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I just got my wife a new 2012 Civic and I am now using her older 05. Its time to change the timing belt and after doing some research, I know that a lot of people change out the idlier puller as well as the water pump at the same time. I've spoken to a couple of mechanics and they say its only necessary to replace the belt, because the idiler pulley and the water pump vary rarely goes. Any insight on this. Thanks in advance.

 
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Hmm.... water pumps on these cars are pretty good however its an 80 dollar part is it worth 600 dollars of digging if it does decide to malfunction?

I definitely recommend changing the tensioner. The rest of the pulleys can stay, water pump is up to you.

 
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How many miles?? While you are in there yourself or having a mechanic do it; personally do it all. The stock parts are of great quality but still they wear. I would personally say definitely replace the water pump with an oem or of high quality. The coolant probably has never been changed so why not do it all at once (including thermostat)? The tensioners are mechanical and hold up but I still replace them while it is all apart. Also cam and crank seals are not a bad idea as well. I have seen cams leaking around 140k. Other parts that don't hurt if you are paying labor would include both accessory belts. Why pay or work twice as much?!?

After just reading another post i have to say regardless if you decide to replace the tenioner or not. Definitely replace the tensioner spring! I have seen where mechanics re-used the old ones and bent them up with pliers. They run the chance of breaking possibly causing serious problems. If doing yourself, i have installed new ones stretching them with a small zip tie. Make for an easy and impossible way of damaging the spring.

 
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This is why you want to replace the tensioner pulley and spring:

https://www.civicforums.com/forums/3...-my-fault.html

The water pump is cheap insurance, and customary to replace with the timing belt job. Will it last another 100k miles?
Quite often at 100k, I find the pump gasket has been leaking coolant but the pump is ok. It gets a new pump anyway, it comes attached to the new gasket.

Use the Honda coolant, too. It is a non-silicate and non-borate type that is premixed with distilled water.

Here's a handy PDF about their coolant: http://www.handa-accessories.com/coolant.pdf

 
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It has 168,000 km on the engine. I was just trying to get some other opinions. I already had my mind made up to change out the water pump. I think once you put on a new belt and tensioner, everything will be stiffer which may very well wear out the water pump if it is not giving any problems right now. Thanks for the input.

 
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The theory isn't right.
The timing belt is under the constant tension of a little spring....The tension does not change significantly throughout the life span of the timing belt or the work done.

/Picking nits.

 
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This is true, the belt should always be at a constant tension with only so much defection and should not change much. I am not 100% sure but i thought that spring only was meant to keep the correct tension while you rotate the belt a get slack out/check marks. I noticed it moving while doing so but once you put correct torque on the tensioner bolt is seems to do nothing.

Ezone, i read that article on coolants and have a car which before i bought it had the coolant replaced. The receipt states that they used dexcool but is showing bright green. Have you heard of such? Suppose i will be flushing that this spring...

 
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My water pump was not changed with the belt at around 90,000 mi and it went out at 130,000 miles, had to have the job redone. '99 civic.

 
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Nope, that little spring applies constant tension on the tensioner pulley at all times. The pulley is free to move at all times (it is internally dampened but still free to move). On this engine series.



Well, Dexcool is pink/orange/reddish, depending on the dye lot. Dexcool is never green.
Some so-called "universal" coolants may be tinted green(ish), but there are NO universal coolants, no matter what the marketers try to have you believe.

Hondas current version of coolant is blue.
That doesn't mean you can go buy just any old blue coolant.

Color is in no way any indication of any specific type of coolant.
There are many different types, and many different colors.