🔧 Ridgeline - Timing Belt Kit Replacement

Your Ridgeline’s 3.5L V6 uses a timing belt (not a timing chain). Replacing the timing belt kit (belt + tensioner + idlers, and usually the water pump) is critical maintenance—if the belt fails, it can cause severe engine damage.

Difficulty Level: Advanced | Estimated Time: 4-7 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on a cool engine; hot coolant can burn you.
• ⚠️ Support the engine before removing the right-side engine mount.
• ⚠️ Do not rotate the crankshaft/camshafts with the belt removed; you can bend valves.
• ⚠️ Use jack stands; never rely on a floor jack alone.
• ⚠️ Disconnect the negative battery cable if your hands/tools will be near the starter cable area.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Safety glasses
• Mechanic gloves
• Wheel chocks
• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Torque wrench (10–250 ft-lbs range)
• Breaker bar (1/2-inch drive)
• Socket set (8mm–19mm, 3/8-inch drive)
• Socket set (10mm–22mm, 1/2-inch drive)
• 19mm impact socket
• Ratchet (3/8-inch drive)
• Ratchet (1/2-inch drive)
• Extensions (3/8-inch drive, 3-inch and 6-inch)
• Wrench set (10mm–19mm)
• Phillips screwdriver
• Trim clip remover
• Drain pan (at least 2-gallon)
• Funnel
• Honda crank pulley holding tool (specialty)
• Engine support bar (specialty)
• Paint marker
• Shop towels

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Timing belt - Qty: 1
• Timing belt tensioner - Qty: 1
• Timing belt idler pulley - Qty: 1
• Timing belt tensioner pulley - Qty: 1
• Water pump - Qty: 1
• Water pump gasket / O-ring - Qty: 1
• Honda Type 2 coolant (premixed) - Qty: 2–3 gallons
• Serpentine belt - Qty: 1
• Crankshaft pulley bolt - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• 🅿️ Park on level ground, set the parking brake, and chock the rear wheels.
• 🔋 If you disconnect the battery: use a 10mm socket to remove the negative terminal and isolate it.
• 🧰 Set up your engine support bar (it holds the engine from above while the right mount is off).
• 🖊️ Have a paint marker ready to mark belt direction and timing marks.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Raise and access the right side

• Use wheel chocks behind the rear wheels.
• Use a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) at the correct front jacking point and lift the front-right.
• Support the truck with jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Remove the right front wheel using a 19mm socket.
• Remove the inner fender splash shield using a trim clip remover and Phillips screwdriver.

Step 2: Drain coolant (for water pump replacement)

• Place a drain pan (at least 2-gallon) under the radiator drain.
• Open the drain and cap as needed and drain coolant.
• Keep coolant off pets and paint.

Step 3: Remove the serpentine belt

• From the passenger-side access area, rotate the belt tensioner using the correct socket/wrench set (10mm–19mm) size on the tensioner hex.
• Slip the belt off and remove it from the pulleys.

Step 4: Support the engine and remove the right engine mount

• Install the engine support bar (specialty) and snug it to hold the engine weight.
• Remove the right-side engine mount fasteners using a socket set (8mm–19mm, 3/8-inch drive) and socket set (10mm–22mm, 1/2-inch drive) as needed.
• Set the mount and bracket aside in the order removed.
• Torque to Honda spec (refer to OEM service information) during reassembly.

Step 5: Remove the timing covers

• Remove the upper and lower timing belt covers using a socket set (8mm–19mm, 3/8-inch drive) and extensions (3/8-inch drive, 3-inch and 6-inch).
• Keep bolts organized by cover section.
• Torque to Honda spec (refer to OEM service information) during reassembly.

Step 6: Set the engine to Top Dead Center (TDC) on cylinder #1

• Use a 19mm impact socket and breaker bar (1/2-inch drive) on the crank bolt to rotate the engine clockwise.
• Align the crank timing mark and both cam timing marks to their reference marks.
• Mark the belt-to-sprocket positions with a paint marker.
• Only rotate clockwise.

Step 7: Remove the crankshaft pulley

• Install the Honda crank pulley holding tool (specialty) to hold the pulley.
• Use a breaker bar (1/2-inch drive) with a 19mm impact socket to loosen/remove the crank pulley bolt.
• Remove the crank pulley.
• Torque to Honda spec (refer to OEM service information) for the new crank bolt during reassembly.

Step 8: Remove the old timing belt

• Relieve timing belt tension by removing/loosening the tensioner fasteners using the appropriate socket set (8mm–19mm, 3/8-inch drive).
• Remove the belt carefully, keeping the cam/crank gears from moving.
• If a cam gear wants to “spring,” stop and re-check you’re at TDC.

Step 9: Replace idlers, tensioner, and water pump

• Remove the idler pulley(ies) using a socket set (8mm–19mm, 3/8-inch drive).
• Remove the water pump bolts using a socket set (8mm–19mm, 3/8-inch drive) and place the drain pan (at least 2-gallon) underneath for spillover.
• Clean the gasket surface with shop towels; do not gouge aluminum.
• Install the new water pump with the new gasket/O-ring.
• Install the new idler pulley(ies) and new timing belt tensioner.
• Torque to Honda spec (refer to OEM service information) for water pump, idlers, and tensioner fasteners.

Step 10: Install the new timing belt and set tension

• Confirm crank and cam marks are still perfectly aligned.
• Route the new belt in the correct direction (follow the belt’s printed arrows if present).
• Keep the belt tight on the non-tensioned side while installing.
• If your new hydraulic tensioner uses a retaining pin, pull the pin only after the belt is fully routed and marks are aligned.
• Re-check marks before pulling the pin.

Step 11: Verify timing by hand-rotating the engine

• Use a 19mm impact socket and breaker bar (1/2-inch drive) to rotate the crankshaft clockwise by hand two full revolutions.
• Bring it back to TDC and re-check all timing marks.
• If marks are off, stop and correct before reassembly.

Step 12: Reassemble covers, mount, belt, wheel

• Reinstall timing covers using a ratchet (3/8-inch drive) with the correct socket set (8mm–19mm, 3/8-inch drive).
• Reinstall crank pulley and install a new crank bolt using the Honda crank pulley holding tool (specialty), torque wrench (10–250 ft-lbs range), and 19mm impact socket.
• Reinstall the right engine mount and bracket using the correct socket set (10mm–22mm, 1/2-inch drive).
• Reinstall the serpentine belt using the wrench set (10mm–19mm).
• Reinstall splash shield using a trim clip remover and Phillips screwdriver.
• Reinstall wheel using a 19mm socket and torque with a torque wrench (10–250 ft-lbs range).
• Torque to Honda spec (refer to OEM service information) for crank bolt, mount fasteners, and lug nuts.

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✅ After Repair

• 🧊 Refill coolant with Honda Type 2 coolant (premixed) using a funnel.
• 🧪 Bleed air from the cooling system per Honda procedure and top off after the first full warm-up/cool-down cycle.
• 🔍 Start the engine and listen: no slapping, chirping, or rubbing noises.
• 🛑 Check for coolant leaks around the water pump area and for any coolant smell.
• 🧰 Recheck coolant level the next day after it cools completely.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

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

DIY Cost: $250-$650 (parts only)

You Save: $950-$1,550 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 4-7 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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