Timing Belt Noise

[Kyle]

OK... So After 2 weekends spent changing my timing belt, balancing belt, and all the other damn belts on my H23 I finally got it all finished. And after a small prayer I start the car and wow it turned over on the first turn. And the car ran great, but then when the car warmed up and started to idle there is a noise coming from the timing belt area like a mid-high pitched whirling noise. It just does not sound right. Drives fine idle's weird.
I asked a friend of mine who is pretty good with Hondas and say that if the car was off timing in the belt area then the engine would not start. So that’s probably not the problem of course he could be wrong.
Note the car runs great beyond the idle and is smooth on take off and high revs but in idle there is that weird noise. Could it be the belt breaking its self in? I have no idea but any suggestions would be awesome. Thanks

[mrhonda]

Sounds like you may have tensioned the belt too tight.

[Kyle]

I did exactly what the dealer book told me too on the tensioning of the belt.
Will it get better with time you think? (If that is the problem)
My friend said to give it a couple days of driving to see if it clears up…

[mrhonda]

Did you replace the waterpump too? The waterpump has about the same life expectancy as the belt, thats why the two get replaced together. When the waterpump is going bad sometimes they will start making noise like that. Either that, or the tensioner itself may be going bad. Whatever it is, I doubt it will just go away on its own. I would try retensioning the belt and see what happens. Since the tensioner bolt sticks out of the cover, all you should have to do is pull off the p/s belt to get to it.

[Kyle]

I replaced the water pump too.
I will probably retention the belt just to make sure it is all good, but tensioning the belt in the first place was hard and the first time I did it the belts were still loose so i might drive it to a mech. shop just to be sure it is done right.
When you tenstion the belts by lossening the adjusting nut and then tightning the adjusting nut and then turn the crank pulley counterclockwise a quarter turn then lossing the adjusting nut and then tigten again to torque spec. Has this failled on anyone else before because when I did the fisrt time it was still loose.

[mrhonda]

you got it , thats how you're supposed to do it.

[Kyle]

OK I readjusted the timing belt and the noise is still there.
So I am thinking it is because I did not regrease my gears or something any suggestions.
But here is something I need to know ASAP! Please...
When timing the car with a timing gun which mark do you adjust the timing too.
Is it the WHITE TDC mark or the red mark about 3 inches below the TDC?
The HELM INC. Book says the red mark but my H22 is timed to the white TDC?

[aero]

Is the noise coming from the tb area for sure, I know that my pcv valve makes a humming.. annoying sound, dunno if its supposed to or not but it does.

Did you replace the pulleys? One of them could be bad.

[Kyle]

No the pulleys are still the old ones they seemed fine when I checked them out...

[aero]

No the pulleys are still the old ones they seemed fine when I checked them out...

How many miles on them? If the tension is right, it would seem thats what it is. Did you make sure and line up the oil pump and balance shaft pulleys before installing the belt?

Do you have the upper timing belt cover off? The belt may just be rubbing on something, look at the side of the belt and see if that might be the problem.

[Kyle]

I did line up the lower gears just like the book said too.
But I have a crazy feeling the belts are rubbing just like you say!
I will pull the cover friday and see if there are visable marks.
What are the tale/tell signs the tensioners are going out?