Timing Belt or Chain?
New Member
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 4
From: Ohio
good god no. Don't replace it. It's not a maintenance item. A timing chain is good for the life of the engine. If you're rebuilding the engine that's the time to replace it. Whatever maintenance sheet suggests 105K is for older belt driven camshafts.
Leave the water pump alone unless it's leaking. The MM will call for coolant change around 100K. Mine did at 107K.
At the same time, 107K, it called for new plugs and and valve adjustment. That's not cheap, $500+ at your friendly honda service dept, but you can probably get it for half that at another shop. Or DIY. It involves removing the wipers and the cowl at the base of the windshield, the intake box, and finessing the valves with a feeler gauge and special wrench after rotating the crankshaft for each piston to be top-of-dead-center. Plugs are pretty simple but over tightening can be catastrophic. It's not a simple DIY.
ETA: if the water pump needs changing (leaks) it doesn't require removal of the timing chain, it's on the outside of the engine. Older engines would require timing belt changes every 60-110K miles and the water pump was typically inside the belt housing. It made sense to change these with the belt (most belt kits include the pump), pump is about $50 and could damage the belt if it leaked. Be happy you don't have one on the Fit.
Valve adjustment is annoying, but don't put this off: burned exhaust valves can result (but probably not until after 150K if not done). Other cars have hydraulic lifters that don't need adjusting, but when these need replacement are a major job and very expensive. Better to adjust solid lifters.
Leave the water pump alone unless it's leaking. The MM will call for coolant change around 100K. Mine did at 107K.
At the same time, 107K, it called for new plugs and and valve adjustment. That's not cheap, $500+ at your friendly honda service dept, but you can probably get it for half that at another shop. Or DIY. It involves removing the wipers and the cowl at the base of the windshield, the intake box, and finessing the valves with a feeler gauge and special wrench after rotating the crankshaft for each piston to be top-of-dead-center. Plugs are pretty simple but over tightening can be catastrophic. It's not a simple DIY.
ETA: if the water pump needs changing (leaks) it doesn't require removal of the timing chain, it's on the outside of the engine. Older engines would require timing belt changes every 60-110K miles and the water pump was typically inside the belt housing. It made sense to change these with the belt (most belt kits include the pump), pump is about $50 and could damage the belt if it leaked. Be happy you don't have one on the Fit.
Valve adjustment is annoying, but don't put this off: burned exhaust valves can result (but probably not until after 150K if not done). Other cars have hydraulic lifters that don't need adjusting, but when these need replacement are a major job and very expensive. Better to adjust solid lifters.
If he knew it had a chain then yes there is no reason to replace under normal circumstances. They are lifetime.
Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,661
From: Georgia
When adjusting it's normal to have to loosen the exhaust valves adding lash while tightening the intake valves to remove lash (and reduce the tell-tail noise).
Honda used to recommend valve adjustment every 30K miles but they've increased this to 100K on our Fits.
Last edited by Steve244; Dec 29, 2018 at 04:55 PM.
New Member
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 8
From: Laconia NH
all fits have a .Chain.....most hindas have a Chain....some Toyotas... Most modern cars hav timing chains..
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
SheepNutz
3rd Generation (2015+)
14
Aug 20, 2014 09:52 AM
