Tools you need for water pump on a 2018-2022 Honda Accord

The 10th-gen Accord uses a timing-chain-driven water pump on all three engines, so there is no belt-driven pump hanging off the front of the block. To reach it you drain the coolant, support the engine, drop the passenger side mount and bracket, pull the crank pulley, and take off the timing chain case cover. That cover is sealed with Honda liquid gasket, not a gasket you can buy at the counter, so plan on a clean, patient reassembly.

What varies by engine is mostly the front-of-engine clutter you have to move: the 1.5T and 2.0T have an accessory belt and tensioner to deal with, while the Hybrid's LFA has no belt at all but adds high-voltage safety steps. The thing people get wrong is the sealant — either the wrong product, too much of it, or letting it skin over before the cover goes on. Follow the factory bead diagram, bolt the cover down in sequence right away, and respect the cure time before you run the engine hard.

Complete tool and parts list

Differences within the 2018-2022 generation

1.5T (L15BE) and 2.0T (K20C4) both have a serpentine accessory belt with an automatic tensioner — a 14 mm socket or long 3/8 in ratchet releases it. The Accord Hybrid's LFA engine has no accessory belt (electric A/C and steering), so you skip belt removal but must de-energize the high-voltage system first. Water pump part numbers, cover bolt lengths and chain guide layout differ between all three engines; order by VIN. Lug nuts are 19 mm and the crank pulley bolt takes a 19 mm socket across the generation.

Torque specs

How the job goes

1. Park on level ground, let the engine cool completely, and disconnect the 12 V battery negative terminal (10 mm). On the Hybrid, also switch off the system, remove the key from the area, and follow the factory high-voltage shutdown before touching anything near orange cabling.
2. Remove the engine cover and, if fitted, the intake resonator/air box pieces for access (10 mm and Torx).
3. Raise the front of the car, support it on stands at the pinch welds, and remove the passenger front wheel (19 mm).
4. Remove the underbody splash shield and the passenger side inner fender liner (10 mm bolts and plastic clips).
5. Open the radiator cap slowly, then open the radiator drain plug and catch the coolant. Drain the block drain if your manual specifies one. Expect roughly 5-6 quarts total.
6. On 1.5T and 2.0T, release the automatic belt tensioner with a 14 mm socket or long ratchet and remove the accessory drive belt. Note the routing. The Hybrid has no accessory belt.
7. Set up the engine support bar across the strut towers (or a jack with a wood block under the oil pan), take up the engine weight, then remove the passenger side engine mount and the mount bracket from the block (1/2 in drive, 14-17 mm). Raise or lower the engine only as much as needed for clearance.
8. Remove any brackets, the idler pulley and the alternator/AC lines or wiring harness clips that cross the timing chain case cover. Move lines aside — do not open the AC system.
9. Hold the crankshaft with the pulley holder and break the crank pulley bolt loose (19 mm) or hit it with an impact gun. Remove the pulley, using a puller if it is stuck.
10. Remove all timing chain case cover bolts, keeping them in order — they are different lengths. Pry the cover at the factory pry points only and lift it off. The crank seal usually comes with the cover; replace it while the cover is off.
11. Photograph the chain, tensioner and guide positions. Remove the water pump bolts and lift the pump out, noting how its sprocket engages the chain. Check the chain, guides and tensioner for wear while you are in there.
12. Clean the block and cover mating faces down to bare metal with a plastic scraper and brake cleaner. Remove every trace of old liquid gasket and any coolant film from the pump seat.
13. Fit the new pump with its new O-ring, engage it with the chain correctly, and torque the bolts to spec in a cross pattern.
14. Apply a continuous bead of Honda liquid gasket to the cover exactly as the manual's diagram shows, install the cover within the sealant's working time, and torque the bolts in the specified sequence.
15. Install the new crank seal (if separate), then the crank pulley, and torque the bolt to spec plus angle if called for.
16. Reinstall the mount bracket and engine mount, torque to spec, then remove the engine support. Reinstall pulleys, brackets, harness clips and the accessory belt.
17. Reinstall the fender liner, splash shield and wheel; torque lug nuts to 80 ft-lb in a star pattern. Lower the car.
18. Close the radiator drain, fit a spill-free funnel and fill with pre-mixed Honda Type 2 coolant. Run the engine with the heater on high, burp the system until the thermostat opens and the level stabilizes, then top off the reservoir.
19. Reconnect the battery, reset the clock and windows, run the engine to full temperature and check for leaks at the cover, pump and crank seal. Recheck coolant level cold the next day.
20. Honda's liquid gasket usually needs a cure period before you pressurize the system hard — check the manual's wait time before the first drive.

Watch out

Fastener sizes (10/12/14/17/19 mm, 19 mm lugs and crank bolt) and the chain-driven pump layout are accurate for the 10th-gen L15BE, K20C4 and LFA engines, but bolt torques, liquid gasket bead pattern and whether your crank pulley bolt is single-use must be confirmed against the Honda service manual for your exact VIN.

Other jobs on the 2018-2022 Honda Accord

Water Pump Replacement on other vehicles