Rep Power: 204

Just wanted to share my experience with my DIY.

My registration is due in September, and I discovered a 4 inch crack along the exhaust manifold. Knowing I'd fail the smog check requirement, I called several shops for quotes on the part/job.

I got quotes ranging from $700-$900 for the part & labor. These things aren't cheap. The part alone costs $500+ from the dealership.

I decided to tackle this job myself, and also perform a major maintenance job on a car w/144K miles.

As you guys have noticed, I've revived old timing belt/DIY threads. Well, that's because I wanted to familiarize myself, & know what I'm getting myself into. I spent a great deal researching and reading almost every possible issue created on this site that dealt with maintenance issues/part replacements.


Below is one of the quotes I got from a dealership (others were very similar).

Norm Reeves Honda:
*everything includes parts & labor

Timing Belt Kit replacement (includes water pump, Power steering belt, Alternator belt, A/C belt, tensioner, timing belt,gaskets, washers, etc.)= $595.95
Catalytic Converter replacement = $773.00
Coolant Flush = $136.00
Valve Adjustment = $141.30
Oil Change = $36.77
Transmission Fluid (drain & fill) = $100
Spark Plug: $9.52
Spark Plug Wires:$65

Total = $1,857.54 (not including tax)



After DIY completion:

Timing Belt Kit replacement = $150.50
Catalytic Converter replacement = $247.25
Coolant Flush = $18.00
Valve Adjustment = No cost + $10.00 for Valve Cover Gasket only
Oil Change = $30 (but full Synthetic + oil filter vs Dealership’s non-synthetic)
Transmission Fluid (drain & fill) = $36
Spark Plugs: $11.26 NGK
Spark Plugs Wires: $49.11 NGK


Total = $ 552.12 (most of these included free shipping & out-of-state tax )


Savings of $1,305.42!!!!


This was my first time ever working on a car. Yeah, I've done oil changes and all but nothing this big...well, at least to me. I spent 16-18 hrs on Sat. and another 16-18 hrs on Sun. working on the car. Finally finished it last night from 6pm to 9pm.

All in all, I learned a great deal working on my car. For starters, I have mad respect for mechanics. To do this day-in and day-out is just insane. Though my body aches and is very sore, I gained a lot of knowledge along the way. I also found other parts that needs replacing/attention along the way. And lastly, I learned I like to wrench (cars/motorcycles/etc...I like them all). I think I just found a new hobby.

Next on the list is to replace the drive shaft and clutch.

I also have a few tips for those who plan on doing a DIY timing belt kit job. I ran into some problems with how the DIY Timing belts were written out. I forgot my camera, and will post pics w/suggestions later tonight.

 
Rep Power: 811

dealer prices are crazy! $100+ just for a fluid flush? lol all you do is undo a drain bolt, let the fluid pour out, and put new fluid in. how does that take longer than 10 minutes?

 
Rep Power: 216

I didn't have the tools or the available space to get my timing belt done. I didn't have a garage and I lived in an apartment complex. I ate the cost that time. But yeah dude, some of that stuff is ridiculous. Tranny fluid is like 20 bucks for 2qts of the synthetic stuff. It's seriously 2 bolts like GB said. Drain and fill. Same with the coolant drain and fill. The only issue with that is the engine block drain bolt. I'm going to school for this though, because there are more lazy people than there are people out there willing to get their hands dirty. More power to ya for doing all that stuff. I changed the valve cover gasket on my old Corolla. 15 bucks. I'm sure Toyota would've bent me over and stuck it to me good for that job which is seriously fewer than 10 bolts. How easy is the valve adjustment? I think when I get around to repainting my valve cover, I'll do this since I'll have access to it anyways.

 
Rep Power: 0

And those prices are just for parts alone. Imagine with labour on top of that. Yikes!

 
Rep Power: 204

No, no...those dealer prices include labor as well. Or does it?

You know what, I never asked. Damn!

EDIT - On 2nd thought, I did ask if it included Labor and they said yeah. That's right.

 
Rep Power: 284

Excellent Post!

Dealer rates on some things are crazy, but for other things I find them very reasonable. Between the amount of time it takes for me to fumble through something like a timing belt change and the cost of buying a couple new tools to do it, I can work an extra Saturday and end up with the same net cost; the advantage being that I don't need to worry about making a major error. It took me 13 hours to change my gf's timing belt, so I wish I had just payed the $500 the dealer was charging..

Oil changes, fluid flushes, brakes, and etcetera are well worth it for me to do myself though.

 
Rep Power: 0

Oh. Well even so, dealers charge outrageous prices. I can't imagine that some people get their dealers to do oil changes for them. Their bills must be astronomical.

 
Rep Power: 214

Nice job on saving yourself some money. And ya the prices are outrageous another reason why they call them the stealerships.

 
Rep Power: 216

I still find it absurd they charge over a hundred dollars for a transmission drain and fill. I know Pep Boys(don't ever go there) charges like 200 bucks(that is not a typo) for a tune up. I can't imagine what Honda charges

 
Rep Power: 204

So, check this out:

After I replaced the timing belt/water pump/tensioner/drive belts/catalytic converter/washers/gasket I noticed a very subtle rattle noise. It was very hard to pinpoint. It sounded like it was coming from the right lower case cover/ P/S belt/ A/C belt. The more I listened the more the noise sounded like it was originating from the heat shield on the catalytic. But that couldn't be right because I installed the CAT and test drove the car before I moved on to the timing belt kit.

Thinking my belt drives were too loose I tightened them but then the noise got even louder. The rattle sounds like a washer is loose or something and is rolling around loose. But the noise is not continuous. What I mean by that is as if a metal piece is loose spinning in a washer, if you will.

After researching several threads about noises from timing belt changes, the best suggestion to isolate where the noise was coming from was by taking off the drive belts and test them one by one.

Re-installed alternator belt and turned on the car...no rattle noise. Re-installed the Power Steering belt and turned on the car...no rattle noise.
Re-installed the A/C belt and the rattling noise reappeared.

I tweaked/adjusted/etc. tension on the belt and idler pulley center nut every possible way you can imagine but the noise just won't go away.

I'm led to believe it's the bearing in the A/C compressor...or the idler pulley. But how could this be? The rattle noise wasn't there before until I made the change.

Any ideas why this could be? How much do these A/C compressors and idler pulley run?

Anyone else experience this?

 
Rep Power: 204

9/26/10 Update:

The last few weeks have been hell. The rattling noise is not only annoying but it's very embarrassing just driving around town. After spending 20+ hours in the past month or so trying to find the source of the noise (I was convinced it was the A/C bearing or the idler pulley) I pretty much just gave up. And decided to live with the noise.

Until a friend commented last night just how horrible the car sounded, and that pretty much sparked the fire within to give it a go one last time.

Tonight: It was a success! The problem was, believe it or not, the tension of the A/C drive belt--it was too tight! I can't really explain it because I still don't understand how the tension (with spec) would cause it to rattle. Squeak, okay I can see that. But a rattle?

Anyhow, just wanted to give you guys a final update.


10/3/10: FINAL, FINAL UPDATE:

My car made a horrible squeaking noise when I started her over the weekend and I figured I must have loosened the A/C belt too much. So, when I was underneath the car I re-examined all the belts and the alternator belt was really loose. So I re-tightened both the alternator and A/C belts.

While I was underneath I decided to tinker around with the idler pulley nut by tightening her up and lo' behold, the rattling noise reappeared. I loosened the nut and the noise went away. So, it's not the A/C bearing nor is it the A/C drive belts. It was the stupid Idler pulley nut.

Again, the odd thing is, why does tightening the nut to spec cause the rattling noise? Weird. I'm thinking the crankshaft pulley and idler pulley aren't perfectly in line so the belt is rubbing against the pulleys causing a rattling type noise. Just a wild guess.

Well, at least now I'm 100% sure where the noise is coming from.

 
Rep Power: 204

I also want to report that I'm getting 38.5 MPG after all these changes. And that's really good considering it's a 12 yr old car and it was rated at 36 MPG max.