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timing belt how to with picks


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that bottom idler pulley ........Is that a suby OEM part ......its orange and it looks like a single roller baring.

 

the top idler is black and looks like a double roller

 

shouldn't the bottom one look like the top?

Edited by bobaru
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it looks like the one in my signature.

 

nipper posted it a while back, in the fall maybe, and at the time we were getting so many how to questions i linked in my signature.

 

also in my signature, instructions on how to insert a web address link as a "click here". not a lot of detail, but if you work with it you can figure it out.

Edited by johnceggleston
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would this process be identical for the EJ25?

 

yes and no. it is the same process and everything you see is the same on the SOHC ej25 except maybe the belt tensioner, but on the DOHC there are 2 more cam sprockets that need to be lined up. several folks use and have recommended using small spring clamps, larger than clothes pins, to hold the belt in place during the process. (have we gotten so old that the young people do not know what clothes pins or turntables are?)

 

i picked up a 4 pack at northern tool last month for $1.99 or less, i think.

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nice article. i would add/change the following:

 

1. dont use sealant on the water pump gasket. if your having trouble holding it on, use a small dab near the outside of the bolt hole.

 

2. if your going through all of this, replace the radiator hoses. even the small one coming off the water pump.

 

3. use small binder type clips to hold the timing belt in place while lining up the marks. these are strong enough to hold the belt on without damagine the belt.

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it looks like the one in my signature.

 

nipper posted it a while back, in the fall maybe, and at the time we were getting so many how to questions i linked in my signature.

 

also in my signature, instructions on how to insert a web address link as a "click here". not a lot of detail, but if you work with it you can figure it out.

 

WOW

you not going to beleive this when I'm logged on I do not see you signature

 

When I'm at my moms house not logged on I see youre signature.

 

I logged on to type this and I dont see sig

 

:confused::confused::confused::confused::confused::confused:

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I think you can turn off signature display in your settings page somewhere - I'm sure that must be it.

 

As for the idler bearings - Subaru at some point "upgraded" all the lower idler's that were single-row bearings to double row. Not that it seems to matter much - especially if you replace them every time you do the belt (I do since I often buy the aftermarket "kit" that contains everything under the sun - better safe than sorry for the price IMO. If I were buying dealer parts I would still change them every other belt change like the water pump. The aftermarket kits seem to come with only the single-row idler's - again I haven't had a problem with one yet (OEM or otherwise).

 

As for failures - I've seen the cogged idler's fail most commonly, followed by water pumps. When the water pump goes it will often cause enough drag on the belt to pull back the tensioner and cause the belt to skip one or several teeth on the cam sprockets - leading to very rough running or a no start.

 

EJ22 belts are pretty simple beasts - I leave the lower smooth idler off and install the belt - then I install the lower idler, pry the tensioner over and lock it down, then pull the retaining pin. That's what works for me anyway - I'm sure there are other methods.

 

Oh - and as for sealant on the WP gasket - that depends on what type of gasket you use. The OEM gasket uses no sealant, but most aftermarket one's are paper - which is fine. I hold them in place with a very light coating of RTV. The old EA engines used paper gaskets for the WP and I've even used nothing but RTV alone and I've never had a problem with any of the methods as long as it's done with care and a good eye. Just don't use anything with the OEM graphite/metal gasket - it doesn't need it.

 

GD

Edited by GeneralDisorder
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Oh - and as for sealant on the WP gasket - that depends on what type of gasket you use. The OEM gasket uses no sealant, but most aftermarket one's are paper - which is fine. I hold them in place with a very light coating of RTV. The old EA engines used paper gaskets for the WP and I've even used nothing but RTV alone and I've never had a problem with any of the methods as long as it's done with care and a good eye. Just don't use anything with the OEM graphite/metal gasket - it doesn't need it.

 

GD

 

when i did my ej22 swap, i had a substantial coolant leak, tracked it back to the water pump which was new with subaru gasket. i pulled the water pump only to discover i had failed to tighten one of the water pump bolts, WHAT A DUMMY!!!!

 

i replaced the gasket with a new one, better safe than sorry.

 

Q: could i have reused the the wp gasket, most of which had been compressed?? i saved it just in case. what do you think?

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Q: could i have reused the the wp gasket, most of which had been compressed?? i saved it just in case. what do you think?

 

If none of the coating has come off, then it would probably work. I've never tried to reuse one of those, but maybe since it's still basically new.

 

As pointed out though - the cost in labor would kinda suck against the cost of the new gasket if it didn't work.

 

GD

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  • 2 months later...

That link in the first post is a great tutorial.

 

Crank Pulley was a bear to get off as usual. What ended up doing the trick was one pry bar against where the alternator bolts to the power steering. Then took a 4' 1x2 board vertical between the AC pump and the alternator running down near the crank pulley and sitting on the floor. This board gave me a strong leverage point for another prybar (instead of busting up the plastic covers) Then just pry one side at a time (left, right, left, right) and it eventually walked out.

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The cam gears came off fairly easy by just putting the bolt back in the crank and using the breaker bar to hold the engine while I loostened the cam gear bolts. Obviously this was done before removing the old timing belt.

 

Getting the cam seals out was another PITA. I went to get a Shaft Type Seal Puller but nobody had one. Ended up going through two sets of small picks. Dental tools were too weak and my small screw drivers weren't working.

Edited by MorganM
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So I got all of my marks to line up with the belt marks. Let the tensioner pin go and expand for a few minutes. Then rolled it over with the breaker bar... and the marks on the belt do not line up with the marks on my cams or crank! The belt marks can line up with the marks on the timing belt covers and on the oil pump. The marks I made on the cam gears and the notch in the crank gear can line up with the marks on the timing belt covers and oil pump... but no mater how many times I roll it over I cant get ALL of the marks to line up like I had it when I installed the belt. I thought this was really weird because when I used to do EA82 timing belts I would roll it over by hand and everything would still line up.

 

Anyway I started the car and she fired right up so I guess it's OK. I'll know more tomorrow because I had to shut it down right away since the radiator was out a nd it's half torn apart still.

 

Oh and putting the lower right tensioner on last was much easier than trying to do the lower left gear last.

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Some final thoughts now that it's done.

 

Make a loopback or coupler for the AT cooler lines and then you can do some test starts before putting the radiator back in (and all of the covers, etc..). What I did was run a hose that fit inside the tranny cooler lines from the IN to the OUT hose so it would just loopback to itself. Seemed to work fine for doing quick test starts to verify timing belt was done properly.

 

Poor man's impact wrench... hammer + breaker bar. Sadly I still have to use this method because my impact gun doesn't fit between the front of the engine and the AC condenser! =P Worked well on the cam and crank bolts for the final torque down; I guess we'll see if it's tight enough since I didn't get a torque wrench.

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