Had a timing belt snap on a 2010 Civic last Tuesday, total mess

Last Tuesday I was finishing up a timing belt job on a 2010 Civic, 1.8L engine. Got it all lined up, tensioner set, turned the crank by hand a few times to check clearance. Then I made a stupid mistake. Forgot to torque the tensioner pulley bolt down all the way. Started the engine and heard this awful clatter for maybe two seconds before it stalled. Pulled the cover off and sure enough, belt had jumped three teeth. Bent at least two intake valves. Customer was standing right there, saw my face go white. I've been doing this for eight years, never messed up a timing job before. Anyone else have a brain fart like that and end up pulling a head they didn't plan to?

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2 Comments

jennifer_mitchell534mo ago

$20 says you didn't bend valves. Those 1.8L Honda engines are pretty forgiving with interference. I've seen belts slip two or three teeth on those and the valves just kissed the pistons without bending. You probably coulda slapped on a new belt, retorqued that bolt, and ran a compression test before pulling the head. I bet you wasted a whole day on a head job you didn't need. Next time just check the compression first instead of assuming the worst.

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benk264mo ago

Guess that spare head gasket you bought was on sale.

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