Rep Power: 0

This is my first post so be nice and take it easy on me if you think I'm an idiot. I'm always working on my car, so it makes sense to join these forms and get help and possibly give it when I can.

Anyway, a few months back I replaced the timing belt of my 99 Civic DX. That went well, but I was doing the work late at night after my day job and all of the local auto parts stores were closed, so when I realized that pretty much all of my belts needed to be replaces, I was SOL and I'd have to repeat the work to change all of the drive belts. All well. So, I finally got the time to change the A/C compressor belt and the alternator belt, and I just completed that work. After I did everything, I hooked the battery back up and went to start the car, but it would not turn over. The starter was working fine and the timing felt alright, but it just wouldn't start. I was thinking that maybe because I broke a valve seal bolt and was driving without it (the one in the front corner, by the timing belt cover), oil spilled into the timing belt case and screwed what is going on in there, and if this was the case I should take off the cover and inspect it before I messed up the valves. However, I went into my house and cooled off for a moment, and then tried to turn it over one last time - and this worked. It idled very roughly for about 20 seconds, and then went into a normal idle. Now everything seems to be working properly. I looked under the hood when it was idling and some white steam was coming from behind the valve cover, but nothing in excess. There is a slight buzzing sound that lingers about two seconds after I kill the engine, but aside from that everything seems to be fine. I was just wondering if there is perhaps some kind of problem with the timing that I should be aware of, because I don't want to have to get a new head.

Thanks a lot!

 
Rep Power: 313

Well... Oil in the timing belt area is never a good thing. It COULD cause the belt to slip but it shouldnt because the belt has gearlike grooves in it (The worry is the belt slipping sideways off the gears causing a major failure). That's why most pulleys that drive the timing belt are actually called "gears". If your car idles fine now you should be okay. I don't really understand why you would have gotten the rough idle though. I do however recommend taking it to a shop and getting them to use a timing gun on it, just to make sure everything is still timed correctly.