Honda Fit (2nd Gen) Timing Cam Chain Replacement
Introduction
This guide covers removing and replacing the timing (cam) chain on the second-generation Honda Fit, along with its tensioner, tensioner slider, and chain guide. The L15A engine in these cars drives its valvetrain with a chain rather than a rubber belt, so the assembly normally lasts the life of the engine and rarely needs routine service. The procedure is still worth understanding for cases of confirmed chain stretch, a failed tensioner, or a cylinder-head rebuild that requires the valvetrain to be re-timed. Because the chain sits behind the accessory drive, the job requires supporting the engine, dropping the side mount, and removing the chain case; there is no shortcut through the wheel well. The work also hinges on precise timing-mark alignment, and this is an interference engine, so an error can bend valves. Adapted from a community writeup by FitCrazy80 on FitFreak (https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-generation-ge8-specific-diy-repair-maintenance-sub-forum/67934-diy-replacing-cam-chain-09-a.html), including corrections from the follow-up discussion.
Reference
Tools Required
- Socket and wrench set
- Torque wrench
- Floor jack with a wood block to support the oil pan
- Lift or jack stands
- Flat-blade screwdriver (to hold the tensioner slider)
- Ruler or calipers to measure chain separation
- Scraper for removing old liquid gasket
- Scan tool for the CKP pattern learn procedure
Parts Required
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Cam chain
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Cam chain tensioner
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Cam chain tensioner slider and chain guide (replace if worn)
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Chain case oil seal (replace if damaged)
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Honda liquid gasket (P/N 08717-0004, 08718-0003, or 08718-0009)
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New side engine mount/bracket assembly mounting bolts and nuts
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Engine oil
Safety Warnings
- ⚠ This is an interference engine. If the timing marks are not correctly aligned, the pistons can strike the valves. Verify every crankshaft and camshaft mark before rotating the engine.
- ⚠ Never rely on the jack alone. Keep the car on a lift or jack stands and use the under-pan jack only to carry the engine's weight.
- ⚠ Respect the liquid-gasket cure times: seat the chain case within 5 minutes of applying the gasket, hold off at least 30 minutes before refilling oil, and leave the engine unstarted for a minimum of 3 hours once the case is on.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1 Bring cylinder 1 to TDC and remove the valve cover
Remove the cylinder head cover so the camshaft sprocket is exposed. Rotate the engine until the No. 1 piston sits at top dead center: the sprocket's UP mark should point straight up, and its TDC grooves should register flush with the upper edge of the cylinder head. Establishing this reference before disassembly makes the new chain's timing marks easy to confirm on reassembly.
2 Strip the accessory drive
Remove the right front wheel and the splash shield behind it to reach the front of the engine. Break the water pump pulley bolts loose while the belt still holds the pulley, then remove the drive belt, the water pump pulley, and the crankshaft pulley. Finally take off the drive belt auto-tensioner. This clears everything in front of the chain case.
3 Support the engine and remove the side mount
Set a jack with a wood block under the oil pan and take up the engine's weight, enough to unload the mount without lifting the car off its supports. Disconnect the ground cable, then unbolt and remove the side engine mount and its bracket assembly, which sits directly over the chain case.
4 Remove the cam chain case
Unbolt the cam chain case from the head, block, and oil pan and lift it away. Expect to break a liquid-gasket seal as it comes free. Note the original sealant bead pattern for reassembly and keep all mating surfaces clean.
5 Measure chain wear against the service limit
Measure the cam chain separation and compare the reading against the service limit of 0.59 in (15 mm). Use that figure to judge whether the chain and tensioner have reached the point of replacement. If you are here because of a tensioner fault or a head rebuild, plan to renew the chain and tensioner together.
6 Release the tensioner and remove the chain
Coat the tensioner slider's sliding surface with fresh engine oil. Hold the slider steady with a screwdriver, remove its retaining bolt, and back off the second bolt so the slider can come free. Lift out the slider, then the tensioner and the chain guide, and finally slip the old cam chain off its sprockets.
7 Set the crankshaft to TDC and free its sprocket
Begin reassembly by placing the crankshaft at top dead center: rotate it until the sprocket's TDC mark meets the oil-pump pointer. With that alignment set, slide the crankshaft sprocket off so the new chain can be looped over it.
8 Confirm the camshaft timing position
Verify the camshaft is still at TDC before fitting the chain. The cam sprocket's UP mark should face up, and its TDC grooves should sit level with the top of the head. Correct the position if it has drifted.
9 Fit the new chain to the timing marks
Loop the new chain onto the crankshaft sprocket so its colored master link sits on the sprocket's TDC mark, then reinstall the sprocket on the crankshaft. At the top, seat the chain on the camshaft sprocket with the sprocket pointers matched to its three colored links. These marks set the valve timing, so double-check every one before continuing.
10 Install the tensioner, guide, and slider
Refit the cam chain tensioner and the chain guide. Install the tensioner slider and start its bolt loosely, then oil the slider's sliding face. Rotate the slider clockwise to compress the tensioner, fit the remaining bolt, and torque both bolts to take up the chain slack.
11 Seal and refit the chain case
Inspect the chain case oil seal and renew it if it is nicked or hardened. Scrape all old liquid gasket from the case, its bolts, and the bolt holes, then clean and dry the mating faces. Lay a fresh bead of Honda liquid gasket (P/N 08717-0004, 08718-0003, or 08718-0009) along the head and block faces of the case, the oil-pan face, and around the inside of every bolt hole. Set the case edge to the oil-pan edge and fit it to the block without dragging its lower face across the pan surface, and get it seated within five minutes of laying the gasket. Snug the mounting bolts and wipe away any squeeze-out.
12 Work the mounts through the settling sequence
Refit the side engine mount and bracket and start the new bolts and nuts, leaving the nuts loose at first. Reconnect the ground cable, then temporarily remove the air cleaner housing to reach the transaxle mount. Loosen the transaxle mount bracket fasteners and the torque rod fastener, raising and lowering the car as needed to relax the rubber, then tighten the mounts in sequence, side mount nuts, then the transaxle mount, then the torque rod at full lift, so none of the mounts is left preloaded.
13 Reassemble the accessory drive
Refit the air cleaner housing and reinstall the cylinder head cover. Put back the drive belt auto-tensioner, the crankshaft pulley, and the water pump pulley, then fit the drive belt and finish tightening the water pump pulley bolts. Reinstall the splash shield and the right front wheel.
14 Relearn the crank sensor and finish
With everything back together, run the Crankshaft Position (CKP) sensor pattern clear and pattern learn procedure with a scan tool so the ECU relearns the crank signal. Refill and check the oil only after the sealant has cured, and the car is ready to run.
Pro Tips
- 💡 The L15A uses a chain specifically so the valvetrain lasts the life of the engine; replacing a healthy chain purely as preventative maintenance is generally unnecessary.
- 💡 A rattle that appears only on a cold start and fades once oil pressure builds can point to the chain tensioner, but on higher-mileage cars a loose spark plug or a loose heat shield is a far more common cause, so check those before opening the engine.
- 💡 There is no wheel-well shortcut to the tensioner; servicing any chain component means removing the accessory drive and the chain case.
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