[HistorianX]

Thanks for all the details. I remember a few years ago my local dealer advertised tb and water pump for $775 (no tensioner). Those retail prices on parts and coolant are hard to swallow but looks like they did a good job. Do you notice any difference with those valve adjustments? Now I know why I've never kept a Honda V6 past timing belt time. A dealer in the area (Rensselaer) has an option to prepay for service and just the TB job alone is $995 so when you throw in the tensioner, water pump, drive belt and a valve adjustment I bet the numbers come in higher than yours.

Not really that much more. Parts are the cheapest cost drivers of T/B replacement. It's the labor that the costliest, that's why you get that whole front end system done at once.

 

[HistorianX]

That's curious since 100k miles is essentially the timing belt interval that I've always seen for most Honda cars at the more "regular" service interval, hydraulic tensioner or not. Maybe they all wear out at the same rate?

Sometimes it's sooner, regardless of mileage. I think 7 years is the max, sooner if you live in a dry and extreme hot or cold climate. I had mine done on my 2012 Acura in 2019, with only 57K, and there was some light cracking in the original belt's contact side. But I live in a dry climate with radical seasonal temp swings.

 

[SEW]

Your valve adjustment findings are interesting and expected. Loose valves are noisy and performance reducing. Tight valves are quiet, no initial performance loss, & worse if they are on exhaust valves (as your’s were). Yet, the owner’s manual recommends to adjust valves IF they become Noisy. I’ve adjusted hundreds of Honda valves. The valve seats must have improved tremendously since later models of the 4 cyls I’ve adjusted have needed very little adjustment.
Generally, the more agressivly the engine has been driven, the more the valves get out of adjustment. They’re a lot easier to adjust with the plugs out. On my ‘22, I plan to adjust between 40-50 K miles (myself) and likely none after that. Going 100K before adjusting is a long time to me.
Tight exhaust valves for 10s of thousands of miles isn’t something I want to do.

 

[silkiechicken]

A complete timing belt job should include a new water pump, elimination the need to inspect the old one.

Hopefully @Lifesaver1 has no issues with a re-used water pump, but when I was calling around, I'd have to say half the dealer shops were only going to initially quote a water pump inspection. I had to specifically ask what was included in the TB service at each place to get an equivalent quote. I'd venture to guess there are tons of vehicles rolling around on original pumps as some service advisors said replacement was not necessary.

Your valve adjustment findings are interesting and expected. Loose valves are noisy and performance reducing. Tight valves are quiet, no initial performance loss, & worse if they are on exhaust valves (as your’s were). Yet, the owner’s manual recommends to adjust valves IF they become Noisy. I’ve adjusted hundreds of Honda valves. The valve seats must have improved tremendously since later models of the 4 cyls I’ve adjusted have needed very little adjustment.
Generally, the more agressivly the engine has been driven, the more the valves get out of adjustment. They’re a lot easier to adjust with the plugs out. On my ‘22, I plan to adjust between 40-50 K miles (myself) and likely none after that. Going 100K before adjusting is a long time to me.
Tight exhaust valves for 10s of thousands of miles isn’t something I want to do.

I can't say I noticed noisy or a change in performance before/after the TB service. We DIY'ed the TB/valves on our old 97 CRV, where if memory serves me right, I do think it got quieter after the adjustments. Maybe the clacking injectors on the RL hide any of that change. That said, on your note regarding aggressive driving, the old CRV was floored left and right and towed our little boat at capacity. We put all 126 horses, minus the ones that may have escaped, to full use pretty much constantly. The RL however.... is more of a laid back roving land yacht that I've floored maybe a half dozen times since owning it. It would have been interesting to know exactly how tight or how loose the valves were when the tech did the adjustment.

 

[Harvey Wall]

Hopefully @Lifesaver1 has no issues with a re-used water pump, but when I was calling around, I'd have to say half the dealer shops were only going to initially quote a water pump inspection. I had to specifically ask what was included in the TB service at each place to get an equivalent quote. I'd venture to guess there are tons of vehicles rolling around on original pumps as some service advisors said replacement was not necessary.

The ones that inspect are the ones to avoid. The OEM timing belt kit usually comes with a water pump. If they are just inspecting, then they are probably hoping to sell you a water pump that you may have already paid for and didn't get, along with a huge labor fee.

 

[SEW]

I can't say I noticed noisy or a change in performance before/after the TB service. We DIY'ed the TB/valves on our old 97 CRV, where if memory serves me right, I do think it got quieter after the adjustments. Maybe the clacking injectors on the RL hide any of that change. That said, on your note regarding aggressive driving, the old CRV was floored left and right and towed our little boat at capacity. We put all 126 horses, minus the ones that may have escaped, to full use pretty much constantly. The RL however.... is more of a laid back roving land yacht that I've floored maybe a half dozen times since owning it. It would have been interesting to know exactly how tight or how loose the valves were when the tech did the adjustment.

Best I remember, your exhaust valves (worse case also) were the tight valves which would have been quiet. The loose valves would have been noisy if really loose and degrading performance. When I do/did others’ valves, I recorded the actual measurement of all valves. You didn’t actually get those readings, apparently. I probably do overkill though.🙂

The valves would have to be off quite a bit to notice a performance difference after an adjustment. You likely know this already.

 

[silkiechicken]

Best I remember, your exhaust valves (worse case also) were the tight valves which would have been quiet. The loose valves would have been noisy if really loose and degrading performance. When I do/did others’ valves, I recorded the actual measurement of all valves. You didn’t actually get those readings, apparently. I probably do overkill though.🙂

The valves would have to be off quite a bit to notice a performance difference after an adjustment. You likely know this already.

The next time we have the valves adjusted, we will take note or ask that note to be taken. It would be for sure useful info, even if just for curiosity sake. I was fairly impressed any note was taken, given the reputations of dealerships even when asked!

I actually am not sure how much of a performance difference there would need to be for me to notice there was a performance difference. We had the fuel injectors replaced via TSB and I also could not feel any difference before/after the service... nor can I tell when the VCM is on/off... so I might be a bad person to judge performance changes. LOL

 

[SEW]

I might be too, ref VCM on/off.