Question about a weird noise after a timing belt job on a 2015 Honda Civic

I just finished a timing belt change on a 2015 Civic with the 1.8L engine. I followed the manual, torqued everything to spec, and double-checked the marks. When I started it, there was a loud tapping from the valve cover area that wasn't there before. I shut it off right away. I learned that even if the marks look right, the belt can be off by one tooth on the cam gear and still crank, but the valves will be out of sync. Has anyone else had this happen with the R18 engine? What's the best way to verify alignment before the final start?

2 comments

2 Comments

kai_owens10d ago

Oh man, that line about the marks looking right but being off a tooth hits home. I did a belt on my old Accord and had the exact same loud tap right after. Scared me to death. I had to go back and count the teeth between the marks on the cam and crank with a paint pen, like every single one. It was a pain but it was off by one.

lisa_bennett10d agoTop Commenter

Yeah, that paint pen trick is a lifesaver, @kai_owens. I learned the hard way too. On my Civic, the marks can look perfect until you spin it over. Now I always put a wrench on the crank bolt and turn the engine by hand two full times after the belt is on and tensioned. You have to watch the marks line up again perfectly at top dead center. If they don't, you're off a tooth and it's time to start counting. That final check saves so much headache, doesn't it?