2003 Honda Civic EX Timing Belt/Water Pump change question

[polarmystery]

Hey guys,

So my car is coming up on the 100k mile mark and I bought a new timing belt / water pump for my honda civic but I don't have a garage to do all the work myself. I have a Haynes manual for all of the repair, but I'm no auto aficionado (I've done some work myself like changing a few belts, brake pads, hoses, but nothing major). I was wondering since I have the parts in hand, should I take them to an auto body shop and have them install the parts for me or should I try to find someone who works on cars that has a garage where I can just pay him to do the work for a lot less. I'd rather not spend an arm and a leg, and I know it's maybe an hour or two's work changing it out. Thanks for the input!

Side note: I also got two ball joints and a new thermostat (dad bought them for me for my birthday) but I've never changed them out before. Any idea how long/difficult it is to replace my existing ones?

 

[Vette73]

Why would you go to a auto body shop for a timing belt?

Thermostat you would do at the same time as the timing belt/water pump, also get a new Rad cap if it has not been replaced.

 

[polarmystery]

Why would you go to a auto body shop for a timing belt?

Thermostat you would do at the same time as the timing belt/water pump, also get a new Rad cap if it has not been replaced.

Okay not a body shop, but a place where they work on cars...mechanic a better word?

Okay, will do (it hasn't).

 

[StageLeft]

I have used Haynes enough to say confidently I would not use one to change a timing belt. At least in the two Haynes I had I found the details sparse and pictures particularly bad. I'd buy the proper shop manual like the honda mechanics use. It's many times longer and its pictures aren't shot in black and white with a polaroid camera from the year 1586.

That said, I bet there are guides online for your particular car given its commonality and probably have nice color pics, too.

 

[KIAman]

I considered doing my wife's 100k myself but ended up taking it to the shop. It wasn't worth my time nor knuckles.

Parts + labor was a hair under $1k for timing belt, valve cover gasket, water pump, themostat, radiator flush and cap, brake fluid flush, power steering flush, transmission fluid change, all belts, all hoses, spark plugs, valve adjustment.

I remember doing my timing belt for my KIA sportage myself and ended up taking out the spark plugs because I couldn't move the timing cams from the pressure, then even when I put everything together, the timing was off. I had a mechanic fix it for me which pretty much cost the labor of doing the entire job anyways. Lesson learned.

 

[T2urtle]

t belts can be done in a hour or two but for most DIY guys at home it will be a day or weekend job.... remember if you screw up the timing marks, your engine could be toast....

i did a SOHC 2003 lancer belt in about 7 hours...all new belts and tensioner ended up costing me $110 in parts and a weekend. spent about an hour making sure everything was DEAD on.

dealership wanted $600, if i had to do it again i would really consider paying...the lancer was a easy belt to do

 

[jlee]

t belts can be done in a hour or two but for most DIY guys at home it will be a day or weekend job.... remember if you screw up the timing marks, your engine could be toast....

i did a SOHC 2003 lancer belt in about 7 hours...all new belts and tensioner ended up costing me $110 in parts and a weekend. spent about an hour making sure everything was DEAD on.

dealership wanted $600, if i had to do it again i would really consider paying...the lancer was a easy belt to do

An hour or two...? I must be buying difficult-to-work-on vehicles, then...

 

[T2urtle]

An hour or two...? I must be buying difficult-to-work-on vehicles, then...

i speak mainly of SOHC 4 bangers... a lot of older D-series honda were cake to do belts on. Couple techs i knew can do a mk4 jetta 2.0L belt in about 2.5 hours. some cars are cake jobs and some aren't...


5 second serp belt done...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQhfcdQf1QA

your boxster is not a gravy job. hell plugs on your VS a normal 4 banger is like 4x longer.

 

[StageLeft]

t belts can be done in a hour or two but for most DIY guys at home it will be a day or weekend job.... remember if you screw up the timing marks, your engine could be toast....

Maybe not 1-2 hours, but that DIY modifier sounds right. The first time I do a particular job I'd say it easily takes four times as long as it would for a pro.