weird whine after timing belt/balance shaft belt service?

[CB9]

I replaced the timing belt, water pump, and balance shaft belts a few days ago. It sucketh, I wasted way too much time doing it.

Anyway, everything seemed fine, until I realized that after the engine is fully warm (about 5 minutes), I now have a subtle but significant whine I can hear, especially at higher rpms. I definitely didn't have this symptom before. It worries me. What does the fact that it doesn't do it all when the engine is dead cold mean???

I've tried loosening both of the accessory belts to make sure it's not that. The timing belt itself looks good (not too tight, not too floppy-loose); I can't see the balance shaft belt of course.

I didn't bother to change the tensioner pulleys b/c they felt fine and I am a cheap bastard.

I didn't bother to change the balance shaft seals b/c I am a lazy bastard, and didn't realize they can start leaking spontaneously.

Any theories? I was thinking about just getting in there and trying to monkey with the adjusting nut for the tensioners (loosen it, rotate the crankshaft counterclockwise a little, then retighten it).

Too bad Honda didn't bother to put an access hole in the unibody (with a rubber grommet in it) so that it wouldn't be Mission Impossible to try to retension the belts w/o taking the motor mount apart to drop the engine down.

[akrodha]

there is a couple tensioner springs that tend to get lost or not reinstalled when timing belt has been changed. it's annoying as hell but from listening to passing 7's, it's a pretty common thing. mine does it too..

the belt could be too tight, but i'd say it's more like the springs missing.

do you notice them when you replaced it? I don't think there's a way to correct this without taking the cover off. Also, if you were lucky, it could be the alternator or some other spinning bearing going out, but since the belt was the last thing changed, it's probably related to that.

[CB9]

Originally posted by akrodha
there is a couple tensioner springs that tend to get lost or not reinstalled when timing belt has been changed. it's annoying as hell but from listening to passing 7's, it's a pretty common thing. mine does it too..

the belt could be too tight, but i'd say it's more like the springs missing.

do you notice them when you replaced it?

Do you mean just the little springs that hook into the tensioner arms?

Parts # 12 and 18 in the diagram here -

http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/...FT-TIMING+BELT

They were definitely in there. I didn't not put any parts back in the process. But I'm suspecting it's a tensioning issue.

Is it possible that I somehow overtightened the fixing nut, so that the tensioners aren't allowing the pulleys to move?

A shop tech that I sort of trust suggested it might be the pulleys themselves. I said, I didn't change them, and I didn't have this noise before. He said, I know, but the new belt and the different tension may be making them make noise now.

I dunno . . . doesn't sound probable to me.

But WHY would the belt whine noise start (and then continue) only after the engine's warmed up, whatever it is?

[akrodha]

I'm not exactly sure.. I've been chasing an answer to this same question since I bought my CB7. It had the belt replaced too. Being too tight could cause a whine and excessive belt wear as well.

Heat/cold changes the molecular structure of metal so expanding and contracting could cause the difference in the volume. My car is louder too after it warms up.

Can anyone who's fixed this help out on this?? If it can be fixed someone here has probably done it. This site ROX.

[CB9]

A friend stated that rubber actually contracts when its heated, which would explain why the belt whine would start after the engine is fully warmed up. Can anyone back this up?

Also, can anyone tell me if I loosen the tensioner nut a 1/2 turn or so, and then tighten it back again, would it completely ruin the setting? Or would it do anything at all?

It was hard for me to get any tension at all on the timing belt when I put it back together again - I had to pry down the pulley to get it to move to where it was somewhat taut.

Someone who has a lot of experience with timing belts on F-powered Accords please help!

[mrhonda]

no, its not the springs.....actually, #12 in the diagram you really don't need once the tensioner is tightened down, in fact....alot of techs don't even put that one back on. You probably got the countershaft belt too tight. Just pull the drive belts and the covers off and reset the tension.

[bagoon316]

I did the same thing when replacing my timing and balance and water pump. I thought it was my drivebelts but wanted to know for sure so i took it to my honda guy and he said it was to much preload on the tensioner, but it would be okay and wasnt worth time and money fixing it, to wiat till next time. after like two months i forget its there and the fact i play music loud

[trendyexr]

When I got my timing belt replaced, my car whined for a little while, but it went away as the belt stretched. It wasnt like a super loud saturn whine though...hehe

[br8knrun21]

I have somewhat of the same problem mentioned. I had the timing belt replaced, water pump, etc. Now, only from a cold start do I get a whining noise for no longer than 5mins though. After the LONG 5mins or so the whining noise goes away. I've heard that spraying some armor all or black magic would subside the problem???? Please help! Thanks.

Rob