🔧 Odyssey - Timing Belt Replacement

Replacing the timing belt on your Odyssey is a major service that keeps the crankshaft and camshafts synchronized. On this 3.5L V6, this repair is normally done with the water pump, timing belt tensioner, idler pulleys, and coolant because they sit behind the same covers.

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

Assumption: This procedure is for the stock 3.5L V6 J35 engine in your Odyssey.

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ This is an interference engine. If the timing marks are wrong, internal engine damage can occur.
• ⚠️ Support the engine before removing the right-side engine mount. The engine can drop if unsupported.
• ⚠️ Disconnect the negative battery cable before starting.
• ⚠️ Never rotate the crankshaft or camshafts backward during belt installation.
• ⚠️ Do not use the timing belt to force camshaft movement.
• ⚠️ Let the engine cool completely before draining coolant.
• ⚠️ Use jack stands. Never work under a vehicle supported only by a jack.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• 3/8-inch drive ratchet
• 1/2-inch drive breaker bar
• 1/2-inch drive torque wrench
• 3/8-inch drive torque wrench
• 10mm socket
• 12mm socket
• 14mm socket
• 17mm socket
• 19mm socket
• 22mm socket
• 10mm wrench
• 12mm wrench
• 14mm wrench
• 17mm wrench
• Long socket extensions
• Universal joint socket adapter
• Honda crankshaft pulley holding tool 50mm (specialty)
• Crankshaft pulley bolt socket 19mm high-mass (specialty)
• Harmonic balancer puller (specialty)
• Serpentine belt tool 14mm (specialty)
• Trim clip removal tool
• Flathead screwdriver
• Phillips screwdriver
• Needle-nose pliers
• Coolant drain pan
• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Wood block
• Engine support bar (specialty)
• Paint marker
• Shop towels
• Funnel
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Timing belt kit - Qty: 1
• Timing belt hydraulic tensioner - Qty: 1
• Timing belt idler pulley - Qty: 1
• Timing belt tensioner pulley - Qty: 1
• Water pump with gasket - Qty: 1
• Crankshaft pulley bolt - Qty: 1
• Serpentine drive belt - Qty: 1
• Honda-compatible blue coolant concentrate or premix - Qty: 2 gallons
• Right engine mount bolts - Qty: 1 set

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park your Odyssey on level ground, shift to Park, and apply the parking brake.
• Open the hood and let the engine cool fully.
• Disconnect the negative battery cable with a 10mm wrench.
• Raise the front passenger side with a floor jack and support it with jack stands.
• Remove the right front wheel area splash shield for access.
• An engine support bar holds the engine from above while the mount is removed. If you do not have one, use a floor jack and wood block under the oil pan very gently.
• A harmonic balancer is the crankshaft pulley at the bottom front of the engine. It drives the serpentine belt.
• A torque wrench tightens bolts to an exact tightness. This is required for this job.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Disconnect Battery and Raise Vehicle

• Use a 10mm wrench to disconnect the negative battery cable.
• Use a floor jack to lift the passenger front side.
• Place jack stands under the proper front support points.
• Put on safety glasses and nitrile gloves.

Step 2: Remove Right Front Wheel and Splash Shield

• Use a 19mm socket to remove the right front wheel lug nuts.
• Remove the wheel and set it aside.
• Use a trim clip removal tool, 10mm socket, and Phillips screwdriver to remove the inner splash shield.
• Keep clips grouped by location.

Step 3: Remove the Serpentine Belt

• Take a photo of the belt routing before removal.
• Use a serpentine belt tool 14mm on the belt tensioner.
• Rotate the tensioner to release belt tension.
• Slide the belt off the pulleys and remove it.

Step 4: Support the Engine

• Install an engine support bar across the upper engine bay and lightly support the engine.
• If using a jack, place a wood block on the floor jack and gently contact the oil pan.
• Do not lift the vehicle by the oil pan. Only support the engine weight.

Step 5: Remove the Right Engine Mount

• Use a 14mm socket and 17mm socket to remove the right-side engine mount fasteners.
• Remove the engine mount and bracket from the timing cover area.
• Keep the mount bolts organized because different lengths may be used.
• Final installation torque varies by bolt position. Typical Honda mount fasteners are tightened in the 49-64 Nm (36-47 ft-lbs) range unless the replacement bolt instructions state otherwise.

Step 6: Remove Upper Timing Covers

• Use a 10mm socket to remove the upper timing belt cover bolts.
• Carefully pull the covers away from the engine.
• Use a flathead screwdriver only for gentle help if a cover sticks.

Step 7: Remove Crankshaft Pulley Bolt

• Install the Honda crankshaft pulley holding tool 50mm into the crank pulley.
• Use a 1/2-inch drive breaker bar with the holding tool to keep the pulley still.
• Use a crankshaft pulley bolt socket 19mm high-mass and 1/2-inch drive breaker bar to loosen the crankshaft pulley bolt.
• This bolt is very tight. Work slowly and keep the tool square.
• Discard the old crankshaft pulley bolt after removal.

Step 8: Remove Crankshaft Pulley and Lower Timing Cover

• If the crank pulley does not slide off by hand, use a harmonic balancer puller.
• Use a 10mm socket to remove the lower timing cover bolts.
• Remove the lower timing cover.

Step 9: Set Engine to Top Dead Center

• Use a 19mm socket on the crankshaft bolt area to rotate the engine clockwise only.
• Align the crankshaft timing mark with the pointer on the oil pump housing.
• Check both camshaft pulley marks. The marks should line up with the cylinder head marks.
• Top Dead Center means piston number 1 is at the top of its stroke and the timing marks line up.
• Use a paint marker to mark the belt-to-sprocket positions before removal.

Step 10: Remove Timing Belt Tension

• Use a 10mm socket or 12mm socket to remove the timing belt guide components as needed.
• Use a 12mm socket to remove the hydraulic tensioner bolts.
• Remove the hydraulic tensioner.
• Do not pull the tensioner pin on the new tensioner yet.

Step 11: Remove Old Timing Belt and Pulleys

• Slide the old timing belt off the camshaft pulleys, idler pulley, tensioner pulley, water pump, and crankshaft sprocket.
• Use a 14mm socket to remove the idler pulley and tensioner pulley.
• Do not rotate the camshafts after the belt is removed.
• If a cam jumps, stop and realign carefully.

Step 12: Drain Coolant

• Place a coolant drain pan under the radiator drain area.
• Open the radiator drain with needle-nose pliers if needed.
• Remove the radiator cap only when the engine is completely cool.
• Drain enough coolant so the water pump can be removed without spilling heavily.

Step 13: Replace the Water Pump

• Use a 10mm socket to remove the water pump bolts.
• Remove the old water pump and gasket.
• Clean the sealing surface with shop towels. Do not gouge the aluminum surface.
• Install the new water pump with its new gasket.
• Use a 3/8-inch drive torque wrench to tighten the water pump bolts evenly to 12 Nm (9 ft-lbs).

Step 14: Install New Timing Pulleys

• Install the new idler pulley using a 14mm socket.
• Install the new tensioner pulley using a 14mm socket.
• Use a 3/8-inch drive torque wrench to tighten timing pulley bolts to 44 Nm (33 ft-lbs).

Step 15: Install New Timing Belt

• Confirm the crankshaft and both camshaft timing marks are still aligned.
• Route the new belt over the crankshaft sprocket first.
• Continue around the front camshaft, water pump, rear camshaft, idler, and tensioner pulley.
• Keep the belt tight on the non-tensioner side while routing.
• Use the paint marker to confirm the belt marks match your sprocket marks if the belt has no factory alignment marks.

Step 16: Install Hydraulic Tensioner

• Install the new hydraulic tensioner with a 12mm socket.
• Use a 3/8-inch drive torque wrench to tighten the tensioner bolts to 22 Nm (16 ft-lbs).
• Pull the tensioner retaining pin only after the belt is fully routed and marks are aligned.
• The hydraulic tensioner slowly applies correct belt tension.

Step 17: Verify Timing by Hand

• Use a 19mm socket and 1/2-inch drive breaker bar to rotate the crankshaft clockwise two full turns.
• Stop at Top Dead Center again.
• Recheck the crankshaft and both camshaft timing marks.
• If any mark is off, remove the belt and correct it before continuing.
• Do not start the engine until the marks line up exactly.

Step 18: Reinstall Timing Covers

• Use a 10mm socket to reinstall the lower timing cover.
• Use a 10mm socket to reinstall the upper timing covers.
• Use a 3/8-inch drive torque wrench to tighten small timing cover bolts snugly to 10 Nm (7 ft-lbs).

Step 19: Reinstall Crankshaft Pulley

• Slide the crankshaft pulley fully onto the crankshaft nose.
• Install a new crankshaft pulley bolt by hand first.
• Use the Honda crankshaft pulley holding tool 50mm to hold the pulley.
• Use a 19mm socket and 1/2-inch drive torque wrench to tighten the crankshaft pulley bolt to 245 Nm (181 ft-lbs).

Step 20: Reinstall Engine Mount

• Position the right engine mount and bracket by hand.
• Start all bolts by hand to prevent cross-threading.
• Use a 14mm socket and 17mm socket to tighten the mount bolts.
• Use a 1/2-inch drive torque wrench and tighten mount fasteners to the service-range specification for their position, typically 49-64 Nm (36-47 ft-lbs).
• Remove the engine support bar or lower the floor jack slowly after the mount is secure.

Step 21: Install New Serpentine Belt

• Route the new serpentine belt according to your photo or belt routing label.
• Use the serpentine belt tool 14mm to rotate the tensioner.
• Slide the belt onto the final pulley and release the tensioner slowly.
• Check that every belt rib sits correctly in every pulley groove.

Step 22: Refill Coolant

• Close the radiator drain.
• Use a funnel to refill with Honda-compatible blue coolant.
• Fill the radiator and overflow reservoir to the proper marks.
• Leave the radiator cap off for initial air bleeding.

Step 23: Reinstall Splash Shield and Wheel

• Use a trim clip removal tool, 10mm socket, and Phillips screwdriver to reinstall the splash shield.
• Reinstall the wheel by hand-starting the lug nuts.
• Lower the vehicle with the floor jack.
• Use a 1/2-inch drive torque wrench and 19mm socket to tighten lug nuts to 127 Nm (94 ft-lbs).

Step 24: Reconnect Battery and Initial Start

• Use a 10mm wrench to reconnect the negative battery cable.
• Start the engine and listen carefully.
• The engine should idle smoothly with no knocking, slapping, or belt rubbing sounds.
• If you hear abnormal noise, shut the engine off immediately.

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✅ After Repair

• Let the engine warm up with the heater set to hot.
• Watch the temperature gauge. Shut the engine off if it overheats.
• Top off coolant after the thermostat opens and air bubbles stop.
• Install the radiator cap once the cooling system is full and stable.
• Check for coolant leaks around the water pump and hose areas.
• Recheck coolant level after the first full heat cycle and again the next day.
• Test drive gently for 10-15 minutes, then inspect for leaks and belt noise.
• Reset the maintenance reminder if timing belt service was part of scheduled maintenance.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $1,200-$1,900 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $300-$650 (parts only)

You Save: $900-$1,250 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 5-7 hours.

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