The same people crying about how you do a timing belt job are walking out to their rusted out barely running, leaks every color of fluid shit box digging in their belly button laughing about how they gave Wes "the business" in his comments section. Keep up the awesome work, your videos are second to none!
Or they haven't owned a car in 30 years. Leased. Have a buddy. Puts a ton of miles on his vehicles. First time it breaks down, traded in. He does his own oil changes. Doesn't trust the dealer. He is the 100% factory part guy. Can't grasp the thought of diagnostic time. Says "mechanic" is supposed to know what's wrong. He should only pay for part and replacement time. OK...I'll go talk to my refrigerator now.
Rather have you ramble as you work, why I started watching your channel. The sarcasm, wit, the technical prowess, all a boon. Don't listen to the naysayers.
I've bee a honda tech for 16 years, I've seen many failed hydraulic tensioners on J series V6 but I've never seen one that bad. Usually the belt slacks up slightly and starts hitting the cover which makes more of a thumping sound. Props to your diagnostic skills, that's certainly a tricky issue to find if you're not a specialist. I'm amazed as well it didn't jump.
I think someone put the tensioner in a vice and collapsed it too quickly, so as to reinstall the ‘granade pin’ and burst the seals. Impossible to tell for sure.
I’m retired, a welder, Machinist, I build big game fishing rods, I fish bluefin tuna, I do wood working, repair things for friends, what I would never do is make a video and post it on RUclips just because the reason you said, the f-ing people in the comment section!! Thank you for doing the videos you do I just can’t deal with it.
Once again, Wes's way of explaining and repairing an engine is highly entertaining. His verbal delivery and the way he diagnosed the problem involved a bit of joshing about himself which adds to the enjoyment of watching one of his vids. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Wes to you and to your family.
A fine video! I’m not an auto mechanic-just someone who likes mechanical things, and am always amazed when mechanics tear down an engine and don’t have parts left over. And then it runs! Wes did an excellent job explaining how the tensioner works. Thanks!
It's tough being out here in comment land. Always remember, you can make yourself look good....by making somebody else, look bad. Your a very good mechanic Wes, Don't let them bring you down.
That Honda has a new lease on life. After watching this video, they will certainly have great confidence in driving wherever they want whenever they want with a smooth-running engine. You are probably the only mechanic they will fully trust. I think many more Hondas will be coming your way. Good Job.
5:37 I'm going with Option 'C'. It was given to the place that quoted the lowest price for a timing belt replacement because the customer thought everyone else must just be trying to rip them off based solely on their personal attributes (mechanical ignorance), and that's literally exactly what was done. No tensioner, no cam seals - just the belt.
With all the different models you deal with, I can easily understand you not knowing what the problem was initially. But you figured it out and fixed it anyways. That is how professionals work... Thumbs Up! And you have to stop worrying about pleasing everyone. Post how you did the job and move on. With the billions of people in this world, you will never ever please everyone...don't let them bother you...
Thanks for your knowledge I was 19 years in a ford shop till a back injury put me out of work for a number of years now at 67 I'm a shop aid and part time teacher at a local college I always learn something from watching you and it helps me in training the next generation keep up the good work good honest mechanics are always learning
It's always awesome when someone in the trades passes down their knowledge to a new generation. It's how I learned a couple of the professions I've worked at. My last one I worked at fixing arcade and pinball games, Jukeboxes and other pay to have fun equipment for 37 years I began towards the end teaching my customers the basics to keep them from getting scammed by unscrupulous techs I know of. Most didn't actually want to do their own repairs but the knowledge I gave them helped them to at least now what issues their equipment might have. My oldest daughter Michelle actually had a bar owner fire a tech who was trying to scam him on a jukebox repair. She pointed out what the real problem was and even fixed no parts needed (just an adjustment) it just from having watched me repairing them. She was a model at the time making 5 to 6 times or more my income so she never actually entered the profession.
That is great Mark teaching and assisting the new generation learning about mechanics. That Honda sure surprised me that it was tensioner had gone bad Just last night I had a Ram 3500 with a loss of heat in the passenger cabin and when I pulled the codes on it the code pushed to replacing the thermostat. Since my buddy wanted to do it I just advised what to do. Being 63 years old I was just there to catch any mistakes and what to watch for. I don't mind when someone wants to do their own repairs as long as I am there to advise.
As someone who has been working primarily on Hondas and Subarus for the past 20 years, I cannot blame you for the methodology. There really is no inherent timing issue with these J35 V-6s, they are fairly reliable with the only major flaw I continue to see is with the VCM gaskets (which, judging by how oily that alternator is, may be leaking on this guy). I usually use OEM belts and tensioners where I can, but the Dayco kits are fine and I have used many of them (just did a 93 Accord last week with one). It is really Subarus where I flat out will not used aftermarket kits due to how horrible the timing sprockets and pulleys are. Just almost universally junk. Same with water pumps. Great video and keep on with the process sir!
I just replaced a dayco timing belt kit on a 3.5 pilot where the tensioner failed after less than 40k miles. If it were my personal vehicle I’d pay for oem. That being said it was a pretty easy job only took a couple hours.
I’ve done plenty of Hondas and Subarus and have never had a problem, I typically use Aisin as my favorite. About a month ago I had a Subaru single over head cam come in with the engine knocking all to hell, I did a timing belt kit on it less than 3,000 miles ago with a continental kit and the new tensioner failed and that’s what was causing the knocking, luckily didn’t jump time or anything so no big deal but still annoying
@@jmathis3 My first timing belt job was on my family van before I knew anything about brands. I replaced mine with dayco and it failed withing 40k also. I believe just the tensioner was garbage. If I would have went with an oem one, I probably wouldn't have had to replace it all again.
@@drewt1081 The Gates kits use the OE Koyo bearings. But the Gates water pump and hydraulic tensioner is Chinese garbage. Dayco kits are even worse. They use GMB bearings and awful pump and hydraulic tensioner The AISIN TKH-002 uses good quality parts, most are OE, without the dealer price tag.
Please don't let the internet commenters bother you. "He who can, does. He who cannot do anything useful, makes critical comments about work done by others." Enjoy your videos and your sense of humor. Merry Christmas!
Broken timing belt tensioner!! As soon as I heard the noise I knew I’ve seen a few on other 3.5l Honda engines first one I encountered was a Acura MDX that just had a oil change at a quick lube and the tech working on it condemned the engine so I ended up with it at my shop and found the same thing you did since then I’ve seen about 3 others. All in 3.5L engines great video Merry Christmas 🎄
HI WES,Everybody has opinions,don't take it personally.I used to wrench also.You make video's to entertain mostly,but also to teach,or share your KNOWLEDGE. In this case you where CONFIDENT enough to share the fact that your first diagnosis was WRONG.That takes guts.TO me that does not diminishe the respect you receive from others who are in or have been auto techs.we all make occasional mistakes.BUT the big thing is you PERSISTED to find the REAL ISSUE,and you posted the results ,along with a VERY GOOD explanation on how those systems work,therefore Teaching others.And i think that's your message,SO THANKS WES.
Aftermarket or OEM depends on these factors for me (in order): - How old is the vehicle - How critical is the part (if it fails, will I be walking or buying a new vehicle) - The difference in price vs the cost of labor to do it again (if it is cheap and easy to replace again, I won’t spend extra on OEM). - The reputation of the aftermarket manufacturer and that part from that manufacturer. Some parts (e.g. Dorman) never seem to fit right and are not worth the hassle. Always keep in mind that those hooves might be zebras, but go with horses until proven otherwise. When I have doubts, I often start by proving all the things I think I know, and that usually stops me from tearing into something that did not need to be opened.
I’d add experience to that list, for example, I’ve never managed to fit an aftermarket sensor to a Volvo without having to go back and redo the work with an OEM part that costs 2-3 times more. Then again the Volvo sensors last decades so it’s a bit of a false economy to fit anything cheaper anyhow, but fitting a 200 euro sensor on a 2000 euro car feels a bit weird.
@@Yagierman I put an Aisin water pump and hydraulic piston in my 2007 Honda Pilot. They came with the only kit I could get at the time. I could not find an OEM one anywhere. The kit did have all OEM seals and timing belt, though. Now, I see an OEM one on Amazon for almost $500, whereas the one I got was about $400. If I could get a kit with the OEM parts back then, I might have just spent the extra $100 and got the OEM, but I have had no problems with the Aisin parts in the kit, either putting them in or with them now about 1.5 years later.
Hey Wes I have an 08 Honda Pilot with the same motor. The only mechanic in my area I trust works exclusively on Hondas and installed an aftermarket timing kit around 115k. They always warranty their work and I’m glad they do. The car went through 2 more timing kits because of component failure before they got a quality one that has lasted now for about 3 years. Two of the failures were leaking water pumps and the third was a bad tensioner. Not sure of the brand that finally was a success. Always enjoy your content!
Annnnd that, Jason, is the #1 reason why NOT to use those low-quality kits! If you go to an aftermarket kit, look at who makes the components (if they don't tell you, run away) and get one with components made by the same OEM suppliers as stock. Not a perfect guarantee, but you really have to watch out here as there are so many Chinesium low-buck kits out there and on the jungle shopping site, they will even steal pictures from an OEM kit to advertise their inferior product to try to trick you into buying it.
You indicated you didn't think you was very smart. The way you find problems in cars/trucks/tractors, and the many other things you work on, you are a brilliant person. Love watching you and your family. Merry Christmas to y'all from Texas.
Even though I will probably never be in the bowels of a Honda automotive engine, I still appreciate and enjoy these videos Wes, including the ones where something goes a bit awry. Thanks and happy holidays!
Wes, great video! I replaced the timing belt, water pump, and tensioner on an Acura TL 3.2. It was seven years old, but it looked fine. The dealer said the 7 years limit is suggested. The rear cam lobes are so sharp the cam rolled into the wrong position over night. Luckily, I caught it and it all went back together well. Cheers!
Yeah, these J series Hondas are common for this timing belt tensioner noise. It starts out as only when the engine is cold and when the engine warms up so does the noise. As it gets worse the noise will last longer and longer until it's finally there all the time. Yours was pretty advanced. They let it go a long time. What I do is roll underneath when it's running and put a long screwdriver on the portion of the tensioner sticking out the timing cover. You'll feel it and hear it in the screwdriver handle. They are extremely lucky it didn't jump time. I'd never use the Dayco kit. Aisin kit or OE Honda parts only, in my opinion.
Man, we all misdiagnose things from time to time. As long as we catch our mistake along the way and no matter what do good work and do things right, the customer generally will appreciate what we do. Keep up the good work, bud.
You once said that your job was “getting things back in service” [slight paraphrase]. Absolutely G@d damn right. Everyone giving you a hard time needs to get off the couch and go break something. Honestly, they are a waste of air. You’re the best analytical mechanical engineer I’ve seen in my 60 odd years of this stuff.
Honest to God real mechanicing with a sense of humor and with out that imitating and irritating TV huckster facade trying to sell Wham-A-Shan. You are alright Wes!👍
Don’t worry about the comments section Wes. I follow you for what you do and share not for what the peanut gallery has to say. Merry Christmas to you and yours brother.
Great video Wes. I personally appreciate that you shared your being off base on the initial diagnosis and the resolve. Thanks for all the tidbits of Honda info as you moved along.
I always enjoy your videos. You are good at explaining and commentary. I even went back and forth a couple times to hear the difference in engine noise. I am not a experienced mechanic but feel I can "wrench" and follow instructions. I have never worked on Hondas but have an 73 mustang that "will always improve my skills".
In the UK in the 70s I worked on Mazdas, and they were OHC with a timing chain. They had manual and a hydraulic tensioner which would spit the piston out when the chain got slack. It used to rattle like a bad of bag of bolts too. It was a fair job as the rubbers got into the oil. It was bonnet and grill off, Head, sump and front cover off, all cleaned new chain and tensioners, and rebuilt and road tested, you got eight hours. After you'd done one or two, you could do them in a day, but I never cracked the eight hours. As always, loved the video, you're the man.
Wes, Thank's for saving me a bunch of lost time. My brother in law just used my shop to do his oil change because he thought it might help a noise he was hearing.(I hadn't looked at it yet) As he was leaving was the first time I heard it. I thought the same thing as you did. ( It sounds like a bad valve train noise ) I am a 25 year veteran pro mechanic and can tell ya, You may have had to take the long road to find the problem. But most people would not have noticed that the crank was moving but not the cams. That just proves that you are a good mechanic with solid fundamentals. Thanks for the video. Saved me from digging into the valve train for no reason. Rob.....
Wes, I would like to take a moment to thank you for all the awesome content and hard work you’ve put in on the videos this year. You are only second to SMA videos being my top ones to watch. I used to make videos but haven’t for a long time. You share all the same interests I do and I really enjoy all your videos regardless what they are. Hopefully we will cross paths someday.
Wes, when I watch you, it's you and me son. I don't give a little tiny poop what anyone else thinks about anything. I enjoy you and the fam and always will. Happy New Year.
I’m gonna be using the whole horses and unicorn thing at work now 👍🏻😂 I enjoy the case study as much as the wrenching personally. Half of being a mechanic is arriving at the right diagnostic and understanding why.
I was just given 2015 Honda Pilot with same issue. The original owner's mechanic told him it needs new engine, so he gave me the car for free. As soon as I started the engine, I remembered your video. Just took timing cover off and confirmed the belt has no tension. It appears to be still on the original belt at 170k miles. Not a easy fix, but would be much easier and cheaper than new engine. Thanks for the video :)
Wes I'm probably twice your age and have twice your experience working as a Mechanic (retired) and I still learn from you. I have mentioned before YOUR channel and "Warren" at "Western Truck and Tractor Repair" are two of my favorites...although Warren's channel is more in tune with what I did in my career and he explains things as well, when he can, but he is not near as detailed as yourself. I find myself, being retired in more of the Heavy Truck and Equipment Repair, being asked to work on friends and neighbors light trucks and cars and my "Hat Is Off To You"......Keep up the good work and don't change a thing about how you repair and explain things.
I owned a 1991 Honda civic hatchback ,with regular maintenance and up keep I had over 320000 miles on that engine ,the body was swizz cheese but I drove that car into the wreckers with nothing wrong with the engine ,that quality is what killed the big 3
My sister bought a 91 civic hatch new. Teal green, was a very nice car for about 2 years. Had under 30.000 miles when it started having problems. Water pump went bad. Then a little later, the starter failed. I was so surprised that a nearly new Honda was having issues. About a year later she called me and said it wouldn't start. I had it towed to Honda, they said it had a bad ignition. A few months later it did the same thing, wouldn't start. My sister said, thats it! I'm done with this piece of junk. She bought a new Mazda, and that car served her very well for about 10 years before she traded it in.
Interesting video Wes. Thanks for taking us along. I wish UK variants had options for such compact 3.5 litre V6s. Maybe I'd've stuck with Honda instead of going with the Toyota Corolla 2 litre self charging hybrid like i just did. When those electric motors cut in to help out the petrol lump it scooted like a scolded whippet. I wonder if there's a business there? Shipping over used US V8 & V6 engines and dropping them into UK vehicles. If they're going into the same model all the mounting points & transmissions should line up. A 3.5 litre V6 matched to a UK 7 speed manual gearbox in a Honda Civic sounds like fun!
another awesome job!! you do some great work, especially living out in the boonies of Illinois and getting the customers you do. pretty cool your dad is a mechanic too and has tons of spare parts. good variety of farm equipment and personal vehicles. keep up the great work. i watch you and Eric O. need some more of Mrs Wes in there.
I normally watch SOUTH MAIN AUTO and your video got recommended, I can say between you and Mr O you guys are by far very informative to watch. I wish more mechanics were like you guys, straight foward and honest about the repairs. I would not even mention the trolls that comment on you needing to replace parts on everything you get into, you are paid to get things fixed and get the customers ride back on the road. Two thumbs up
Hey Wes, Just replaced the second timing belt kit On my Odyssey due to the failure of the timing belt tensioner. It didn’t have the death rattle, more like a bratty whine. Lol! Your an awesome problem solver and we enjoy your content. All the best 👍
Great video Wes. Ironically I have had the same experience with the dayco kit on a 2012 Subaru outback. At around the same mileage too. Did the timing belt at 88k miles and around 125k started getting some noise only on startup and by 130k had a noise all the time and finally tore it apart and found the bad tensioner. Replaced the belt and tensioner under part warranty and never had a problem again till I sold it at 220k miles 🤷♂️ not sure why or how the tensioner failed but it did .
Personally I'm not a fan of Dayco. Always has seemed like a second-tier name brand to me. Maybe my views were formed in the 1970s when Gates was thought of as the good stuff and Dayco was the cheaper alternative.
Wes, it is very easy for an arm chair mechanic to say what "OUGHT" to be done. You however have to suffer the consequences for YOUR decisions, the arm chair mechanic never has to suffer what the advice given results in, a big big difference! Keep up the good work, you will be in business for many years because you do it right! You walk away if the fix is dangerous for the customer, otherwise what the customer wants to do is what is done, right or wrong, it is their choice!! Great channel, great videos! Very informative, and very well done. You explain the work, you do good work, unlike some other channels which are efforts to satisfy the ego of the person involved!!
Great video!! When I seen that timing belt all loosey goosey my jaw dropped!! Surprised it didn't have a catastrophic failure, being 99% of all new modern production engines are interference engines. At least the tensioner isn't like chevy with their timing tensioner using engine oil pressure to tension their belts. Dumb design in my opinion, especially when those engines are prone to sludging. Just my 2 cents.
That's one nice looking car. Probably the alternator bracket can be fixed when you grind a washer down to a wedge shape and glue it in place. Must of course be a non rusting washer because a zinc coated steel washer will rust terribly as soon as the zinc is grinded away.
Can’t think of any way to upgrade your knowledge than to roll up your sleeves and dig in. You do a great job and when you make a new discovery you have added to your knowledge base and improved your life and career.
Thanks very much for that great graphic correlating directly with you rotating the crankshaft. What a stroke of brilliance to so clearly illustrate exactly what is happening! As for the keyboard commandos - you need to just not take negative comments to heart. Consider how wide your body of knowledge and experience is, dude! How many really well known and popular automotive RUclips’rs are capable of operating a machinist’s lathe, restoring and using a brake lathe or tearing into an Oliver or really heavy equipment?!
Yes sir, I will change your water pump, timing belt, tension-er, idler, front crank seal, valve guide seals, serpentine belt, valve cover gaskets, antifreeze, readjust your valves ... and because I am such a generous mechanic and you are such an amazing customer ... today's special price is only $200 and have a Merry Christmas! (yes that was a dream you just had) Some people not turned into reality think this is possible! Seriously! Merry Christmas to everyone reading this!!
Thanks Wes, for sharing another years worth of your blood, sweat and tears (of joy) with us. Merry Christmas to you and your wonderful and faithful supporting cast; Mrs. Wes, Kiddo and Max a.k.a. "Pup".
Dude seriously, I'm legit about to buy a 2018 Accord sport tomorrow. 31K miles 25,199. Now I see this. I loved all my civic, accords & loved my integra & have never heard this before.
Good diagnosis & fix Wes, it's obvious you care a lot about doing the job right. Cars with interference engines should display a flashing message for timing belt replacements right on the dash after the OEM interval has elapsed. Most customers are clueless about it, and don't realize what will happen if it breaks.
your a pretty smart guy that knows what he is doing .. i wouldnt worry too much about the way others would have done it .. i dare say your probley a better mechanic then most of them any way.. great vid !!
Another job well done. I wish you were closer to me....best mechanic I have ever seen. I changed the timing belt on my 99 Civic...hardest part was getting that stubborn crank bolt off. Standing on a breaker bar with a 5 ft pipe didn't do it...Had to jump on it,,,,couldn't believe the bolt head didn't snap off.
This video literally helped me figure out what was wrong with my car. The whole time I thought I had valve issues, turns out it was the same as the Accord in the video. Apparently it's a common issue on the J-Series V6
I watch some of the difficulties you go through fixing things and I think this guy is like me; not everything goes super smoothly all the time. Then I watch some of the work you do and realize you have been doing this a long time probably since you were around your son's age. I'm impressed. As for the perfectionists in the peanut gallery; talk is cheap. There is the internet and then there is reality.
Good job on repairing the problem. Back in 2003 there was a TSB for changing the timing belt tensioner on the 3.5L V6 for leaking oil. Like you I put lots of aftermarket water pump, timing belt tensioner‘s, idler pulley‘s and never had a problem. I have a 2010 Honda Ridgeline I change the timing belt at 100,000 miles it’s now got 130,000 miles on it. I used an aftermarket timing belt kit it has been fine so far. Sometimes Parts is just the luck of the draw I’ve even seen OEM parts fail right away too. Just because you buy OEM doesn’t mean it’s better than aftermarket. And a lot of times the aftermarket fixes the problem that the OEM part was prone too fail. Like you I don’t change seals that are not leaking. It made it 100,000 miles it’ll be fine let sleeping dogs lie.
Once I saw the relation between the crank and the cam, I instantly knew it was timing. Initially I thought the belt was stretched, but didn't really factor in the tensioner as the culprit until further into the diagnosis. Nice catch, man.
I love your total calm in these videos. Your line about Jesus Christ himself could not make a timing belt video everyone likes is right. Some people have more money than brains, some have big mouths, some have an idea and have literally never opened their hood, some have more brains than money. You are one of the sane people out there and thank you for posting what you do.
I was expecting addressing the misaligned alternator which seemed to be important. Enjoyed the other 99% as usual, thanks Wes. Ok for you to take Saturday off.
I know that I'm not the mechanic you are. So i was wrong with my diagnosis. And again you have educated me very well thank you sir. Merry Christmas to you and all your wonderful family and a blessed new year
Don't let the armchair mechanics get you down. Love your channel.
I second that 👍
@@anthonydefreitas6006 Me third.Youtoob mechanics know it all,I'll bet IRL they couldn't change a flat tire.
Agree. To me it sounded like valvetrain problem, I would vote vvt issue. Wrong of course.
Jerry from Bullshitkorner has gone on some epic rants against armchair mechanics. 😂
My armchair needs a mechanic
Wes is a constant voice of reason in an unreasonable world.
The same people crying about how you do a timing belt job are walking out to their rusted out barely running, leaks every color of fluid shit box digging in their belly button laughing about how they gave Wes "the business" in his comments section. Keep up the awesome work, your videos are second to none!
Or they haven't owned a car in 30 years. Leased. Have a buddy. Puts a ton of miles on his vehicles. First time it breaks down, traded in. He does his own oil changes. Doesn't trust the dealer. He is the 100% factory part guy. Can't grasp the thought of diagnostic time. Says "mechanic" is supposed to know what's wrong. He should only pay for part and replacement time. OK...I'll go talk to my refrigerator now.
@@gailtaylor1636 Yeah, they pull the radiator cap and run a new car under it. Not the cheapest way to go, but effective.
Rather have you ramble as you work, why I started watching your channel. The sarcasm, wit, the technical prowess, all a boon. Don't listen to the naysayers.
Thanks for all the great content this year Wes, family and Max. Have a great Christmas
👍👍👍
Shut up
I've bee a honda tech for 16 years, I've seen many failed hydraulic tensioners on J series V6 but I've never seen one that bad. Usually the belt slacks up slightly and starts hitting the cover which makes more of a thumping sound. Props to your diagnostic skills, that's certainly a tricky issue to find if you're not a specialist. I'm amazed as well it didn't jump.
Whoever was in there wrenching, broke something.
Millions of cars get away with a simple single spring tensioner. Why does Honda do it?
@@TheMarcQyou cannot have a v6 Honda without a loud valve train
When ours failed, that made a horrible noise that was constant but the belt never jumped
I think someone put the tensioner in a vice and collapsed it too quickly, so as to reinstall the ‘granade pin’ and burst the seals. Impossible to tell for sure.
I’m retired, a welder, Machinist, I build big game fishing rods, I fish bluefin tuna, I do wood working, repair things for friends, what I would never do is make a video and post it on RUclips just because the reason you said, the f-ing people in the comment section!! Thank you for doing the videos you do I just can’t deal with it.
Yes sir! It can be brutal.
Once again, Wes's way of explaining and repairing an engine is highly entertaining.
His verbal delivery and the way he diagnosed the problem involved a bit of joshing about himself which adds to the enjoyment of watching one of his vids.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Wes to you and to your family.
I’m reminded everyday that I’m not nearly as smart as I think I am….by my wife!! Great video! Merry Christmas 🎁🎄
A fine video! I’m not an auto mechanic-just someone who likes mechanical things, and am always amazed when mechanics tear down an engine and don’t have parts left over. And then it runs! Wes did an excellent job explaining how the tensioner works. Thanks!
It's tough being out here in comment land.
Always remember, you can make yourself look good....by making somebody else, look bad.
Your a very good mechanic Wes,
Don't let them bring you down.
You really should say that you can't make yourself look good by trying to make someone look bad
@@Onewheelordeal I didn't "say" that.
That's what people "THINK"
I wish I lived closer to Wes even though I do my own mechanic work. Hands down the best mechanic on youtube.
That Honda has a new lease on life. After watching this video, they will certainly have great confidence in driving wherever they want whenever they want with a smooth-running engine. You are probably the only mechanic they will fully trust. I think many more Hondas will be coming your way. Good Job.
5:37 I'm going with Option 'C'. It was given to the place that quoted the lowest price for a timing belt replacement because the customer thought everyone else must just be trying to rip them off based solely on their personal attributes (mechanical ignorance), and that's literally exactly what was done. No tensioner, no cam seals - just the belt.
With all the different models you deal with, I can easily understand you not knowing what the problem was initially. But you figured it out and fixed it anyways. That is how professionals work... Thumbs Up! And you have to stop worrying about pleasing everyone. Post how you did the job and move on. With the billions of people in this world, you will never ever please everyone...don't let them bother you...
I've had those tensioners from a Dayco kit fail. I knew as soon as I heard it what happened. Thanks Wes!!!
Thanks for your knowledge I was 19 years in a ford shop till a back injury put me out of work for a number of years now at 67 I'm a shop aid and part time teacher at a local college I always learn something from watching you and it helps me in training the next generation keep up the good work good honest mechanics are always learning
It's always awesome when someone in the trades passes down their knowledge to a new generation.
It's how I learned a couple of the professions I've worked at.
My last one I worked at fixing arcade and pinball games, Jukeboxes and other pay to have fun equipment for 37 years I began towards the end teaching my customers the basics to keep them from getting scammed by unscrupulous techs I know of.
Most didn't actually want to do their own repairs but the knowledge I gave them helped them to at least now what issues their equipment might have.
My oldest daughter Michelle actually had a bar owner fire a tech who was trying to scam him on a jukebox repair.
She pointed out what the real problem was and even fixed no parts needed (just an adjustment) it just from having watched me repairing them.
She was a model at the time making 5 to 6 times or more my income so she never actually entered the profession.
I hope you recovered from your back injury Mark. The injury sux big time eh.
That is great Mark teaching and assisting the new generation learning about mechanics. That Honda sure surprised me that it was tensioner had gone bad Just last night I had a Ram 3500 with a loss of heat in the passenger cabin and when I pulled the codes on it the code pushed to replacing the thermostat. Since my buddy wanted to do it I just advised what to do. Being 63 years old I was just there to catch any mistakes and what to watch for. I don't mind when someone wants to do their own repairs as long as I am there to advise.
Just pure content no music or any other distracting stuff just pure entertainment and knowledge.
Keep up the good work man. 🙂
As someone who has been working primarily on Hondas and Subarus for the past 20 years, I cannot blame you for the methodology. There really is no inherent timing issue with these J35 V-6s, they are fairly reliable with the only major flaw I continue to see is with the VCM gaskets (which, judging by how oily that alternator is, may be leaking on this guy). I usually use OEM belts and tensioners where I can, but the Dayco kits are fine and I have used many of them (just did a 93 Accord last week with one). It is really Subarus where I flat out will not used aftermarket kits due to how horrible the timing sprockets and pulleys are. Just almost universally junk. Same with water pumps. Great video and keep on with the process sir!
I just replaced a dayco timing belt kit on a 3.5 pilot where the tensioner failed after less than 40k miles. If it were my personal vehicle I’d pay for oem. That being said it was a pretty easy job only took a couple hours.
I've found the Gates kit is identical Honda parts in it.
I’ve done plenty of Hondas and Subarus and have never had a problem, I typically use Aisin as my favorite. About a month ago I had a Subaru single over head cam come in with the engine knocking all to hell, I did a timing belt kit on it less than 3,000 miles ago with a continental kit and the new tensioner failed and that’s what was causing the knocking, luckily didn’t jump time or anything so no big deal but still annoying
@@jmathis3 My first timing belt job was on my family van before I knew anything about brands. I replaced mine with dayco and it failed withing 40k also. I believe just the tensioner was garbage. If I would have went with an oem one, I probably wouldn't have had to replace it all again.
@@drewt1081 The Gates kits use the OE Koyo bearings. But the Gates water pump and hydraulic tensioner is Chinese garbage. Dayco kits are even worse. They use GMB bearings and awful pump and hydraulic tensioner
The AISIN TKH-002 uses good quality parts, most are OE, without the dealer price tag.
Please don't let the internet commenters bother you. "He who can, does. He who cannot do anything useful, makes critical comments about work done by others." Enjoy your videos and your sense of humor. Merry Christmas!
Broken timing belt tensioner!! As soon as I heard the noise I knew I’ve seen a few on other 3.5l Honda engines first one I encountered was a Acura MDX that just had a oil change at a quick lube and the tech working on it condemned the engine so I ended up with it at my shop and found the same thing you did since then I’ve seen about 3 others. All in 3.5L engines great video Merry Christmas 🎄
HI WES,Everybody has opinions,don't take it personally.I used to wrench also.You make video's to entertain mostly,but also to teach,or share your KNOWLEDGE. In this case you where CONFIDENT enough to share the fact that your first diagnosis was WRONG.That takes guts.TO me that does not diminishe the respect you receive from others who are in or have been auto techs.we all make occasional mistakes.BUT the big thing is you PERSISTED to find the REAL ISSUE,and you posted the results ,along with a VERY GOOD explanation on how those systems work,therefore Teaching others.And i think that's your message,SO THANKS WES.
Skeleton walks in to a bar. Says to the bartender “I’ll have a pitcher of beer and a mop!”
Aftermarket or OEM depends on these factors for me (in order):
- How old is the vehicle
- How critical is the part (if it fails, will I be walking or buying a new vehicle)
- The difference in price vs the cost of labor to do it again (if it is cheap and easy to replace again, I won’t spend extra on OEM).
- The reputation of the aftermarket manufacturer and that part from that manufacturer. Some parts (e.g. Dorman) never seem to fit right and are not worth the hassle.
Always keep in mind that those hooves might be zebras, but go with horses until proven otherwise. When I have doubts, I often start by proving all the things I think I know, and that usually stops me from tearing into something that did not need to be opened.
I’d add experience to that list, for example, I’ve never managed to fit an aftermarket sensor to a Volvo without having to go back and redo the work with an OEM part that costs 2-3 times more. Then again the Volvo sensors last decades so it’s a bit of a false economy to fit anything cheaper anyhow, but fitting a 200 euro sensor on a 2000 euro car feels a bit weird.
I don't know about the Dorman bad rap.They make a pretty good coolant reservoir for the GMT400's.....
I have learned a few things in my pumps.
Unless you drive a Subaru then your only option is: Aisin lol
@@Yagierman I put an Aisin water pump and hydraulic piston in my 2007 Honda Pilot. They came with the only kit I could get at the time. I could not find an OEM one anywhere. The kit did have all OEM seals and timing belt, though. Now, I see an OEM one on Amazon for almost $500, whereas the one I got was about $400. If I could get a kit with the OEM parts back then, I might have just spent the extra $100 and got the OEM, but I have had no problems with the Aisin parts in the kit, either putting them
in or with them now about 1.5 years later.
Hey Wes
I have an 08 Honda Pilot with the same motor. The only mechanic in my area I trust works exclusively on Hondas and installed an aftermarket timing kit around 115k. They always warranty their work and I’m glad they do. The car went through 2 more timing kits because of component failure before they got a quality one that has lasted now for about 3 years. Two of the failures were leaking water pumps and the third was a bad tensioner. Not sure of the brand that finally was a success. Always enjoy your content!
Annnnd that, Jason, is the #1 reason why NOT to use those low-quality kits! If you go to an aftermarket kit, look at who makes the components (if they don't tell you, run away) and get one with components made by the same OEM suppliers as stock. Not a perfect guarantee, but you really have to watch out here as there are so many Chinesium low-buck kits out there and on the jungle shopping site, they will even steal pictures from an OEM kit to advertise their inferior product to try to trick you into buying it.
You indicated you didn't think you was very smart. The way you find problems in cars/trucks/tractors, and the many other things you work on, you are a brilliant person. Love watching you and your family. Merry Christmas to y'all from Texas.
Even though I will probably never be in the bowels of a Honda automotive engine, I still appreciate and enjoy these videos Wes, including the ones where something goes a bit awry. Thanks and happy holidays!
Top-Shelf powers of diagnosis and repair of a completely weird problem. Outstanding Wes!
Absolutely amazing watching you figure things out.
And this is why I keep buying Honda Accords. They run well even when mistreated.
Wes, great video! I replaced the timing belt, water pump, and tensioner on an Acura TL 3.2. It was seven years old, but it looked fine. The dealer said the 7 years limit is suggested. The rear cam lobes are so sharp the cam rolled into the wrong position over night. Luckily, I caught it and it all went back together well. Cheers!
Yeah, these J series Hondas are common for this timing belt tensioner noise. It starts out as only when the engine is cold and when the engine warms up so does the noise. As it gets worse the noise will last longer and longer until it's finally there all the time. Yours was pretty advanced. They let it go a long time. What I do is roll underneath when it's running and put a long screwdriver on the portion of the tensioner sticking out the timing cover. You'll feel it and hear it in the screwdriver handle. They are extremely lucky it didn't jump time. I'd never use the Dayco kit. Aisin kit or OE Honda parts only, in my opinion.
@@xabhax I've seen several of those "OEM" kits from Amazon and ebay fail catastrophically within 30k of installation. Do NOT buy.
@@xabhax Nor do they come in a "kit."
Man, we all misdiagnose things from time to time. As long as we catch our mistake along the way and no matter what do good work and do things right, the customer generally will appreciate what we do. Keep up the good work, bud.
You once said that your job was “getting things back in service” [slight paraphrase]. Absolutely G@d damn right.
Everyone giving you a hard time needs to get off the couch and go break something. Honestly, they are a waste of air. You’re the best analytical mechanical engineer I’ve seen in my 60 odd years of this stuff.
Wes you continue to impress me with your ability to think through these problems. Incredible.
Honest to God real mechanicing with a sense of humor and with out that imitating and irritating TV huckster facade trying to sell Wham-A-Shan. You are alright Wes!👍
Don’t worry about the comments section Wes. I follow you for what you do and share not for what the peanut gallery has to say. Merry Christmas to you and yours brother.
With some of the train wrecks coming through your shop you put right it's only natural to think the worst.
Great video Wes. I personally appreciate that you shared your being off base on the initial diagnosis and the resolve. Thanks for all the tidbits of Honda info as you moved along.
Wish he was my mechanic...smart man.
I’m completely happy with the resolution of the timing belt tensioner issue. Good content. 👍
I didn't know Honda still had rubber timing belts and manually adjusted valves in 2009. Great video!
I always enjoy your videos. You are good at explaining and commentary. I even went back and forth a couple times to hear the difference in engine noise. I am not a experienced mechanic but feel I can "wrench" and follow instructions. I have never worked on Hondas but have an 73 mustang that "will always improve my skills".
It always comforts me when the voices are on the outside as well.
In the UK in the 70s I worked on Mazdas, and they were OHC with a timing chain. They had manual and a hydraulic tensioner which would spit the piston out when the chain got slack. It used to rattle like a bad of bag of bolts too. It was a fair job as the rubbers got into the oil. It was bonnet and grill off, Head, sump and front cover off, all cleaned new chain and tensioners, and rebuilt and road tested, you got eight hours. After you'd done one or two, you could do them in a day, but I never cracked the eight hours.
As always, loved the video, you're the man.
Wes, Thank's for saving me a bunch of lost time. My brother in law just used my shop to do his oil change because he thought it might help a noise he was hearing.(I hadn't looked at it yet) As he was leaving was the first time I heard it. I thought the same thing as you did. ( It sounds like a bad valve train noise ) I am a 25 year veteran pro mechanic and can tell ya, You may have had to take the long road to find the problem. But most people would not have noticed that the crank was moving but not the cams. That just proves that you are a good mechanic with solid fundamentals. Thanks for the video. Saved me from digging into the valve train for no reason. Rob.....
Wes, I would like to take a moment to thank you for all the awesome content and hard work you’ve put in on the videos this year. You are only second to SMA videos being my top ones to watch. I used to make videos but haven’t for a long time. You share all the same interests I do and I really enjoy all your videos regardless what they are. Hopefully we will cross paths someday.
Wes, when I watch you, it's you and me son. I don't give a little tiny poop what anyone else thinks about anything. I enjoy you and the fam and always will. Happy New Year.
Wes You should always change the rear driver side wheel bearing when you change a timing belt you will learn the hard way. LOL
Lol thinking about some fool trying to fix their car watching this like, oh imma need to order that wheel bearing
quit kicking yourself - you get enough of that from viewers- but not me - no body perfect - you a dam good wrench Wes. Love the Max patch on your hat.
I’m gonna be using the whole horses and unicorn thing at work now 👍🏻😂
I enjoy the case study as much as the wrenching personally. Half of being a mechanic is arriving at the right diagnostic and understanding why.
I was just given 2015 Honda Pilot with same issue. The original owner's mechanic told him it needs new engine, so he gave me the car for free. As soon as I started the engine, I remembered your video. Just took timing cover off and confirmed the belt has no tension. It appears to be still on the original belt at 170k miles. Not a easy fix, but would be much easier and cheaper than new engine. Thanks for the video :)
Interesting and entertaining as always, thanks for all your videos this year Wes. Merry Christmas to you, Mrs Wes, the Kiddo and Max!
Wes I'm probably twice your age and have twice your experience working as a Mechanic (retired) and I still learn from you. I have mentioned before YOUR channel and "Warren" at "Western Truck and Tractor Repair" are two of my favorites...although Warren's channel is more in tune with what I did in my career and he explains things as well, when he can, but he is not near as detailed as yourself. I find myself, being retired in more of the Heavy Truck and Equipment Repair, being asked to work on friends and neighbors light trucks and cars and my "Hat Is Off To You"......Keep up the good work and don't change a thing about how you repair and explain things.
I owned a 1991 Honda civic hatchback ,with regular maintenance and up keep I had over 320000 miles on that engine ,the body was swizz cheese but I drove that car into the wreckers with nothing wrong with the engine ,that quality is what killed the big 3
My sister bought a 91 civic hatch new. Teal green, was a very nice car for about 2 years. Had under 30.000 miles when it started having problems. Water pump went bad. Then a little later, the starter failed. I was so surprised that a nearly new Honda was having issues. About a year later she called me and said it wouldn't start. I had it towed to Honda, they said it had a bad ignition. A few months later it did the same thing, wouldn't start. My sister said, thats it! I'm done with this piece of junk. She bought a new Mazda, and that car served her very well for about 10 years before she traded it in.
@@johnfranklin5277 she must off gat the lemon
@@blairarthur302 yes, but hidden under the green paint! Lol.
I appreciate your faith in your viewers to diagnose the issue before you told us what it was. May I suggest most of us had not a clue.
Interesting video Wes. Thanks for taking us along. I wish UK variants had options for such compact 3.5 litre V6s. Maybe I'd've stuck with Honda instead of going with the Toyota Corolla 2 litre self charging hybrid like i just did.
When those electric motors cut in to help out the petrol lump it scooted like a scolded whippet.
I wonder if there's a business there? Shipping over used US V8 & V6 engines and dropping them into UK vehicles. If they're going into the same model all the mounting points & transmissions should line up.
A 3.5 litre V6 matched to a UK 7 speed manual gearbox in a Honda Civic sounds like fun!
Import fees would make it cost prohibitive. You are probably better off in every way buying a crate motor.
@@BudMasta Do you mean a grey import fresh from the factory engine?
Very nice work, Les. It is a big man who can admit to errors. You got there, you fixed it.
another awesome job!! you do some great work, especially living out in the boonies of Illinois and getting the customers you do. pretty cool your dad is a mechanic too and has tons of spare parts. good variety of farm equipment and personal vehicles. keep up the great work. i watch you and Eric O. need some more of Mrs Wes in there.
I normally watch SOUTH MAIN AUTO and your video got recommended, I can say between you and Mr O you guys are by far very informative to watch. I wish more mechanics were like you guys, straight foward and honest about the repairs. I would not even mention the trolls that comment on you needing to replace parts on everything you get into, you are paid to get things fixed and get the customers ride back on the road. Two thumbs up
Happy Holidays to you and your family Wes. Brilliant thought process as always! Listening for those hoof beats….
Props to you for showing the misdiagnosis. Nice to see a human doing what we do…learn by trial and error.
off topic but... your voice is so friendly, like one that would narrate a children's book
Good video Wes
Thanks!
Hey Wes,
Just replaced the second timing belt kit On my Odyssey due to the failure of the timing belt tensioner.
It didn’t have the death rattle, more like a bratty whine. Lol!
Your an awesome problem solver and we enjoy your content.
All the best 👍
Great video Wes. Ironically I have had the same experience with the dayco kit on a 2012 Subaru outback. At around the same mileage too. Did the timing belt at 88k miles and around 125k started getting some noise only on startup and by 130k had a noise all the time and finally tore it apart and found the bad tensioner. Replaced the belt and tensioner under part warranty and never had a problem again till I sold it at 220k miles 🤷♂️ not sure why or how the tensioner failed but it did .
Personally I'm not a fan of Dayco. Always has seemed like a second-tier name brand to me. Maybe my views were formed in the 1970s when Gates was thought of as the good stuff and Dayco was the cheaper alternative.
Wes, it is very easy for an arm chair mechanic to say what "OUGHT" to be done. You however have to suffer the consequences for YOUR decisions, the arm chair mechanic never has to suffer what the advice given results in, a big big difference! Keep up the good work, you will be in business for many years because you do it right! You walk away if the fix is dangerous for the customer, otherwise what the customer wants to do is what is done, right or wrong, it is their choice!! Great channel, great videos! Very informative, and very well done. You explain the work, you do good work, unlike some other channels which are efforts to satisfy the ego of the person involved!!
Great video!! When I seen that timing belt all loosey goosey my jaw dropped!! Surprised it didn't have a catastrophic failure, being 99% of all new modern production engines are interference engines.
At least the tensioner isn't like chevy with their timing tensioner using engine oil pressure to tension their belts. Dumb design in my opinion, especially when those engines are prone to sludging. Just my 2 cents.
just change the oil- i think all use oil pressure to tension belts and chains
I like your use of the word "pedantic" in a previous video. A nice real world repair.
That's one nice looking car.
Probably the alternator bracket can be fixed when you grind a washer down to a wedge shape and glue it in place. Must of course be a non rusting washer because a zinc coated steel washer will rust terribly as soon as the zinc is grinded away.
I thought that unused tapered shim was going in with the alternator
@@ianhelsbyservices That was for the idler pulley, not the alternator
Can’t think of any way to upgrade your knowledge than to roll up your sleeves and dig in. You do a great job and when you make a new discovery you have added to your knowledge base and improved your life and career.
AMIGO ISSO FAZ PARTE DA NOSSA PROFISSÃO. ADMIRO MUITO SEU SERVIÇOS. PARABENS
Never mind arm chair critics. Thanx for another good video, God bless you and your family this holiday season and years to come.
One minute in, I'm guessing bouncing belt tensioner. ???
Lets watch and see.
Keep up the good work, thank you for sharing the experience, sorry you did not filmed the hole thing.
Merry Christmas Mr and Mrs Wes. My internet provider and I thankyou for many hours of highly entertaining and informative downloads.
Wes don't be to hard on yourself most mechanics would have not known that to do but refuse the job,great job.
Do not worry so much about the “comment section” (yes me included !), you are a logical thinker and your troubleshooting ability is why most watch…
Thanks very much for that great graphic correlating directly with you rotating the crankshaft. What a stroke of brilliance to so clearly illustrate exactly what is happening! As for the keyboard commandos - you need to just not take negative comments to heart. Consider how wide your body of knowledge and experience is, dude! How many really well known and popular automotive RUclips’rs are capable of operating a machinist’s lathe, restoring and using a brake lathe or tearing into an Oliver or really heavy equipment?!
Don’t worry about other people’s comments. Just do it your way and go on. Love the videos.
Yes sir, I will change your water pump, timing belt, tension-er, idler, front crank seal, valve guide seals, serpentine belt, valve cover gaskets, antifreeze, readjust your valves ... and because I am such a generous mechanic and you are such an amazing customer ... today's special price is only $200 and have a Merry Christmas! (yes that was a dream you just had) Some people not turned into reality think this is possible! Seriously! Merry Christmas to everyone reading this!!
Thanks Wes, for sharing another years worth of your blood, sweat and tears (of joy) with us. Merry Christmas to you and your wonderful and faithful supporting cast; Mrs. Wes, Kiddo and Max a.k.a. "Pup".
Dude seriously, I'm legit about to buy a 2018 Accord sport tomorrow. 31K miles 25,199. Now I see this. I loved all my civic, accords & loved my integra & have never heard this before.
Your patience, wisdom, and retrospective presentation are great. Thank you.
Good diagnosis & fix Wes, it's obvious you care a lot about doing the job right. Cars with interference engines should display a flashing message for timing belt replacements right on the dash after the OEM interval has elapsed. Most customers are clueless about it, and don't realize what will happen if it breaks.
your a pretty smart guy that knows what he is doing .. i wouldnt worry too much about the way others would have done it .. i dare say your probley a better mechanic then most of them any way.. great vid !!
Another job well done. I wish you were closer to me....best mechanic I have ever seen. I changed the timing belt on my 99 Civic...hardest part was getting that stubborn crank bolt off. Standing on a breaker bar with a 5 ft pipe didn't do it...Had to jump on it,,,,couldn't believe the bolt head didn't snap off.
Merry Christmas and thank you for the consistently awesome content.
This video literally helped me figure out what was wrong with my car. The whole time I thought I had valve issues, turns out it was the same as the Accord in the video. Apparently it's a common issue on the J-Series V6
I watch some of the difficulties you go through fixing things and I think this guy is like me; not everything goes super smoothly all the time. Then I watch some of the work you do and realize you have been doing this a long time probably since you were around your son's age. I'm impressed. As for the perfectionists in the peanut gallery; talk is cheap. There is the internet and then there is reality.
Good job on repairing the problem. Back in 2003 there was a TSB for changing the timing belt tensioner on the 3.5L V6 for leaking oil. Like you I put lots of aftermarket water pump, timing belt tensioner‘s, idler pulley‘s and never had a problem. I have a 2010 Honda Ridgeline I change the timing belt at 100,000 miles it’s now got 130,000 miles on it. I used an aftermarket timing belt kit it has been fine so far. Sometimes Parts is just the luck of the draw I’ve even seen OEM parts fail right away too. Just because you buy OEM doesn’t mean it’s better than aftermarket. And a lot of times the aftermarket fixes the problem that the OEM part was prone too fail. Like you I don’t change seals that are not leaking. It made it 100,000 miles it’ll be fine let sleeping dogs lie.
There's nothing better in this world than a good mechanic.
Have a great Christmas Wes,thanks for all the great content this year.
1 small misstep corrected, excellence out the door! MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and yours!
Once I saw the relation between the crank and the cam, I instantly knew it was timing. Initially I thought the belt was stretched, but didn't really factor in the tensioner as the culprit until further into the diagnosis. Nice catch, man.
Wes don't hang your head. You made the diagnosis. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Give pup a treat! 🙂
I love your total calm in these videos.
Your line about Jesus Christ himself could not make a timing belt video everyone likes is right. Some people have more money than brains, some have big mouths, some have an idea and have literally never opened their hood, some have more brains than money. You are one of the sane people out there and thank you for posting what you do.
Oh noooo....... that belt tension is heart-attack-worthy.
Good case-study - good diagnosis with no logical gaps.
I was expecting addressing the misaligned alternator which seemed to be important. Enjoyed the other 99% as usual, thanks Wes. Ok for you to take Saturday off.
I know that I'm not the mechanic you are. So i was wrong with my diagnosis. And again you have educated me very well thank you sir.
Merry Christmas to you and all your wonderful family and a blessed new year