Honda Civic 1.7L SOHC Timing Belt, Tensioner, Water Pump Replacement Part 4

Here is Part 4 of my version of replacing the timing belt, water pump and tensioner on a 2005 Honda Civic. This procedure should be the same for 2001-2005 Honda Civics but refer to your manual for confirmation.
Links to Tools and Products Used in the Video:
Timing Belt Kit 2001-2005 Honda Civic 1.7L SOHC: amzn.to/2be4wdh
Brakleen: amzn.to/2aObgcO
XL Ratcheting Wrenches: amzn.to/2bopGSi
1/2" Impact Gun: amzn.to/2b07qR4
I will not be liable for any damage to your vehicle that might arise from watching this video and applying what you see here.

[@johnbarry1144]

Thanks a ton, you did a , great job with these. Finished an 03 in about 5-6 hours taking my time and dealing with an old back. Saved about $650 from the quote I got vs parts alone.

[@5tr41ghtGuy]

Gotta do this to my son's recent car acquisition, and it's very nice to *watch* somebody do the procedure first. Thanks so much!

[@tedpreston4155]

Thanks for making the video! The half-hour of instruction you provided will save me a couple hours of struggle!

[@yardbomber9099]

I just picked up a 2003 Honda Civic 1.7L Sedan with 150k in great condition. Unfortunately the previous owner failed to do timing kit maintenance, just routine oil changes. I'm a stickler for proper maintenance on my cars and these videos will greatly assist me. Thank you for your hard work and patience recording them!

[@leeh.8629]

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[@mikenoesis]

Fantastic set of videos. Carefully shows important points that are not obvious and that a home mechanic could easily miss. Worth the time to watch them through.

[@mshaw290808mi]

Just used these videos to replace water pump and timing belt on my Honda. Had laptop in garage would watch video hit pause do the step and repeat. I rated the videos (1-4) A+. They saved me a tremendous amount of time!

[@diyautorepairvideos110]

Awsome, glad to hear it. Cheers!

[@michaeldenapoli7798]

I really appreciate the time that is taken to build a great video on this. Thanks for the help!

[@NahumTheMayhem]

Thanks to these videos i feel confident that i can change the timing belt myself on my 03 Acura EL which is pretty much the same vehicle as the Civic. Mechanics here in Canada would charge around $1000+ to get this done. I owe you big time man, thanks.

[@JustinVanHorne]

I just wanted to comment and leave notes after following these videos from beginning to end on my 2005 Civic. This entire series deserves money (see #7) and was so well put together. (1) The crankshaft bolt is pretty easy to get off with a pipe (as in the video) go to Home Depot and pick up a similar 48" pipe for about $20. If you really don't need need it afterwards it is a fairly easy item to return. But, holy crap did it make it painless. I matched the same setup in the video. The first time through I broke some tools, which should put some perspective on the torque required. It was borderline orgasmic when that bolt finally popped off. (2) Don't use any conversion tips (1/2 to 3/8") during the crankshaft bolt removal. You'll just ruin your tools :P (3) Extenders can easily be purchased at your local O'Reillys or equivalent for about $10. One set should be enough. Also, renting the crankshaft support tool is ~$50 and is completely reimbursable within 48 hours. My local store carried two of them, so I would think it is a fairly common tool for them. (4) If you have another vehicle available, it doesn't hurt to take your alternator to the O'Reillys and just have them test it. Who knows? It's free and you can have some peace of mind with it out. (5) During the reinstall it's not a bad idea to get your valve covers all sealed away and then work on your alternator belt. Get it nice and tight and then give your vehicle a start (power steering pump disconnected) so you can easily adjust the belt if it squeals. Don't forget to disconnect the battery in between doing so. Do the same with the power steering pump. (6) It took me probably 6 hours of actual work over two days. I got a bit flustered dropping bolts later on in the day and made a few mistakes that forced me to take off the crankshaft again (don't forget to put the cover on before putting it back on :P) I was also overly pedantic about TDC. Red grease pins are pretty helpful. (7) HOW DO I DONATE MONEY TO YOU?

[@myRatchets]

Justin Van Horne Thank you for your comment, its very detailed and I am sure alot of people will find it very useful. It was quite a bit of camera work so glad to hear it helped you out and that you found it useful :) If you wish to donate, you can click on my channel name and then there is a blue support button on my channel page you can click on! Thats usually how I get tipped. Again thanks very much for your support, cheers.

[@myRatchets]

RatchetsAnd Wrenches Also lol at the end of #1.

[@colincarter5113]

One of the best how to videos I've seen. I would suggest considering replacing the TDC sensor (crank sensor) while in there - it' cheap and can fail, especially in hot climates. I just had a P1361 error on my '02 Civic and is likely a bad sensor. I'm due to replace the timing belt, so going to do it all in one shot since getting to the TDC sensor is well into the process.

[@azkaos623]

Bro one of the best videos or video sets I have ever seen for anything mechanics on KZbin. Much props and a Damm good job.!!!

[@myRatchets]

Hey thanks alot for your comment, much appreciated. Cheers!

[@Greg4g63]

At 2:20 in video DO NOT jam stuff like that socket in there because those nubs/tabs on crank gear break easily and car will not run properly with even 1 damaged nub. They are quite important too as the crank position sensor sends signals to ECU based on those nubs as that gear turns. How do i know? Because I damaged them on my car when not being careful during timing belt job and had to get a new crank gear.

[@danewyawka3846]

I am having the same issue with the crankshaft moving when u tension the belt. I tried sticking things in and it still moves slightly off TDC. Was messing with it for 3 hours today, trying to find a way to keep the crank from moving.Thank you!!

[@thomaslam6821]

Great video to learn. I am planning to replace my water pump, timing belt, tensioner, other 2 belts, valve cover gasket, and some seals. I just wish you show us the reverse installation though. Thanks So much!!!

[@TheRoadrunna]

Good clear instructions without skipping important parts. Very Nice.

[@myRatchets]

+Isaac C gald to hear you liked it. cheers

[@Gangweezy]

best video i have seen on youtube for this 👍👍🔧🔧🔧🔩

[@azkaos623]

Bro this has got to be one of the best videos or set of videos I have ever seen for anything mechanics on KZbin !!! Much props and great job.!!!

[@marcofarias546]

Hey my tensioner didn’t snap once I took off the grenade pin. Did I do something wrong?

[@rxses9691]

Thank you, you're by far my favorite automotive youtuber

[@pbr549]

This is the best video on how to change a Civic 1.7 Timing Belt I have seen maybe. I will be performing these steps this winter. Tell me how long should this take? How long did video recording take? I will think of you when my first F-word comes out, then go through the why did I start this phase... then the that was not so bad in another 100k miles I will do it again. We do this because we must. Keep going at it, a happy subscriber. Take care.

[@pcdetail602]

Great video. How do you go about aligning back the timing when you move it by accident ?

[@JumpingBamboo]

These would have been great if I had seen these when doing the TB change. Now for a common question: if there's a whine/throaty lower-pitch hum, like in the video titled "H22a noise...bad timing belt tensioner?", how does one go about figuring out the problem? My Civic makes this noise after changing the TB. Any help much appreciated in advance.

[@mclarkallen]

Awesome videos. It has helped greatly. You even included the torque settings, very helpful. My car is a V-tech and has 1 extra thing that got in the way, but I was not about to take it loose. It is something to do with the brakes and it is right in front of the top timing belt cover. All the hard lines coming in and going out was a real knuckle buster, but I worked around it. I also found the need to remove the air box, etc... made it easier to get the valve cover off. Thanks again.

[@nathaneaton6178]

your supposed to tighten the tensioner bolt to 33 ft lbs (BEFORE) you pull the pin

[@Greg4g63]

Yes!

[@markhayden8220]

Definitely the best one out there. Video, and communications are clear and concise. Well Done!!

[@boyter8]

Amazing job on this video series. It has likely given me the confidence to attempt this job myself. Thank you!

[@lindengauthier4407]

Whats the reason youd have to change it before it breaks? To me i dont like changing stuff till it breaks and needs fixing. If you dont change the timing belt and breaks is it always going to cause damage? Or only sometimes. Also another question does the timing belt give you any warnings before its goin break or just happens all of a sudden. Great videos by the way

[@waskewitch07]

I was looking forward to seeing you tighten the a.c and alternator belt to see how. got confused when you showed the 2 bolts. can I tighten the ac by loosening the bolt by the ac compressor only?

[@rudyreyesjr2982]

Wow, very nicely done! There's a lot of DIY videos and I will be saving and sharing this one! The note about the spring for the Adjuster was where I was trying to discern and with the cut end away from the belt was a no brainer. Job Well Done!! 5 stars!!!

[@charitybarrett1013]

Great video, but the spring is backwards on the tensioner. I've heard it can rub the belt this way.

[@glock316]

Just watched all 4. Great how to. Best on KZbin. Thank you very much!

[@tinof5829]

Thank you sooooo much for such a great video. You did a great job explaining all the important details.

[@mt1885]

GREAT video Ratchets and Wrenches - what was the torque on the crank pulley by the way before TTY?

[@RattlingLalo]

Hello i have a question sir, after changing everything and starting my car, it seemed to run fine, but oil started to leak from the drivers side of the engine. Do you have any idea what it might be? thanks and have a good one

[@oscarcruz381]

I did all that . Now. my car is liking oil.. Bad. ? Should I put a nother. Head gasket. What's the tie espec?

[@Peter-pv8xx]

Doing my neighbors car right now everything is apart just waiting for parts to be delivered, the spring somehow came loose and was wedged between the crank sensor and the pulley, I don't know if it jumped time or not, there is a Cam sensor code so I'm replacing that also.

[@terryh9721]

Great job on the video, nice and clear, easy to hear, well done.

[@myRatchets]

Terry H Glad you liked it, thanks for your comment.

[@gabealexander519]

Where is Your Shop Located? I'm Not a Professional Mechanic or Mechanic, But I Watched Your Step by Step Video Over and Over on 2005 VW Passat Replacing Timing Belt, Thermostat, Water Pump Video, and I did Exactly as You Showed. I'm so Grateful to The Success Fix on My Son's Car That Works PERFECT. Your Video Helped Me Build Confidence to Be Able to Now Fix My Daughter's 1997 Honda Civic Water Pump Replacement. I Might as Well Change Timing Belt and Maybe Tensioner if It's Bad. I Would Be a Student if You Had Classes. Blessings To Your Shared Knowledge, Thank You... P.S. on the Passat Job, I Put Old Timing Belt Back On, Because It Looked New and Later Found New One Tucked into The Box Hidden Cover Kit in a Plastic Bag. LOL! Thank You!

[@nd318865]

Question regarding adjusting valves... Our Insight calls for (occasional) checking of valve clearance. The car you worked on had adjustable valves as well. Be a good time to check the clearance would it not? Ours seems to be making a slight ticking above the engine in two locations. Don't think the injectors would make this noise. Thx

[@teachertomu]

Thanks for the four videos!! My Honda is purring like a kitten

[@myRatchets]

Tom G. Nice, glad to hear. Cheers

[@TimHaunFishing]

Man, this looks like such a big pain in the rear end. I'm not looking forward to this repair, but thanks to your videos I'm pretty sure I can handle it.

[@parshotammalhotra9931]

Excellent instructional video with every detail. Thanks a million!

[@TheXXWoodmanXX]

Great job, man! Your instructions/methods were excellent, and helped with any aprehension I had in doing this myself!

[@johnsegal5305]

When you were adjusting the crankshaft bolt to get it in time, do you have to move the camshaft gear as well, two full rotations in order to line everything back up? Or can you just rotate the crank two full rotations?

[@HatchBackLyfe]

Slacks always on the tensioner side good video

[@jerusalem4426]

Thanks a lot first time I'm working on Honda Civic 😎 I was needing help to put the tensioner right 😎✌️

[@stus2159]

This is old but a tip for these belts, ignore the instructions, route the belt around the crank and then straight up on the left to the cam gear. Get these 2 lined up perfectly first, then take a large paperclip( it's black flat like a triangle and has 2 silver handles they are common in offices) use this to hold your belt to the cam gear, then use a peice of folded cardboard underneath the crank gear to hold that part in place, then it's in perfect alignment and you are free to work around the water pump and tensioner, and build your tension from the inside out.

[@bum408]

Very detailed video. We all appreciate it.

[@jameswhyte1340]

How long did it take you to put everything back on? seems like that would be quite the ordeal.

[@postal3212]

So if you pull the pin on the tensioner right after installing it would that create a problem?

[@SaltyRice808]

How did u adjust for tdc again you realized it moved while you were in the process of putting the new timing belt on? I thought you cant rotate it without the belt. Great vid by the way

[@rapagenist]

Amazing video! It covered literally everything. I would have never changed my belts so smoothly without this video. Thanks!

[@myRatchets]

Nice, glad to hear it buddy. Cheers

[@Peter-pv8xx]

Thanks to this series I successfully completed the job on my neighbors car, I used to work on their cars a long time ago, so one day the mother comes to me and asks if I still work on cars so I said that depends on what the problem is, so I went over to their house and the car was in the garage, the son came home from work managed to get the car in the garage and that was it, it wouldn't start after that, my guess was the timing belt, so I removed the oil cap and told him to crank the engine, the valves were moving, the money light was on and it was throwing a code for the cam sensor, so I read up and found it would cause a no start situation, but the engine didn't sound right when cranked, we pushed it down to my house and in my driveway where I removed the upper half of the timing cover where the cam sensor lives and discovered that the timing belt was extremely loose, so I removed the entire cover after taking half the engine apart and found that the timing belt tensioner spring had come off and was wedged between the crank pulley and the crank sensor and was all mangled, the belt was fine, seemed kind of narrow compared to the pulley, I informed them of what I found and here's the best part, they said that they had the timing belt replaced about six month ago at the Honda dealer, they didn't even use a Honda timing belt it was a dayco, I ordered a kit on eBay that included all Honda parts, timing belt, accessory belts, a new Honda water pump a valve cover gasket, I got the new tensioner from AutoZone but it didn't want to come with the spring and they didn't even stock the spring so I returned it and ordered the tensioner that came with the spring on eBay, they the dealer also screwed up the valve cover gasket, it wasn't put on right and was leaking oil all down the front of the engine, so I did it right and after a few months no more oil leak, they even had one mechanic tell them that the oil leak couldn't be fixed and was caused by blow by, I've been working on cars a long time and I never heard of that, but sure enough they showed me a paper that the guy printed out stated it, no wonder he's out of business now.

[@u2pass715]

Nice video, the only part I didn't get was the markings on crank pulley bolt..if you mark it coming off how do you arrive at an extra 90% of turn? maybe I'm being thick..

[@paulbates7497]

I think he marked it after the 15 pound torque setting step on the re-assembly

[@KeepRolling1000]

Great videos, man. Better bright light for night shooting would be very great.

[@waskewitch07]

my a.c. compressor squeels when it compresses. you think it the tensioner or the clutch assembly? or bearings?

[@yadiramagana4075]

when you put the timing belt on does it help align the crank and camshaft?

[@Sib0317]

Do you keep turning counter -clock wise until they eventually line up ?

[@ImaLoneWolfintheWoods]

I assume the 90 degrees on crank bolt would work out to the spec 148ft lbs. Thanks for the great video series about this!

[@jeremychavez9799]

chris42000000 that’s correct

[@moezsiddig4956]

Thank you it's nice video, I have a question for you, I have Honda Civic 1.7 L, Model 2005 the counter on, 347.000 KM do I need to change timing belt and water pump? ,what's the destance by KM wich we need after reach to it to change a timing belt? Thanks

[@jesbaez5229]

It's recomended every 60k miles

[@eduardotijero6900]

Maybe go over the torque for the reinstallation of the parts. Great job!

[@stewartdeans4147]

I’ve seen two different ways.. do you pull the pin last afterTorquing the tensioner bolt . Or Pull the pin before torquing bolt

[@stewartdeans4147]

I think you torque the bolt and then pull the pin.. right?

[@J35513gORaYa]

hey just wondering if that ended up being the spark plugs causing the delayed start, i recently did my spark plugs at this shop and it stopped delaying, im at 150000 now and need to do the timing belt and everything

[@myRatchets]

J35513gORaYa Bad spark plugs could cause a delayed start sure.

[@Ashroyer86]

is it possible to over tighten the timing tensioner on this engine? did mine twice after second time it makes high pitch whine when I give it throttle.

[@krichone1]

Well done video, excellent job covering all the key point. Thank you very much.

[@stevencogar7393]

Did you find the intake clogged ?

[@thomashayes958]

Great videos So Helpful and easy to follow instruction Thanks

[@theimportschannel86]

Just a quick question, where can I purchase that exact same clip that you have on the tensioner ? Thanks in advance.

[@CoreyRaines]

I know its a year later. But the clip comes installed on the new tensioner it activates once removed like a grenade.

[@Sachitananda]

that Civic motor sounds rough is it knocking still or will a new timing belt fix a knocking engine?

[@myRatchets]

It only sounded like that on camera, a new timing belt wont solve knocking issues!

[@rodneyramlochan3096]

Is there a special way to put on the tensioner?

[@Extinction.of.Innocense]

I feel as though I owe you some money. Thanks for posting. Dealer wanted $1200.

[@joehawk1867]

How long did it take you to Finnish the whole thing?

[@saldelacruz2470]

Just wondering where did u get your small torque wrench that measured 9ft lbs?

[@nathanielwagner1626]

Sal Delacruz use an inch lb torque wrench. 9ft lbs equals 108 inch lbs

[@user-vw6sc1oj6k]

What manual did you read to route the belt to tensioner first? I routed it that way last time(because it was easier) and the spring broke a few months later. (may not have anything to do with routing belt but just was to make sure. thanks #1 video for this repair

[@user-vw6sc1oj6k]

+RatchetsAnd Wrenches how can i tell is a good amount of tension on Tbelt before i release tensioner pin to make tight?

[@bubblesHoes18]

Great job on the video and the work keep it up man God bless..

[@mrbackyardmechanic3956]

Very good videos BUT, All due respect, might be worth noting:1) Spring should be installed on tensioner with open (cut end) end towards engine. Apparently issues of failed belts have caused engineers to believe the exposed "cut" end of spring could come in contact with belt, causing it to shred., 2) After you turn crank two times counter clockwise, DO NOT touch the belt until you tighten the tensioner bolt down 33 ft. lbs +/- either before or after removing the pin(s). Being the bolt is loose, allows the tension to kind of self adjust a stop so that the belt does not become too loose when operating. If you remove the pins and trun the crank before tightening the bolt, you defeat the purpose. resources: www.gates.com/~/media/education/Files/Gates%20Bulletin%20PA007-11.pdf

[@neilwaight720]

I noticed that to about the spring, thanks for that link about the tenshioner also.

[@herro2015]

please i want to ask you if the d15y3 engine it the same us this one my honda civic 2004 EXi-A 1.5l and thanks in advance

[@465sliver]

Helps Alot for changing water pump .......

[@matth.4932]

Great video aghajune ;-) can this video be used for a vtech engine as well?

[@paulfullerton247]

getting ready to do my timing belt and pump, good info and great job on vid

[@ruthlessray2]

What's the torque specs for the water pump bolts and nuts?

[@julianreyes617]

great video, any recomendation where to find the torque for each bolt you took out

[@myRatchets]

Any repair guide should have them. (Alldata, Mitchel ondemand etc..). GL

[@mclarkallen]

honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=1169414 This link has lots of torque settings in Foot-Pounds (Ft-Lbs) ;)

[@kantiusaify]

It would be good to write down bolt torques on some of the major components, at the top, near the tools section.

[@VIDEOSLDHUKE]

what's the brand for the 3/8 torque wrench ? my does not click on lower settings :(

[@nanocyde_artist]

Matco is good

[@YouTubeMaster1611]

Best video on this subject on youtube! Thanks! One question, how would you get to camshaft and crankshaft to top TDC if you already removed the belt?

[@alowishusdevadanderabercro8190]

Great videos, very nice :D - I think I have the same question as JJ - I was just about to slip the new belt on my '03 Civic when I realized my camshaft sprocket was upside down ("UP" mark on the bottom). All of a sudden I realized I had been using the cylinder on the far left as #1 to do compression and find TDC, because I'm used to a Corolla (damn!) Now I'm wondering what to do. I don't think anything got moved when I took off the old belt, so I should just be able to put the new one on, check TDC at the cylinder closest to the belts, and make sure the camshaft wheel marks are good, right? Do you know if that should work? Thx

[@myRatchets]

David G If you didnt move the cam or crankshafts after you took the belt off you can just slip the belt back on turn the crankshaft by your ratchet and line up the camshaft marks and check to see if the line on the crankshaft lines up as well. Make sure you turn the engine very slowly and stop if you suspect things have moved around after you took the belt off. Hope that helps, GL.

[@SWYU498]

RatchetsAnd Wrenches Got it - thanks again, great info! DG

[@christianl.1039]

Thank you for this video [watched in 2021]

[@richardo8839]

excellent video, thanks for taking the time to do a great job

[@ShaddupNoob]

very clear and simple, i an so happy to see this video, thanks

[@myRatchets]

np, glad you found it helpful. cheers

[@codyrogers6436]

So what if it does it ✌just slide on✌? It's the right belt would be the same amount of teeth so it's not the wrong belt

[@lambertmuriel7963]

what to call that litle metal at 3:30 minutes? i need to buy one.. i remove that metal from the system.. my cars still running..

[@jamesbaur2476]

Woodruf key not sure if spelled right but that's what it called

[@saulo218]

Extremely helpful video!!!!! Do you have a shop?

[@cmt-xw2hf]

Really great video! I'm so glad I found this. Thank you!

[@myRatchets]

I am glad you found it too, hah thanks for watching!

[@richardouimet7763]

bonjour jais une honda civic 2003 1.7 litre la timing belt a lacher le crank tourne mais le cam ne tourne pas com jamee

[@J35513gORaYa]

awesome video though i figured out why it costs so much to get your timing belt and waterpump done, so much involved

[@myRatchets]

J35513gORaYa Yes, its a pretty involved repair. Glad you liked it. cheers

[@JDMiiVTeC]

Really wish you had the part where you took off the balancer.

[@g-t-a3210]

Te devo una cervesa gracias por tu video sigue asi

[@axenz1]

Looks to tight on the crankshaft pulley bolt. on manual say 14 lbf-ft on SOHC. Thanks for the nice video :)

[@jeremychavez9799]

axenz axtiz I believe it’s 14ft/lbs plus a 90° turn

[@HondaHerb]

@@jeremychavez9799 so would this mean 14ft-lbs on a torque wrench? I thought it was suppose to be set at 130ft-lbs

[@Greg4g63]

You can either torque to 180 ft lb -or- torque to 15 ft lb and turn 90 degrees more.

[@d46512]

Excellent video.

[@homemadehonda4729]

It's an auto-tensioner; first you tighten the tensioner bolt , then remove the pin.

[@herro2015]

excellent and great work