2005 - 2015 Honda Pilot Timing Belt and Water Pump Replacement (with video)

This DIY involves the replacement of the Timing Belt, Water Pump, Tensioner and Guide Pulleys on the 2005 - 2015 Honda Pilot (repair performed on the 2012). The service interval is 105,000 miles or 7 years. Replacement parts and service steps may also be applied to other Honda and Acura vehicles with minor variations as follows:

• '05 - '15 Honda Odyssey
• '12 - '14 Honda Crossover
• '03 - '12 Honda Accord
• '10 - '14 Acura TSX
• '04 - '14 Acura TL
• '13 - '18 Acura RDX
• '03 - '17 MDX

Special tools needed would be a Honda 19 mm (Crankshaft Pulley / Harmonic Balancer) Impact Socket used with a powered impact driver.

This article with video details the steps involved in performing the maintenance service.

This 20 minute video will provide you with visual step-by-step help for completing this replacement. The steps are also described lower down in the article.

1. Remove the plastic Push Pins that holds the plastic Wheel Well Cover over the Crankshaft Pulley / Harmonic Balancer. Bend the Wheel Well Cover away from the Crankshaft Pulley and secure with a Bungee Cord or comparable strap.

2. Using a Honda specific 19 mm Harmonic Balancer Socket, torque off the Crankshaft Pulley / Harmonic Balancer Bolt with a powered (air or electric) impact driver. Using a standard 19 mm Impact Socket will not work; must use a high mass/heavy socket in order to generate continuous twisting torque to remove this bolt. Approximately 30 seconds of electric powered impact eventually will loosen the bolt.

3. Remove the Accessory Belt. The Tensioner Pulley is above the Guide Pulley. Apply counter clockwise torque to the center 14mm Tensioner Pulley Bolt to relieve tension on the belt.

4. Optional: This step can be performed now or later. Remove the Belt Tensioner Assembly (which consists of the Tensioner and Guide Pulleys) by removing the bolt at the bottom left of the Guide Pulley followed by the removal of the center Guide Pulley bolt.

Photos of the Honda 19 mm Harmonic Balancer Bolt Impact Socket and the Honda Pilot Belt Tensioner Assembly is shown below:

1. Remove the black plastic Engine Cover. There are two (2) plastic slit screws that can be turned counter clockwise with a screw driver to release the tension. The rear of the cover can be pulled out; they are not bolted in place.

2. Detach the Power Steering Pump (PSP) from the engine as follows:

a. Disconnect the Power Steering Fluid Return Hose from the Pump by removing the hose clamp away from pump connection point. The hose can be plugged with a 1/2" short socket extension to prevent fluid leakage.

b. Remove the PSP mounting bolts. There are two (2) bolts. One in the back of the pump which can be clearly seen and the other underneath the pulley.

c. Move the PSP away from the Timing Belt area and hold in place with a small Bungee cord or other strap.

d. Pull the PSP Fluid Reservoir out of it's bracket and move it away from the work area.

The Passenger Side Motor Mount is blocked from removal by four (4) large electrical levered harness connectors. Three (3) of the connectors are mounted and levered into a Electrical Bus. Pinching the top portion of the gray lever clip followed by pulling down on the lever will disconnect the electrical connection. A bottom electrical connection is a "stand alone" connection.

The Electrical Bus is supported over the right front fender by three (3) 10 mm bolts. And the three (3) bus connectors are protected by a black plastic cover.

1. Remove the Electrical Bus Back Plastic Cover. Its clipped on the right and levered on the left for pull out removal.

2. Disconnect the three (3) electric bus connectors. Pinch and pull down on the gray levers.

3. Unbolt the three (3) 10 mm bolts that holds on the Bus Assembly and the bolt that holds the A/C high pressure line. Detach all plastic wire harnesses.

4. Remove the Bus Assembly.

5. Disconnect the last wire connector that was below the Bus Assembly.

6. Move the Wire Connectors away from the Motor Mount.

7. Support the engine from drooping down prior to the side motor mount removal by placing a hydraulic jack below the Engine Oil Pan. Protect the pan with a block of wood.

8. Remove the two (2) bolts that secures the round mount to the engine side mount.

9. Remove the long bolt that runs through the center of the round Motor Mount and remove it.

10. Remove the bolts that holds the Motor Mount Bracket to the chassis of the car.

11. Remove the Motor Mount Bracket.

12. Optional: Loosen the three (3) bolts that secures Side Motor Mount Bracket to the Engine. The bracket cannot be removed until the Timing Belt Covers have been removed.

13. If not previously done, remove the Accessory Belt Tensioner Assembly.

The Timing Belt Covers are held in place by 10 mm bolts all of the same size.

1. Remove both the Left and Right Timing Belt Covers.

2. Remove the lower Timing Belt Cover and the Timing Belt Guide Plate on the Crankshaft Sprocket.

3. Remove the 10 mm bolt on top of the Side Motor Mount Bracket.

4. Remove the three (3) bolts that holds the Side Motor Mount Bracket to the engine and remove the bracket.

The Crankshaft and Camshaft Timing Marks must be positioned BEFORE removing the Timing Belt. To do this, the Crankshaft / Harmonic Balancer Bolt must be re-installed back onto the Crankshaft in order to manually rotate the engine to achieve alignment. There is a vertical arrow on the engine block above the Crankshaft Pulley and vertical line marks behind each of the Camshafts.

1. Install the Crankshaft Bolt. Using a long handled or "Cheater Bar Assisted" Ratchet Wrench, rotate the engine clockwise until the alignment mark on the Crankshaft Pulley is in alignment with the vertical arrow on the engine block.

2. Check the alignment marks with the Camshaft. The right bank (firewall side) Camshaft indentation mark should be in alignment with the vertical line mark on the engine block. If not, the engine must be rotated another 360 degrees. The right bank Camshaft Alignment Mark should now be in alignment and the Crankshaft Pulley in alignment with the Engine Bock arrow. The left bank Camshaft should be in alignment as well.

3. Apply paint marks on the old belt to match the camshaft alignment marks. On the Crankshaft side, apply a paint mark on both the belt and Crankshaft Pulley. The paint marks on the old belt can be transcribed onto the new belt and will make the new belt mounting and installation easier.

4. Optional: Remove tension torque off of the Timing Belt Guide Pulley and Tensioner Pulley bolts.

5. Remove the two (2) bolts that holds the Belt Tensioner to the Engine Block. The lower bolt cannot be removed unless the Oil Pump Pressure Sensor is first removed. This will provide a path to the lower bolt. Note: There is a rubber O ring gasket for the Oil Pump Pressure Sensor.

6. There is a semi-circle bracket that surrounds the lower portion of the Timing Belt to the Crankshaft Pulley. Remove the two (2) nuts that holds this bracket in place before removing the belt.

7. Remove the Timing Belt.

8. Remove the Tensioner and Idler Timing Belt Pulleys.

The Water Pump is held in place by five (5) 10 mm bolts. Advisable to place a large plastic pan underneath the car to capture the coolant that will splash out of the engine when the water pump is removed. A plastic concrete mixing pan can be purchased at most hardware stores for less then $10.

1. Remove the five 10 mm bolts that holds the Water Pump to the engine.

2. Remove the pump. A small pry bar or screw driver can assist in breaking the seal between the pump and engine.

3. Make sure the O ring is removed with the Water Pump.

5. Clean contact surfaces with a wire brush.

1. Install the new Water Pump O Ring onto the new Water Pump. If the O ring will not stay on, a small dab of di-electric grease or super glue between the O ring and Pump will help to keep it on.

2. Mount the new Water Pump onto the engine block and finger tighten on the 10 mm bolts.

3. Using a 1/4" Socket Wrench, apply staggered torque to all the mounting bolts.

1. Transfer the old Timing Belt paint marks to the new Timing Belt. Ensure the marks can be delineated between the Camshaft and Crankshaft.

2. The old Tensioner Pulley Bracket has a metal bolt sleeve recessed in the bracket hole. Transfer this sleeve from the old bracket to the new bracket. Remove any corrosion with a wire brush and apply a light coat of grease.

3. Re-compress the Timing Belt Tensioner. If a new tension was not purchased, the old tensioner can be re-used. The Tensioner's center shaft must be pushed in (compressed) and held in place with a high strength steel pin (like a drill bit). I re-use steel pins from previous timing belt jobs and they're called "Granade Pins" because that's what they look like. However, a drill bit will work just fine. There's a pin hole in the center shaft that must align with a pin hole on the outer edge of the Tensioner. Place the Tensioner in a large vice and squeeze down with every turn of the vice handle the center shaft until the holes line up. Insert the drill bit or granade pin and remove the Tensioner from the vice. Do not allow the pin to extend too far beyond the Tensioner.

1. Bolt on the new Tensioner Pulley Bracket (with the new pulley) and the Idler Pulley. Threadlock can be applied to the bolt threads to ensure they won't "walk out" with vibration. Do not over torque. The bolts are steel and the engine block is aluminum. Over torquing will strip the engine block threads.

2. Mount the new Timing Belt on to the Crankshaft Pulley and align the paint marks. Hold the belt in place and install the semi-circle belt bracket. This will prevent the belt from slipping off. The belt bracket is held in place with two (2) 10 mm nuts.

3. Mount the Timing Belt over the right (firewall) side Camshaft Sprocket and align with the paint marks. To ease installation, turn the Crankshaft Sprocket one cog clockwise to provide more belt slack. There should be enough slack to slip the belt over the Tensioner Pulley. Clips can be used to prevent the belt from coming off the Camshaft Sprocket. Note: If the camshaft "springs" past its timing mark, realign the sprocket by using a box wrench on the sprocket bolt to turn back the sprocket.

4. Mount the Timing Belt over the left side Camshaft Sprocket and align with the paint marks. To ease installation, turn the Crankshaft Sprocket one cog counter clockwise from the center alignment mark to provide belt slack. Doing so will remove the belt slack on the right side. There should be enough slack to slip the belt under the new Water Pump. If not, moving the left side Camshaft Sprocket one cog to the left (counter clockwise) should provide adequate slack.

5. Install the Timing Belt Tensioner. Turning the Crankshaft Sprocket clockwise should provide slack to install the two (2) 10 mm Tensioner Mounting Bolts.

6. Pull out the Belt Tensioner pin (drill bit or granade pin) to allow the tensioner shaft to spring out and apply pressure to the Tensioner bracket. Needle Nose Pliers can be used to ease the removal.

Reinstall:

1. Timing Belt Guide Plate.

2. Side Motor Mount Bracket. Screw on the 10 mm bolt on top and the three (3) Mounting Bolts on the left side.

3. Lower Timing Belt Cover.

4. Upper Timing Belt Covers.

5. Right Side Motor Mount.

6. Electrical Bus. Three (3) 10 mm mounting points.

7. Electrical Connectors to the Bus. Snap fit by lifting the gray levers up. Afterwards, the Bus black plastic cover.

8. Bottom Electrical Connector.

9. Any and all plastic wire harness straps and ground points.

10. Power Steering Pump to the Engine Block.

11. Power Steering Pump Return Line to the pump.

12. Accessory Belt Tensioner Assembly.

13. Accessory Belt.

14. Crankshaft Pulley

15. Crankshaft Pulley Bolt with the large washer attached.

16. Accessory Belt.

1. Ensure the Power Steering Pump Reservoir is slotted into its holder. Fill Reservoir with Honda compatible Steering Fluid.

2. Remove the radiator cap and fill with Honda compatible blue coolant.

3. Remove the Hydraulic Jack supporting the engine from the oil pan.

4. Start car and let run until normal operating coolant temperature is reached. Add coolant when the level drops.

5. Position back the fender splash / mud guards and fasten in place with the removed push pins.