question about timing belt

[mfdfirefighter46]

hey guys i have a 1997 honda civic dx 1.6l sohc that i just did the timing belt on along with the tensioner,water pump and valve cover gasket all done successful i took me like 4 hours and i wanted to know if that a decent time from start to finish how long does it take everyone else keep in mind it is my first time doing a timing belt.

Topic

[EricTheCarGuy]

That’s great time for a beginner but don’t be so concerned with how much time it takes you as much as the success of the service itself, it doesn’t matter if you do something fast and as a result make a mistake that could cause damage to the engine or leave you stranded. Be efficient, NOT fast.

[dreamer2355]

+1 with taking your time. If your a D.I.Y’er, there is no need to rush.

[Trcustoms719]

+2 on taking your time unless you work at a shop with the flat rate system.

[mfdfirefighter46]

hey eric how long does it take you to do one on that same car?

[johnzcarz]

+3 Whether it took you 40 minutes or 4 days the important thing is you did it right. Out of all the things that someone can mess up and install wrong, a timing belt is high on the list of things that can cause some serious damage if not done r

[Matt]

I want to agree with the gang here. I don’t think Eric’s time on this job is important, as it’s probably a good deal faster since I imagine he’s done hundreds of these. You shouldn’t focus on a time. Just focus on doing the job right, so you don’t explode your engine.

[crandall]

Well, it sounds great to me, especially since my first time doing a timing belt (96 Accord) took me several days. I had to replace a broken crank position sensor in the process and had to wait a few days for the part.

I agree with the comments above, take your time and enjoy the learning the process. Engaging your brain is part of the fun of this hobby.

[twiggy]

Comparing your time to Eric’s is like comparing apples to oranges. Because your time included learning and training time and Eric’s time would not. But good job on your accomplishment.

[johnzcarz]

The ‘book’ time for timing belt + WP replacement is 3.2hrs on that car, so you actually did VERY well.

[EricTheCarGuy]

It’s true there would be no comparison, consider that I’ve done hundreds of those over several years, for me it’s more like muscle memory than anything else but as I said, be efficient, NOT fast and you’ll be fine.

[Author]

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