Zen and The Art of Honda Maintenance

Call me a cheap Serb (or quarter Serb), but I always get the inspiration to do a lot of household chores myself to save money.  images[1]In this case, maintenance on the CR-V was overdue, so I decided to bite the bullet and do the dreaded “90,000 Maintenance” that is legendary in Honda service departments around the world.  My own 90,000 mile mark passed…a long time ago…105,000 miles ago!

What is the 90,000 Maintenance?  The whole enchilada, baby!  This means the timing belt, water pump, all fluids (oil, trans fluid, rear transfer case fluid, coolant, etc.), new belts, and even new ignition components if needed.  Fortunately I have recent wires and distributor cap, but everything else was overdue.  Especially the timing belt.  The idea of the pistons crashing into the valves when the belt breaks is enough motivation to get it done.   (And yet, some don’t!  My buddy just lunched his ’95 Accord two months ago when the timing belt broke…and just sold it last week for $300.  I can’t say I didn’t warn him!)  I’ve just started on the project.  So, how is the ordeal going?

So far, not too bad!  You have to consider that after 12 years and 195,000 miles, there is a high probability that there may be a wee bit of rust.  Suuuuurrre.  Good thing I have a breaker bar!  I had to really crank some of those bolts to get them loose.  But fortunately, nothing broke so far.

The three drive belts are definitely yesterday’s lunch!  Dried out, cracked and shiny.  It’s a miracle they were still working!  But they’ll all be replaced.  Getting them off was an ordeal though.  The first one off was for the power steering pump–rather than move it out of the way, I just removed the pump completely to get it out of the way.  There is not much working space under the hood–the right side of the engine only gives you a few inches to work in.

The A/C compressor belt was next.  I could reach the pivot bolt, but the bolt for the idler was actually part of a long post that stuck out from under the belt.  I actually broke the jaw on my box wrench trying to budge it!  A socket will not fit in that space.  Clever (OK, cheap) Serb that I am, I cut off the broken end of the wrench, making it narrow enough to fit into the tube-turned-breaker bar handle I’d fabricated.  It worked!

But…I soon realized there was an auxiliary engine mount that it was wrapped around.  I had access to one manual online (more on that later), but my link for that went dead…and found a genuine Honda manual elsewhere online.  I found out what needed removing and took care of it.  The alternator was also stubborn–the bolts loosened up, but would not pivot; a few good smacks in the right place, and some leverage, got it moving.

Getting the valve cover off is easy enough, and the gaskets actually still look good for being that old.  May not need to replace them.  After that, the middle timing belt cover comes off, then…the crankshaft.

What do you mean I need a special tool for that??

The Honda crankshaft has a 50mm hex-shaped opening, which you use a special tool in to hold the pulley still; the center is hollow, where you use a 19mm deep well socket to crack loose the crankshaft pulley bolt.  After calling a few places looking for a loaner, I realized I’d probably have to buy one.  Honda’s genuine part is too expensive–I found prices anywhere from $55 at Majestic Honda (one of the best discount Honda parts and accessories dealers online), to $78 at a local dealer.

A quick shot on Google got me what I needed:  SPX/OTC makes a model OTC-4731 crankshaft tool, which fits nearly all post-1990 Honda engines.  KD Tools part number 3970 also does the same job.  They both have a 1/2″ drive opening for a breaker bar, which I can prop against a chassis member to hold the pulley steady.

So that’s where I’m at.  Once the tool arrives, I’ll be taking off the crankshaft pulley, replacing the water pump (which is recommended due to its location), and putting the new timing belt on.  If all goes well, I’ll have it back on the road within a few days!  And I’ll return with part two of the saga, provided I don’t bash my knuckles into oblivion.

Check out this article for more illustrations:  Crank Pulley Removal For Dummies – Honda-Acura.net .