Wow, with that short life I'd be checking everything around that belt. Waterpump, tensioner pulleys, anything that might cause it to go so quickly. Oil leaking onto the belt?

 

Jim, I recall that the car used to have this high pitched whine when it started up, plus the power steering pump used to whine when the A/C was on and the car was cold when steering. I have not had any of these issues since the repair work. I think all this is evidence that something was wrong. Also this car was parked for about a year because we both had newer cars. It is my daily driver now!

 

Most likely the tensioner had never been replaced through 3 timing belt changes and the tensioner bearing siezed. That might be the whining you heard. Water pumps usually leak massively before failing, but I'm sure it's possible for water pump to sieze also.

regards

 

Parking for a year can certainly contribute to a tensioner bearing seizing up. Whining might also indicate the belt was over-tightened.

 

So I have put several thousand miles on the car since my last post. The car has started misfiring, and I noticed daily small puddles of oil on the driveway. Looks like the oil is coming from the valve cover gasket on the intake manifold side of the engine and from behind the timing chain cover. I also pulled the spark plugs and found the plug closest to the timing chain covered in oil, and the spark plug boot looked like it had started to melt at some point.
I am no mechanic, but I am thinking I need to replace the valve cover gasket, along with the 4 O rings for the sparkplug holes.
It would not **** me off, if I hadn't just spent money on new wheels and tires.
Any other areas I need to look at?

 

Valve cover gasket and spark plug tube gaskets are an easy repair. However, the LX engine has additional oring seals beneath the rocker arm assy that are also prone to leak w/ age.

Also under the timing belt cover, the rear balance shaft cover oring seal is a notorious leaker. Other leak possibilities are forward balance shaft seal, camshaft seal, and crankshaft seal, however these are less likely.

good luck

 

Well looks like my 1998 Accord has reached the end of the road. I replaced the valve Cover gasket. Then the car started stalling a low speed. Around the same time the Valve cover gasket I installed blew! Lost almost all the Oil. Had it repaired professionally... it kept stalling until one day it would not restart. Had the engine compression tested, along with fuel pump and injectors tested. According to the mechanic it has burnt valves.