Rep Power: 116

2003 EX D17a2 Engine

Timing Belt broke on the highway going about 70. It actually looks like the water pump may have froze causing the Timing Belt to break.

I've been down this road partially before. I pulled a head to another 2003 EX and had a valve job done.
Long story short that car and engine never got put back together. So I have a head ready to go.

The question is do I do it myself?
I have limited time, no garage (I'd do the work outside) and colder weather is approaching here in the northeast soon enough

Or

Have a local shop do the timing belt etc and swap in the head.
Any idea what's a fair price to pay to have a shop do it all?

How much time does it take to get it all done?
That question relates to whether I want to go for it and try to do it myself.

Thanks

 
Rep Power: 125

I would first ensure that damage was actually done. My timing belt also snapped on the highway but I was lucky and nothing made contact.

With a proper head swap (including resurfacing if necessary) + timing belt, I'd estimate somewhere around $1000 +/- depending on the condition of the rest of the engine.

 
Rep Power: 116

How would I go about doing this?

 
Rep Power: 125

If you’re taking it to a shop to get the work done anyway (I wouldn’t do this outside), they will tell you.

 
Rep Power: 511

how tf...? My timing belt didn't completely break, but it shredded down to ¼" wide and I bent all 16 valves.. When I pulled her apart, the cam and crank pulleys were at least 270*° out of rotation

Repair for that was $1450 just because my dad convinced me to take it to his friend's shop, and I had nothing but regrets after that. I could've fixed it myself at a fraction of the cost and not having to re-work someone else's crap.

 
Rep Power: 125

I can only assume it snapped at exactly top dead centre so there was no interference. I inspected the pistons through the spark plug holes and there was no damage. Chucked a new timing belt on and checked compression, was the same as before, and it fired right up. Did another 20k miles before it sold

 
Rep Power: 116

You must have got real lucky. Seems the general consensus is 95% of the time when the timing belt breaks the valves get bent.
That's why I was asking how you would first check and ensure that damage was actually done.
I'd be more than happy to do the procedure.
If it means only looking inspecting the pistons through the spark plug holes that's easy enough. What should I be looking for when checking out the pistons?

 
Rep Power: 511

Crank it. You'll hear the lack of compression if you have bent valves

 
Rep Power: 125

I can’t honestly say I’ve seen anyone else get away with it.

Look for centre punch-like marks. That’s how I knew mine was probably okay. If you’re feeling so inclined, you could also just buy a timing belt so you can do a compression test. That’ll tell you very quickly.

 
Rep Power: 511

I mean, you're gonna have to replace the timing belt anyways. Spend a few hours swapping that bad boy and test it out (crank it and listen or buy/rent a compression tester gauge). You'll know if you have to pull the head after that

 
Rep Power: 116

What would a lack of compression sound like?
Fwiw I tried starting it after it died on the highway. There was a fair amount of traffic noise.
All I remember is it sounded kind of quiet or muffled. is that the sound of lack of compression?

If the center marks are there it’s good to go? Or do the marks indicate bent valves?

I have a compression test gauge. Easy enough to use.
is it possible to check the compression before putting a timing belt on it?

Right now it’s sitting in the parking lot of the garage where it was towed after the belt broke.
I could test the compression there if it can be done without replacing the timing belt.

 
Rep Power: 125

Marks mean bent valves. You need a timing belt to check compression. Make sure it’s in time before testing.

 
Rep Power: 116

Thanks. I still have the other ‘03 civic that broke its timing belt with the head pulled.
What would the marks on the pistons look like?
Mostly asking for reference as I can easily see the pistons in this other Civic. There’s only a small tarp and a couple of shop rags over them sitting on the block.

 
Rep Power: 125

They look like centre punch marks.

 
Rep Power: 222

Piston won't have any marks on it normally, if it has marks then the valves contacted the piston

 
Rep Power: 125

I guess I should have elaborated on this further. There shouldn't be any marks with a fully operating engine. If you have marks that look like a centre punch made them, then there's a problem.

 
Rep Power: 116

Turns out the timing belt wasn’t broke….. it was intact but the “teeth” on it we’re gone due to the water pump seizing. The previous owner did the timing belt and water pump at 120k. It now has 170k. The water pump they used must have been after market and not a Honda water pump. Saying this as I figure the water pump should have lasted more than 50k miles. Fwiw all the valves were bent. It’s back together now with the head I had the valves done on from my other ‘03 EX.

Interesting thing (live and learn) I didn’t see any marks on the pistons of the other ‘03. Could it be I did all the work of pulling the head when simply replacing the timing belt might have been enough? Ah, but I had a blast taking it apart, learned a lot and got some great insights and help from many on the forum!

 
Rep Power: 224

No, you said all the valves were bent. Can't fix that with a timing belt.

 
Rep Power: 367

well, if going strictly by the words, a timing belt without its teeth is not really an intact belt

 
Rep Power: 116

Perhaps I didn't word this more accurately.

I was referring to the other '03 that I had pulled the head off due to a broken timing belt.
When checking the pistons on that Civic I saw no marks on any of the pistons.
Thus my question/ pondering whether my pulling the head on that '03 might not have been necessary. Perhaps the valves on that head didn't get bent when that engine's timing belt snapped.
Too late to know now but no marks on the pistons (re no "center punch like marks") may indicate all I needed to do on that one was replace the timing belt.