Originally Posted By: bepperb
For my 01 4cyl, I was quoted 600 at the dealer, 700 at a private mechanic.
That's with the water pump, and new tensioner, new balance shaft belts. It's not the tensioner that goes bad, it's the bearing on the idler pulley that's "permenantly lubricated".
Against Stevie's advice, I'd never go 500 bucks (or eight hours of my time) into an engine to replace the timing belt and not spend another 120 bucks on a new water pump. Think it'll make 200,000 miles? Not if you've seen one and all the plastic on it. And I sure as heck wouldn't do all that work and not spend 20 bucks on a new tensioner. Whether it's a spring or piston, it's most likely a sealed bearing on the idler that needs the attention.
Unlike most other cars, the Honda isn't a treat to do this on. In the I4 case, the engine mount runs right through the center of the belt and requires removal. It just wasn't designed for easy replacement like a cough... toyota, GM, ford.. ehhem, which is probably 3~400 for the same work. Even a subie with two banks of cylinders is somehow easier!
Yep, when the water pump is run off the timing belt it is about the same labor to replace the pump as the belt. At that point to me it makes sense to replace the water pump too. Digging into that area once every 100,000 is often enough for me.