🔧 Pilot - Timing Belt Kit Replacement

Your Pilot’s 3.5L V6 uses a timing belt (not a timing chain). Replacing the timing belt kit is a major job because you must support the engine, remove the right-side mount, and keep the cam/crank timing perfectly aligned to avoid severe engine damage.

Difficulty Level: Advanced | Estimated Time: 5-8 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Do not rotate the crank/cams with the belt removed; valves can hit pistons.
• ⚠️ Support the engine before removing the right engine mount.
• ⚠️ Work on a cold engine; keep hands clear of pinch points near mounts/pulleys.
• ⚠️ If you remove coolant lines/water pump, catch and properly dispose of coolant.
• ⚠️ Battery disconnect is recommended before you start.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• Metric socket set (8mm-22mm)
• Metric wrench set (8mm-22mm)
• 1/2" drive breaker bar
• 1/2" drive torque wrench (30-250 ft-lbs range)
• 3/8" drive torque wrench (10-80 ft-lbs range)
• Serpentine belt tool (specialty)
• Honda crankshaft pulley holding tool (specialty)
• Harmonic balancer puller kit
• Flat trim tool
• Phillips screwdriver
• Drain pan (at least 2-gallon)
• Funnel
• Engine support bar (specialty)
• Wood block (to cushion jack under oil pan)
• Paint marker
• Shop light

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Timing belt kit (belt + tensioner + idlers) - Qty: 1
• Water pump - Qty: 1
• Water pump gasket/O-ring - Qty: 1
• Honda-compatible coolant - Qty: 2-3 gallons (premix equivalent)
• Serpentine drive belt - Qty: 1
• Crankshaft pulley bolt (recommended replacement) - Qty: 1
• Timing cover grommets/clips (as needed) - Qty: 1 set

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, set the parking brake, and use wheel chocks.
• Disconnect the negative battery cable using a 10mm socket.
• Raise the front and support with jack stands under the proper lift points.
• Remove the right-front wheel using a 19mm socket and remove the right inner fender liner using a trim tool and 10mm socket.
• Set up your engine support bar (this holds the engine from above). If you don’t have one, stop here and get it—this job isn’t safe without proper support.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Remove the engine appearance/intake ducting (access)

• Remove any top engine covers by hand and/or with a 10mm socket.
• Loosen the intake duct clamps using a Phillips screwdriver and move the ducting out of the way.

Step 2: Remove the serpentine belt

• Use a serpentine belt tool to rotate the belt tensioner and slip the belt off a smooth pulley.
• Take a photo of belt routing first.

Step 3: Support the engine and remove the right engine mount

• Install the engine support bar (specialty) and take the weight of the engine.
• Place a floor jack with a wood block lightly under the oil pan as a backup support (do not lift hard on the pan).
• Remove the right-side mount and bracket fasteners using the appropriate metric sockets.
• Torque: Mount/bracket bolt torques vary by fastener location—use Honda service specs for each bolt on reassembly.

Step 4: Remove timing belt covers

• Remove upper and lower timing covers using a 10mm socket.
• Keep bolts organized by cover position (some lengths differ).

Step 5: Remove the crankshaft pulley (harmonic balancer)

• Install the Honda crankshaft pulley holding tool (specialty) to keep the pulley from turning.
• Use a 1/2" breaker bar and correct socket to remove the crank bolt.
• If the pulley is stuck, use a harmonic balancer puller kit to remove it straight off.
• Torque: Crank bolt torque is critical and model-specific; confirm Honda spec before reassembly.

Step 6: Set engine to Top Dead Center (TDC) and verify timing marks

• Rotate the crankshaft clockwise using a socket and breaker bar until the timing marks align (crank mark and both cam marks).
• Use a shop light and paint marker to highlight the factory marks so they’re easy to see.
• If marks do not align cleanly, do not proceed until you understand why.

Step 7: Release timing belt tension and remove the belt

• Remove/loosen the tensioner fasteners using the correct metric socket.
• Remove the timing belt carefully without rotating the cam sprockets.
• Remove the idler pulley(ies) using a metric socket.
• Torque: Tensioner/idler torques are fastener-specific; use Honda service specs during install.

Step 8: Replace the water pump (recommended with the belt kit)

• Place a drain pan under the engine and drain coolant as needed.
• Remove water pump bolts using a 10mm/12mm socket (as equipped) and remove the pump.
• Clean the mating surface carefully with a clean rag; do not gouge aluminum.
• Install the new pump with the new gasket/O-ring.
• Torque: Water pump bolt torque must match Honda spec for your engine.

Step 9: Install new idlers/tensioner and route the new timing belt

• Install new idler pulley(ies) using a torque wrench and correct socket.
• Install the new tensioner using a torque wrench.
• Route the new belt in the correct order, keeping the belt tight on the non-tensioned side.
• Double-check crank and cam timing marks are still perfectly aligned.

Step 10: Set belt tension and verify by rotating the engine

• Activate/set the tensioner per the kit design (some use a pin that is pulled; some require a preload step). Use your metric sockets as required.
• Rotate the crankshaft clockwise by hand two full turns using a socket and breaker bar.
• Re-check that all timing marks return to alignment.
• If marks are off, stop and correct before starting the engine.

Step 11: Reassemble timing covers, crank pulley, and engine mount

• Reinstall timing covers using a 10mm socket.
• Reinstall the crank pulley and crank bolt using the pulley holding tool and a torque wrench.
• Reinstall the right engine mount/bracket using metric sockets and a torque wrench.
• Torque: Use Honda torque specs for crank bolt and mount hardware before final tightening.

Step 12: Install serpentine belt, fender liner, and wheel

• Install the new serpentine belt using the serpentine belt tool.
• Reinstall the inner fender liner using a trim tool and 10mm socket.
• Reinstall the wheel using a 19mm socket and tighten lug nuts in a star pattern.
• Torque: Lug nut torque is model-specific; confirm Honda spec before final torque.

Step 13: Refill coolant and bleed air

• Refill with Honda-compatible coolant using a funnel.
• Warm the engine and set cabin heat to HOT to help purge air (watch temperature closely).
• Top off coolant after it cools and recheck level the next day.

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✅ After Repair

• Start the engine and listen: there should be no slapping, chirping, or grinding.
• Check for coolant leaks around the water pump area with a shop light.
• Verify the serpentine belt tracks centered on all pulleys.
• Test drive short and recheck coolant level after full cool-down.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $1,200-$2,200 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $300-$700 (parts only)

You Save: $900-$1,500 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 5-8 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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