Clutch and Timing Belt job on a 2007 Acura TL

[Jeffrey Ryan]

Hi there,

I am about to tackle a timing belt on a J series, never done it before and I am kind of nervous to do it, to the guys with experience, what can you tell me if I buy Eric’s video of the timing belt job on a J series? I will need to do this on a TL and an MDX.

Also, how hard is it to do a clutch job? I do not have a trusted mechanic near me and am reluctant to bring it to the dealer as I am sure they will charge an arm and a leg for a clutch job. Do you guys have any recommendation around the NYC/NJ/CT area for a Clutch job on a TL?

Topic

[skim3544]

J series timing belt isn’t too difficult. Make sure you have 1/4 ratchet and short socket set. If I remember correctly there are few bolts that you are not going to have enough space to use 3/8″ tools. As usual with any Honda, that crankshaft bolt is going to give you some trouble. Even with the special tool I usually burn some shop hours trying to remove this bolt.

cannot comment on Eric’s video – I did it without watching the video. I did timing belt on several cars before this one.

[Billy]

I haven’t worked on a J series, but whenever doing a Honda timing belt, as skim said, the #1 thing to prepare for is the crank bolt. If the J is like the other Hondas I’ve done, you’ll need the special socket, then it’s a matter of setting up all your jackstands and breaker bars and whatnot, then it’s just that one pull on the 6 foot cheater bar, and pang! you’re on your way. The rest of the job, on the other Hondas anyway, is very straightforward. Not a big fan of videos personally; the Haynes manual is generally very good for this sort of thing, and these days the timing belt kits often come with very good instructions.

Clutches on Hondas (did I mention I can’t speak for the J series specifically?) are about as easy as they get. If you have a little ambition as a DIY mechanic and are feeling encouraged after doing your timing belt, this is a GREAT next step. It is kind of a big job, and you’ll end up buying some tools, most notably a transmission jack, but follow the Haynes and you can totally do it. And the tools will cost you less than labor.

[skim3544]

I agree with relative4, if you can do timing belt, clutch job isn’t that much difficult. Usually you just support the engine and pull the transmission out while supported with transmission jack. But do your own research on your specific car. There are some cars that just don’t give you necessary room so you would have to pull the engine and transmission out together. The most difficult job is aligning the transmission back in place. Even with clutch alignment tool, you would have to wiggle the transmission to get it to mate with the engine – this can be frustrating experience as most transmission jack don’t give you much control. I usually end up ditching the transmission jack and doing it while supporting the transmission with both hands – but this can quickly tire you out.

[Jeffrey Ryan]

Thank you guys for all the replies.. after having thought about it, I think I will do the TB / WP on my TL first. I have a mechanic that is near me that charges $550 using OEM parts, he is a master mechanic at Acura and does side job out of his garage, I met him through the acura forums. I figured if I can do the timing belt, I will save a ton since my wife’s MDX is also due for a timing belt service.

I will buy eric’s video on the J series. BTW, I have access to a Milwaukee 1/2 Impact , the 2763 which everyone says can take off the Honda Crank bolt no problem. Now all I need to buy is the specialty socket to make it even more easier , saw it on youtube where it is a thicker version of a regular 1/2 impact socket.

I will start with this first and build my confidence and see if I can do the clutch job on the TL, the acura mechanic from NJ told me that it needs to support the engine from up top since the whole sub frame has to come down to get the transmission out. I will have to do more reading and research on this.

Thanks for all your advice!

[Author]

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