

For anyone interested on why the valve train looks like it does. Usually J-Series used to have VTEC Only on the Intake side, this meant that the VTEC rockers only had to activate on the intake which could get away with a 3 bearing rockers setup on the intake and 1 in a Y shape for both Exhaust valves.. Later on Honda designed Dual VTEC on the J-Series which also adds Exhaust VTEC, This meant the exhaust should also need a 3rd bearing rocker but there wasnt any room to spare in the valvetrain.. So what Honda did was to create a vertical rocker arm setting that could lock the exhaust VTEC actuator as well on 2 separate rockers. So in the end: The camshaft has 6 lobes for each cylinder and only the 2 middles lobes share 2 valves at the same time. The outer ones are for exhaust in normal running lift, The ones beside them are the VTEC exhaust lobes, The 2 middle ones are the normal Intake lobe and the big one next to it is the VTEC intake lobe.. Camshaft lobes setup: (Ex, VEx, In, VIn, VEx, Ex) V = VTEC. Ex = Exhaust, In = Intake. By the looks of the camshaft lobes this engine never saw lots of VTEC action.

[@wiimaster2847]

This engine actually does not have VTEC (none of the VCM-2 engines do). The engines with exhaust VTEC came later in the J35Y era. What you see is one activated lobe for intake and exhaust and then blank lobes for cylinder deactivation.

[@philrhodes2638]

I am the catalog manager at GMB. Thanks for the kind comments regarding the water pump! We do try to sell decent stuff even tho it's aftermarket and not OEM!

[@MayheM_72]

I worked in a Honda parts dept for 12 years (Nov '09 through Apr '22) and I lost count of how many J35s with variable displacement had ring jobs on the rear bank, and the PCM reflashed to alter the cylinder deactivation. Also, there's a tool to hold the crank pulley while you remove the bolt. They sell it at Napa, and it's not that expensive.

[@scowell]

My dealer told me they couldn't change the computer... you're telling me that they can! I just leave my gas cap unscrewed a little... the VCM won't engage if the Check Engine light is on. Cheap muzzler!

[@bigjay1970]

​@@scowell 🤔🤓

[@packerman1203]

You could also just use the weighted socket designed for these and a big impact, havent had it not work

[@alljerseysmatter.]

​@@scowellGood jawn.

[@glasser2819]

​@@scowell... or unplug the solenoid valve !! When these engines run well they have plenty of torque to run below 2500.RPM that is if they don't have "lean misfires" from old lambdas

[@stger2384]

Just checked my oil, it's max and very clear, or, clean! I can do oil-changes myself, and after 50 vids of you, I will change it every 6 months now, it's quite cheap 10-40 (That's what my car wants), and a original VOLVO filter costs less than 10$€ at the moment, bought 10 :D Thanks for the great entertainment, and yes, it is!

[@2011joser]

Just this year I installed a VCM Tuner II on my Accord V6 at 100k. Not only does it prevent the spark plug fouling and oil consumption but the engine runs completely smooth now. The effect on gas mileage is barely noticeable. It is a very worthwhile investment.

[@2011joser]

@@xabhax moron, there is a difference between running on 6 and 3 cylinders. If you owned one you would know . The engine has been getting full synthetic oil changes every 5k since I bought it at 45k and has zero oil consuption or noise.

[@cherryswirlchale9511]

What year is your accord? I have a 2017 Accord V6 and it has the 3rd Gen VCM which is supposed to be better then the previous ones.

[@2011joser]

@@cherryswirlchale9511 It’s a 2013 and I believe its the same vcm version as the 2017.

[@CastIronEric]

Can you link me? I bought the S-VCM, but heard some people don't like that version

[@bartonkj]

Who knew - watching your videos is more than just entertainment. I have a 2015 Honda Pilot with 100,000 miles and now I know to not get an aftermarket timing belt tensioner when I get the timing belt done. Thanks.

[@wiimaster2847]

Get yourself a VCM disable device too.

[@midwestfarm757]

I’d be careful about a belt from eBay or Amazon as well.

[@wiimaster2847]

@@midwestfarm757 Yep. There is no such thing as a Honda timing belt kit, anything advertised as a Genuine Honda kit is counterfeit.

[@alljerseysmatter.]

​@wiimaster2847 Facts. I went to Acura and got mine all parts cost Me around $500

[@glasser2819]

I always had my Acura serviced at the dealer. When TB schedule came up, they did the job... great or so I thought... At 150kMi, the tensioner started rattling - I ask them how can this go bad so shortly ?? To my surprise: ACURA DEALER SIMPLY REPLACED *BELT ONLY*... no new water pump and no new tensioner. Just a lot of high labor with only one part. Needless to say the oil pump seals are leaking too... 185kMi. 😊

[@SamslamminCars]

I have had multiple Honda crank bolts give me hell, watching you struggle made me feel a little better! Only manufacturers to use for Honda Timing components are Aisin, Bando, GMB, Gates, Mitsuboshi or SKP. All have their branding marks and all will hold up.

[@bigjay1970]

From my own lengthy research, I totally agree. 🤔😬

[@drfrankensteinscreations]

I worked for a Honda dealer back in the mid '90s. The crank bolts were always so tight that we got into the habit of putting a breaker bar on it and bracing it against the frame then using the starter to break it loose.

[@SamslamminCars]

I approve! My hardest crank bolts yet were a d16y7 & a d17.

[@theswissmechanic]

Someone needs to get this boy a Honda crank bolt socket. Ive never had to struggle as a Honda tech with a single crank bolt with a $30 thicc boi crank bolt socket..... And maybe also a crank pulley holder.

[@emmanuelalva6597]

Did one recently on a ridgeline. My electric wrench couldn’t do it but my buddies air tool took it off no problem.

[@CoffeeDean]

Deja vu for me on crank pulley bolt as well. No impact wrench worked. Finally had to heat the bolt with a torch. Only then could I get the bolt loosened with a breaker bar plus a five foot fence post over the handle.

[@Echo024]

I had one that was so stuck that it stalled out the starter

[@herrjanssen8531]

The Honda crank pulley bolts are genius. I don't know where the torque comes from, but I struggled with them in my "former life" until I almost lost my mind over them. Even though I had the hex tool to hold the pulley in place , it was still almost impossible to loosen the bolts. I was afraid of breaking the breaker bars and hurting myself as a result.... 😂

[@chuckh.2227]

I didn't know it was possible to bend so many valves in one engine,WOW!

[@2nickles647]

The engine was wound up high...then wham😅😅

[@brentbeardsley655]

I bought a 2014 Accord with V6 and VCM. It had 52,000 miles. I put on S-VCM muzzler and have had no issues. As long as you muzzle the VCM the J35 is usually very reliable and can easily go over 200,000 miles with normal maintenance.

[@brentbeardsley655]

@@xabhax Read a little more on the VCM. Because 3 cylinders shut down while cruising there are different temperatures in the cylinders causing oil consumption after about 50,000. The switching between 3 and 6 cylinders also causes the front mounts to wear out a lot faster. This is from people who swore they changed their oil every 5,000. It was a concept that sounded good on paper (CAFE points) but a horrible idea in practice.

[@ustuplay7782]

I use BG 109 EPR every 100K mi. instead. I'm at 250K on an '08 Pilot

[@Whateva67]

I saw a ‘14 accord coupe v6 six speed with only 66 thousand kms on it at a Honda dealer here in BC this summer. Was going to trade my ‘14 Civic and pay extra to buy it but it got sold before I could get there,shame because it was a really nice car and it doesn’t have VCM because it’s a standard transmission. 😊

[@brentbeardsley655]

@@Whateva67 that would have been a nice buy. Nothing like a naturally aspirated V6. They can keep those turbos.

[@Whateva67]

@@brentbeardsley655 yeah, it was mint, nice blue colour, leather interior and damn near mint shape and that 6 speed would have been sweet, oh well,I’ll keep looking.

[@geraldo9965]

I have a ‘14 Odyssey, which I drove on a 2,500 mile road trip, from my California home to Illinois, very early in its life. The mpg. for the trip was a carefully calculated 25.4. My return trip, after installing the “Muzzler”, traveling the same route came up at 25.4 mpg. I know that varying conditions can cause such a comparison to be questionable, but, with the same driver, over the same roads, at the same speeds it would seem to be the best possible test a layman could perform. I have never regretted “muzzling” my engine.

[@ganzonomy]

I have an accord with VCM. turned it off. Best decision ever. Car now drives like a car, doesn't lurch, doesn't hunt for gears, etc.

[@nunecoco2349]

Is the way to turn off the VCM by unplugging the rear oil pressure switch or is there a catch to buy something that will make it actually work.?

[@ganzonomy]

@@nunecoco2349 you have to buy a vcm muzzler that plugs in where you're mentioning and that will provide resistance that will prevent the cylinder management system from turning on.

[@jeffjankiewicz5100]

FYI, Your teardowns are awesome. Gives me something decent to watch on a Saturday night. Thanks.👍

[@davesherman74]

I think I might have been lucky. My 2015 Pilot has VCM, but it never gave me any trouble and has had zero oil consumption. When I did the 100,000 mile service the spark plugs looked great. I did put in an S-VCM disabler about that time, and it's nicer not having those occasional shudders.

[@eurotrash55]

I think the VCM issue is much less common than it's presented - not to say it doesn't exist. If it really was that big of a deal, you'd see Honda engines blowing up like Kia/Hyundai on the regular and that's just not that case.

[@hankhalbert6542]

My 2015 at the 100K tuneup, showed all 6 plugs in very poor condition. Did the full tuneup. 20K later, it ate up another set of plugs, misfired a few times, and has started using oil. It was 1.5 qts low once. Ok, I am on it now, and buying a VCM Fix.. shopping now. Changed oil again, every 3000 with synthetic. Working on the top of the motor now, with additives to hopefully help the cylinder wall and pistons.

[@samrodian919]

An excellent tear down and analysis of the failure sir! That is the very best set of bent valves I've ever seen!

[@kenny3217]

This video made me laugh so hard, I just replaced the timing belt and water pump on my wife's Honda Pilot with this engine and what was a 6 hour job turned into a 12 hour job as I struggled with the crank bolt. I tried so many things and broke several tools but in the end it was a 3/4" pneumatic impact + lots of heat that broke it loose. Also I am now glad I replaced the timing belt tensioner and used OEM parts.

[@RichM3000]

Those are pretty much indestructible. I had the prior version in an Acura. I had a coolant hose fail in the middle of nowhere, with no cell service, so I drove it dry for about ten miles into town. I made it to a mechanic just fine. The temperature gauge was pegged, of course, and it had around 160K miles on it at the time. He waited an hour for it to cool down enough to work on, replaced the hose and coolant, and I was on my way with no problem. I put another 30K on it before the transmission started to go and I got rid of it. While waiting for the engine to cool, the mechanic asked me if I knew the ramifications of driving it in that condition and asked why I didn't call for a tow. I explained that it was an older car without much resale value, I wasn't in a position to get a tow truck as I had no means to contact one, and that my wife and I had three newer cars (so, it was just a spare by then). Still, I didn't want to destroy a perfectly fine engine and was glad it was good.

[@billelliot8228]

I look forward to these tear downs. Much can be learned by seeing what failed. Thanks for putting these shows out!!!

[@Sleepydwagonman]

It sounds like how my sister lost an Astra GTE convertible (2 litre 4 pot, 80s car). It had a timing belt change, apparently from a certified mechanic. Possibly certifiable in something different because the timing failed not long after and the engine went boom. Been enjoying your videos ! Loving the style, looking forwards to seeing more. Am learning ...

[@krcalder]

That happened to my wife's Astra. It had been well serviced before we got it, and I wanted to keep it in good nick. I took it to get the timing belt replaced, they did the timing belt but not the tensioner. It went on the M3, and suddenly lost all power. It was never quite the same again.

[@2nickles647]

Certified nut case

[@nobodynoone2500]

Belts can fail, or the cam or idler gears can wear in some designs making it off kilter, so a replacement gets eaten up quick. You ALWAYS do a timing belt, tensionar and usually water pump at the same time. I would sue a mechanic who neglected to do that.

[@hackfabrication139]

My Saturday evening is now complete: An I Do Cars teardown before bedtime!

[@Boxer-Thumper]

I see also the videos of Eric for bedtime. It's now 3.54 AM in Zwolle, the Netherlands😂

[@katout75]

I’ve replaced ~20 Honda/Acura J-series timing belts, their crankshaft pulley bolts are the tightest fasteners I’ve ever come across. A crankshaft pulley holder and 6’ breaker bar work well to getting it loosened. Thank goodness for Craftsman lifetime warranty, as I’ve also broken a few sockets and couple ratchets as well.

[@330arr]

I’ve heard so much noise from J-series timing belt tensioners and they will end up beating up the timing belt adjuster. But I’ve never seen one with the rod recessed and seized deep into the tensioner body like that!

[@thedeez1361]

yeah, man! what I've been waiting for....another tear down!

[@mahcooharper9577]

Crank bolt was definitely giving me LandCruiser vibes too. Glad you got away with a little less effort this time ;) Thanks as always for your videos, I've never been bored once watching your content. :)

[@josephfrunzi4606]

Also they make a tool to fit right into that 6 point head on the front of the crank pulley. If you're not worried about the crank seal you can use heat and it comes off like a dream.

[@wafflesnfalafel1]

Awesome vid sir - really dramatically shows both the failed hydraulic tensioner and resultant chaos but also the result of the Honda "Variable Cylinder Management" system.

[@BrainDamageBBQ]

Not sure if you'd want to use this trick on a modern engine, but I had a buddy back in the day who owned a really good engine rebuild shop here in Ottawa, Canada. His specialty was mostly 1960s and 1970s musclecar engines. Crankshaft pulley bolt won't come off? He told me a trick: Fill the cylinders on the upstroke with soft and clean string! It has worked like a charm every time I have needed to do it - Pontiac 2.5L Iron Duke, several Mopar Slant-6 engines, Chevy Smallblocks, heck, even just to get the blade off my lawnmower. Basically it hydro-locks the engine even on cylinders with the valves open and the spark plugs out. Once the crank bolt is free, just pull the string back out and you're good to go. It's great if you're trying to change the timing chain in the car but can't stop the engine from rotating any other way.

[@nobodynoone2500]

Thats the old rope trick. Just gotta do one cyl usually. Also works to keep from dropping a valve when doing wrok with the head on.

[@aparker2997]

I bought my Odyssey used, but the original tensioner failed. The previous owner took it to Honda and had it replaced. Then at 80,000 miles they had the timing belt service done. 40,000 miles later, with me having bought the car, the OEM tensioner failed again with the infamous knocking sound when cold. So I'm not sold on the OEM hydraulic tensioner at all. I just replaced with AISIN and so far, so good.

[@bilphil74]

Great videos. I hope they are getting your Porsche fixed the right way for you. I would still like to see you tear down a 1.8 like came in a 2016 Chevy Sonic. The other engine I would like to see you tear down is the 2.4 turbocharged SRT4 out of a 2003 PT Cruiser GT. It has the aluminum intake manifold on it, and not the cheaper plastic one they replaced it with in the other years. Keep up the great work.

[@josephfrunzi4606]

As you were saying "I suggest you do two things" I was screaming "DO THE DELETE KIT" So thanks for bringing attention to this issue.

[@sharpcarco]

I learned my lesson the hard way I bought a cccp timing kit on a 37 Acura….. broke three weeks later after I sold the car then I spent $3000 fixing the car for the person that I sold it to…. The pulley of the water pump literally snapped off from bad casting. The pulley was not designed to be removed.😂😂😂 I don’t like steelership parts, but there are certain ones that I will buy.

[@toRONto501]

Yup, had this one happened. Engine was rattling when it gets warmed up. thought the engine was done. Hydraulic fluid was leaking out of tensioner, can be seen outside the cover. and belt was cracked. Customer never changed it after 200k miles. Did a whole timing kit job and it’s back to normal.

[@Ram14250]

That's really good news to hear that even after 200K you were able to save that engine!! Very cool!

[@frankmartin8471]

That was an interesting tear-down. I hope you enjoy doing the tear-downs as much as we enjoy watching them. I can almost smell the burnt oil odor, but I'm glad that after more than 50 years of wrenching, I don't have to do that stuff any more. I kind of miss the fun times, but not the other stuff.

[@williamaguilar1582]

Hey. Thank you for the learning experience. I love that tear down on the J series motor. Their is a lot to learn even if you work on these every day. Thank you.

[@ChrisHsuCars]

I bought my VCM Muzzler on my 2011 Odyssey and haven't had any issues since we've owned it at 60k kms. It now has 190k kms and runs perfectly. I do oil changes every 5000 kms and change the tranny fluid and air filter every year and change the plugs every 25k kms. Engine is perfect. All of this might be overkill but I know the engine is healthy and runs perfectly.

[@steveblackbird]

Always use OEM on timing systems...That's my motto... Doesn't matter how much it costs...if something fails it's always going to cost you big. Also use the best quality oils you can afford...full synthetic every time for me. Awesome vid Eric, shame such a cheap part failed to end this engines life.

[@prevost8686]

I keep a 1” drive impact gun with 1650 lb ft of torque close by just in case a Honda crank bolt wants to show off. I keep it on a separate and larger air hose capable of feeding it all the PSI it needs. I don’t use it much but it’s very handy when I do need it. J35 hydraulic tensioners are still failing to this very day. Usually they will give the owner a an audible warning before they completely fail but if you don’t get it fixed asap you will need an engine . Asin is the only tensioners and pumps we will use along with Mitsuboshi timing belts. They ruined the J Series with cylinder deactivation which didn’t even save the owner money. I’ve seen many J Series engines with very high mileage still running smooth as butta. 200K isn’t even worth mentioning because there’s so many of them with that much mileage on them.

[@bassiclymike]

I think part of the reason my '98 BMW 328i has gotten to 208k miles is that I always replace critical components with OE parts; not necessarily "official BMW parts" but the same part made by the same manufacturer for 1/3 the price. I never have to worry about part quality or function that way, and it still runs like new. Same with my Explorers, for any engine or electrical components Motorcraft is far beyond any aftermarket stuff. Some aftermarket parts are OK, but as you mention, look at the cost/benefit/risk associated. The higher the risk goes, the more you need to move towards OE or at least something that's been proven over time. Excellent video, as always.

[@dougm1343]

I have been up on the mountain for the last 4 days and this is the first video I watched. Thanks Eric. Love your stuff.

[@miketdavies]

Always love your valve removal technique, think I'm going to try it on a destroyed head tomorrow!

[@trentryan27]

There's the right way, then there's the fast way, it's already broke so why not use the fast way

[@nateblazek3671]

Honda redefined their VCM systems around the 2010's. The early stuff ~(2005-2011) is where most VCM issues resulted from - and it was around 2011 (for the next gen/facelifted, Odyssey, Pilot, and Ridgeline) when things were improved, and those engines once again could easily be pushed past 300k miles.

[@timothyforce1949]

You're correct. The '13-'17 Accord J35Y1 engines had the revised VCM that eliminated the issues. My '15 J35Y1 hasn't had a single issue. Proper and early 5k maintenance helps, too. I love this engine.

[@wiimaster2847]

The VCM-2 engines all have issues. Odysseys had issues throughout 11-17. With VCM-3 on the new J35Y engines, they figured out how to mask the symptoms well enough but it still operates exactly the same conceptually with no change to the conceptual flaw that was causing issues.

[@midwestfarm757]

My cousin has had two vans ‘11 and ‘16 fail. Friend has a ‘16 and it failed as well. I believe they do a lot of city driving, more than normal so I wonder if that makes the issue worse

[@billyjoejimbob56]

@@timothyforce1949 Agree completely. Have a '13 Accord V6 @135K ... burns no oil and runs like new. Timely oil changes and the correct oil.

[@anthonymason701]

They make weighted impact sockets, may make stubborn crank bolts a lot easier

[@BradyConners-rn3xu]

Those sockets work great had to buy one

[@trevorsmith2006]

You wouldn't think a heavier socket would make a difference, but those things work amazingly well.

[@matthewfuller1129]

"What's the worst that could happen?" Famous last words, friends.

[@mikefoehr235]

Seeing the struggle with the harmonic balancer bolt, i was all excited about the dipstick tube.

[@GrandPitoVic]

I feel robbed

[@timlee4204]

Thanks, Eric, for another informative autopsy! My neighbor had an early Honda Civic, the engine pully end faced the Left and it ran counterclockwise? We could not work out if the pulley bolt was Lefthand thread or not. But I can tell you that bolt was tight we could not budge it. The belt had failed and damaged all the pistons. Just 2 things I noticed with your motor tonight, a 6 sided socket will go on with the handle either too high or too low to get a good swing, remove the socket, turn it a quarter turn and it will all be OK. Next, the pulley had a hexagon area and I guess Mr Honda had some sort of Torque multiplier to fit in there and torque that bolt up so tight. Good on you for fitting that plate onto a flywheel bolt, I was expecting to find a broken crankshaft. Tim from down under.

[@rydag6196]

Valve lash is supposed to be done every 100k. Hardly anybody does it , and destroys timing tensioners a lot faster. Went thru 2 tensioners in 10 k miles ,before I replaced valve cover gaskets and checked valve lash. 3rd tensioner was from AutoZone . No issues put another 30k miles, have almost 250k now. had defective OEM parts too. These days all parts are a gamble.

[@rfrbz1269]

Was working on a Hyundai and the shop kept getting aftermarket tensioner kits. Cloyes parts are usually okay, but for some reason the original, worn out, tensioner still felt better than the new Cloyes'. Contacted dealership and they told us they used a different tensioner depending on trim level. Got the dealership part in and viola. That said, I've had dealership parts that are DOA and the aftermarket does try to make improvements on original designs so YMMV

[@cmjones01]

Very interesting teardown. I also had an engine damaged by a cheap timing part: a timing belt idler (fitted by a shop which should have known better) on a 300Tdi Land Rover engine (4 cylinder diesel). It seized after about 50 miles and shredded the timing belt. Thankfully the engine is a pushrod design so the damage was taken by the pushrods, rocker shaft and a couple of rockers, which was easy to repair. No bent valves. OEM timing parts only for me after that!

[@Ne0n570]

Champagne, edibles and a tear down. Living my best life tonight 😅😂

[@christopherweise438]

I'll say. Never seen that combo together before. Well done.

[@hi_tech_reptiles]

If you decide to do another J series V6, the Acura MDX version would be interesting to see. I bought one recently and am figuring out all the little things Im gonna do from oil, VCM muzzler, transmission fluid, tensioner, possibly another belt job etc etc. Thanks for this stuff man, its entertaining and super helpful as usual.

[@01Z06guy]

I bought a really nice Accord with a J30 and bent valves from a shredded timing belt for $800. Pulled the heads off in the car and popped on some good junkyard units and the car runs beautifully. I've put about 25,000 miles on it since then. Those dings in the pistons are fine. No issues.

[@billyjoejimbob56]

I've had six J35 engines. There have been three "generations" of VCM I am aware of. Had one of the first, 6 or 3 cylinder operation, in a 2006 Odyssey. Functioned well, but smooth 3 cyl. operation depended upon "active" motor mounts and they deteriorated with age... lots of NVH in later years. I installed a muzzler around 160K miles and it worked fine with no noticeable loss of mpg, and engine ran fine at 200K when we sold it. Always changed oil on schedule, and never burned any between changes. Second gen VCM operated 6, 4, or 3 cylinders... the most troublesome version I believe... never owned one. Third gen went back to 6 or 3 cylinder... I bought a new 2013 Accord with that system, and it is trouble free at 135K. Also have two Acura RDXs with same engine / VCM system as the Accord, and a 2017 Pilot which has the direct injected J35 and third gen VCM... needed injectors replaced under extended warranty but no VCM issues at 84K. All cars get oil changes according to the on board reminder with recommended 0W-20 full synthetic oil. Odyssey and Accord both got new timing belts as recommended, done by Honda dealer. Their package includes belt, tensioner, water pump, coolant, and new serpentine belt... cheap insurance IMHO. I don't plan to put a muzzler on any of the third gen VCM cars as long as they keep running well. Like the man says... change oil regularly, use the correct oil for the engine, and get the timing belt (package) done by a dealer.

[@michaelwright1602]

Change the oil every 3000 to 5000 miles, do not rely upon that on board reminder. That is merely a suggestion reminder, it runs off of mileage, not the condition of the oil.

[@billyjoejimbob56]

@@michaelwright1602 Honda's system has a time at temp algorithm also... not based on just miles. Reminder comes on sooner if driving is mostly short trips.

[@michaelwright1602]

@@billyjoejimbob56 Good to know. I still do not trust that "reminder" as far as proper oil change intervals. And change those PCV valves folks. I think that does more damage than allowing the VCM to do its thing.

[@michaelmartinez1345]

Wow... Quite a nice engine, ruined by not so nice aftermarket parts... And the owner of this vehicle, driving it till it drops, and refusing to get it repaired properly before these problems develop into something much worse... Thanks for the lessons Eric... The GOLD standard of reality automotive channels....

[@jaygrosse8365]

Very interesting and entertaining video. Our 07 Odyssey has the VCM system and I decided not to muzzle it. It has had careful maintenance since new though. Engine still run great and uses no oil at 286,000 miles.

[@GeoffreyGodshall]

Very topical. Just got an '08 pilot. 1st gen-no VCM. 185k/mi as well. Thanks as always for the education, Eric!

[@wiimaster2847]

The 06-08 Pilots did have VCM, just only on the 2WD models, not the 4WD models.

[@GeoffreyGodshall]

@@wiimaster2847 Thanks for the clarification. My first J35Z1

[@Paul-fk8qy]

My J series (2009) has over 250k miles and honestly I've skipped probably 3 or 4 oil changes. Never changed plugs, diff fluid, suspension, nothing but brakes, engine oil, exhaust parts and batteries. I love her, chipmunks live in it in the winter.

[@nobodynoone2500]

Oil changes are important, and plugs every 60k or so is easy to do and will get ya some power and mileage. Diff fluid is trans fluid, no worries there, just keep it full. Suspension will need bushings soon but if it handles well enough its fine. No worries unless the squirrels chew yer wires.

[@sglenn63]

What about the timing belt, tensioner and water pump?

[@donhayashi3512]

Thanks Eric! Your videos are consistently entertaining and informative.

[@I_Do_Cars]

Thank you! I appreciate it!

[@stinky817]

As a professional in the field I've never had an issue with name brand timing belt tensioners. As long as you follow all of the instructions that come with the kits.... I have seen some people ruin tensioners by not following the directions. But gates and dayco are the two brands that I usually use and haven't had an issue in almost 20 years.

[@PlymouthVT]

The last few generations didn't grow up wrenching on cars as kids to keep our junkers running. Then you quickly found out about no oil in the engine it blows up. Sets you up for fastidious oil inspection later in life which really pays off. I check the oil in my cars every few days. Never let it get below the full line. Never have any engine issues. And buy a 3/4 inch EMT pipe at Lowes for breaker bar extender. Sold in 10 ft lengths so bring a hacksaw to cut it in half. I keep a 5 foot long piece in the trunks of my cars if i get a flat. very handy.

[@frank.l181]

At 8 years and 85,000 miles. I went to dealer and did the complete job $1,650. The maintence is very important but expensive. I never had a problem with VCM. l was told the oil burning can be cause by not changing the PCV valve around 40,000 miles. I also change the oil when it goes to 20% Life meter.

[@joshausterlitz3798]

Every time i saw a belt engine fail like this it almost always was a super cheap aftermarket belt kit or they just replaced the belt and nothing else and after about 150 to 180K even the OGs started going out. We've had some "not good" experience with dayco and Gates kits, but Aisin, Continental, Acdelco and GMB kits and components have not failed us yet.

[@davidson46100]

I've have one of those engines in a 2011 Honda Pilot. The VCM system needs good detergent gas or fuel additive to combat carbon and varnish build up or the rings can stick and then it uses oil. I haven't disabled the VCM yet, but am paying close attention to it. Oh and pistons 1-4 get deactivated. Pistons 1-3 are on the back bank. Piston 1 is on the far left when you are standing at the front of the car.

[@thomasroberts5579]

Thank you Eric!

[@DangitBobby...]

I love this channel, never change. :)

[@Benton0812]

Found your channel a week ago & been hooked ever since. I only have 2x E46 sedans and I dream of your collection

[@ccscomments757]

THE TENSIONER! I bought my Honda Pilot used with 144K miles on it. Soon after, it was struggling. I installed the S-VCM device on it, and only a slight difference. Had the oil changed, and I did my own brakes (which gave me my first clues about the maintenance of this vehicle before I owned it, all bolts were as tight as Honda makes it...which means, no previous service). Not long after, I knew the passenger side CV shaft was making noise and had rubber boots that were flaking away, so I had my mechanic order a new shaft, and while he was there, replace the timing belt (kit comes with new tensioner and new water pump). I also had him replace the transmission fluid, the transfer case fluid and the rear differential fluid. He said the tensioner was definitely NOT doing its job, and the timing belt was loose. He said I was very lucky. Noise alerting me of the failing tensioner? Well, it was winter. And Winter in the colder regions of the US produce many car engine sounds that when the engine warms up, go away. This was the case with my engine. While we have not had weather as cold since then, the engine does sound a lot happier. It also has started driving like it is happier (used some fuel additive that is supposed to clean out gunk). Still toying with changing my own plugs on this engine. Anyhow, it is good to see this video.

[@ccscomments757]

And yes, though the mechanic does not work at a Honda dealer, he DID use 100% Honda parts and fluids. Seeing the rings and cylinder bores, I'm wondering how much the deferred maintenance has cost me. Time will tell, but it is running nicely right now.

[@1575murray]

I almost lost an engine in my 2002 Accord SE with the 2.3L 4 cylinder F23A4. An aftermarket water pump failed prematurely and if I hadn't shut the engine down promptly it probably would have destroyed itself due to overheating. I had to get the whole timing belt job redone in order to fix it ($1100). The car is still running well with 147,000 miles on it.

[@bertgrau3934]

Another great video, just goes to show how aftermarket parts can hurt, or just ignore an unusual noise.

[@smitty2jones]

I've seen aftermarket tensioners on these fail within 1k miles and just make an awful clunky racket, but usually without throwing time because they didn't just keep driving the damn thing. I always try to upsell the Aisin/OEM tensioner for these now

[@nobodynoone2500]

The Gates are quality and often OEM to hondas

[@bencumbee5542]

If you bought the $25 19mm torque multiplier sock you wouldn’t have to struggle with the crank bolts on all the Hondas. That and the reason for the discoloration between the heads is because of heat, it’s oil starvation because of the rings on the front bank. There is a shit ton of TSBs about oil consumption and the fix is to pull the affected head, pull the pistons out and re ring it, hone it and reassemble Done 100s of them over the years

[@punk_rock_music_teacher]

I have a J35 in my 08 accord. I put a VCM tuner on but had to fix some spark plugs and a misfiring cylinder first. It just hit 200K+

[@sharedknowledge6640]

South Main Auto had one of these from an owner that bought it new and had all service done at the dealer. The dealer put a timing belt on it and it threw codes. It turns out the valves were bent from the timing belt being likely only one tooth off. A lot of these engines have noisy valve trains to where they sound like a 64 Buick with collapsed lifters. These engines have very fragile valve trains and lots of related issues. Honda does a lot of things right but this engine isn’t one of them. Even BoostedBoiz has swapped this POS V6 for a K series 4 cylinder.

[@trevorsmith2006]

Caught the tensioner making noise one night as we were driving home. Parked the van immediately and did the timing belt 12,000 miles ahead of schedule. Approaching time for the 5th timing belt on my J35.

[@andrewl9472]

Had an 02 with 225k on it and it had all of the maintenance done on time and it ran like a top and burned zero oil when we sold it. Great engine.

[@VikingDudee]

My susbruban's rear end has been making noise for the past 6 years, Bought a rear end out of a Pickup for $100 bucks, it will cost me more than that to repair the noisy rear end, I've been putting it off for the last 2 years, noise hasn't gotten worse, and the fluid is clean so let it howl until it shows more slop in the pinion.

[@lucidbarrier]

I put an Aisin timing belt kit on my friend's 1998 Camry and I don't regret it at all. The quality was really nice, the belt was a high quality mitsubishi belt and I knew it was going to hold up. Lining everything up was a bit of a pain but the car runs perfectly sound. I had a used engine put in my 2004 Avalon and the salvage yard told me to buy them a timing kit and I again bought an Aisin timing belt kit from Amazon and the engine freaking runs smooth as butter. For the regular accessory belts I got some Bando belts and they seem to be high quality as well for a low price. For Japanese engines, do yourself a favor and get high quality Japanese parts. The starter I bought a cheap DB electrical from Amazon and the alternator I picked one up from Oreilly's but for the actual engine timing stuff, stick with OEM or Aisin. If you are going to do a timing belt, you might want to change the oil seals for the camshaft, crankshaft as well as replacing the water pump since you are in there.

[@TheDerrty111]

** MITSUBOSHI Timing belt

[@americanpatriot2.06]

My Aunt & Uncle bought a 2002 Honda Odyssey with the infamous "Honda will not recall epic trash" transmission about four years ago. The previous owners had the vehicle repainted, had the transmission rebuilt twice (never got the upgrades) and replaced the torque convertor three times at some point before the 320,000-mile mark. I'm assuming they decided to sell it before the transmission went out again. Well, at the 330,000-mile mark, the transmission blew up. They parked it and tried to sell it as is. A year later my car got totaled thanks to a drunk driver, and I offered to fix the van and they would have it as a backup incase their 2000 Pontiac Montana goes down. I would use the Odyssey until I could get a replacement vehicle. I decided to get a remanufactured transmission with all the upgrades. Refurbished the entire front steering and suspension, as well as the rear suspension. New brakes and tires all around, as well as got a full-size matching spare (I hate temporary donuts). It currently has just under 339,000 miles and the original engine is still going strong. The only issue I had with the transmission is a failed pressure solenoid and the 1-2 shift solenoids failed. And of course, the Odyssey is the primary vehicle for them for about two years since the Montana overheated thanks to all temp sensors failing and ended up dropping a valve.

[@edwardcm9175]

1. Don’t ignore strange noises out of your engine 2. Do frequent (3000 mile) oil changes 3. Get a VCM muzzler 4. Replace timing belt on time every 100k miles 5. Don’t skimp out on timing belt or timing chain tensioners, go factory Got it 😯

[@nobodynoone2500]

5-6k is plenty often for anything with an oil filter. Antiques with no filter might be a 3k interval.

[@fddriver02]

Honda gave my uncle 3 free plugs once for the VCM issue on his 08 Accord. Thanks Honda. It has over 240K miles on it now with the VCM Muzzler I put on it a couple of years ago.

[@clintcolombin]

I have a J35A5 in my '05 MDX. Lessons learnt. Also happy to see the drift come back.

[@frjhracing]

26:10 that oil filter housing o-ring almost sent my j series 2.5 to your channel. it has 253,000 miles no problem. Was coming home from a long drive noticed the oil light immediately...basically no oil on the dipstick. refilled it...shot oil right out of the crack in said o ring. it was like 10$, oh...also at the same time the compression clamp on the upper rad hose cracked (but not completely broke). So it would leak at running temp but not noticeably. it really wanted to be on your channel. I wont let it.

[@boowiebear]

Had this exact Van and engine. Almost lost the engine due to VCM issues. Installed the VCMTune, replaced plugs and did some engine cleaning treatments and was able to keep it going without a rebuild. Cylinder management is a joke.

[@BrightStar3862]

The greatest engine tear down of all time. A Koinsweigg Jesko. Hooraah, Theo.

[@miket9019]

When you used the breaker bar on the engine (back and forth) with out the honda crank holding tool you pressurized the tensioner with the timing belt..... and forced it to compress, especially with the bad valve you had to begin with lol😅 That's why you have fresh marks on all the pistons from the valves hitting all of the pistons 😅 obviously not the engine failure but yeah

[@FirstnameLastName-sx8ls]

I love this channel already. First time new sub.

[@xinx-fn8973]

My parents old 04 civic broke a timing belt tensioner, had to replace the cylinder head, never ran the same, and it blew through a couple aftermarket tensioners, they finally put another Honda one in and it didn’t have any more problems afterwards 😂