What else do you do when changing timing belt

[jdc79b]

I am about to have the timing belt and water pump done on my 2005 subaru outback. It has 95,000 miles. I have heard differant opinions on if it is a good idea to go head and replace head gaskets at the same time. Just wondering what others recommend.

[brus brother]

2005 are prone to an external oil leak. Look at the lower end to see if this has developed. Some say just drive it and check the oil.

It adds about 1000-1300 to your hg job at a shop as I recall.

Otherwise, recommended in addition to the tb and wp are the rollers, gear, and tensioner. These parts can be purchased as a complete kit for for just about what you'd pay for the tb and wp at the dealer. Labor $ is just about the same.

I recently posted a youtube video of a shop doing the full hg etc. repair on an Impreza.

[mattocs]

Cam and crank seals. Water pump and idlers, as mentioned.

 

I wouldn't worry about head gaskets in a 2005 until there is a problem.

[idosubaru]

The only thing I would certainly replace on a vehicle this new at a timing belt interval is the timing belt tensioner. In my experience that's the one part least likely to make it to the next timing belt change.

 

there's nothing definitive about it - you just have to make a decision, it's statistics based in a sense. i think the things most likely to cause you issues before the next timing belt change would be in this order:

 

1. timing belt tensioner (hence that's the one thing i would replace)

2. leaking oil seals (not a bad recommendation from the previous poster)

3. timing pulleys

4. water pump

 

They aren't installing any better head gaskets than was originally on the vehicle as is the case with the older EJ25's with have the updated MLS style available. So to that end I wouldn't be replacing your gaskets that are fine with the same gaskets, that's not good value to me. Older EJ25's have an updated gaskets, newer Phase II's do not.

 

If they install the turbo style gasket for you, that's what I would use, then maybe....but:

 

what he said - if they're not leaking i wouldn't replace them. while a significant number of them do have issues, enough don't have it that i wouldn't throw money at it for no reason.

 

if your particular shop is going to actually give you a great deal, like not charge for the timing belt install if they do the headgsaket job...then maybe it's a good fit for you? i still wouldn't do it but what's a good fit for me and you will differ.

 

on a car as new as yours I wouldn't replace anything unless it's leaking. cam seals and crank seal should be inspected - which requires removing the sprockets but they are otherwise easily accessible. if wet - replace them. i typically always replace them on older vehicles but 05's aren't as a rule the rubber on the seals isn't starting to age and leak.

 

i would be very particularly about the pulleys. personally I replace them all and the timing belt tensioner with every timing belt job on a newer Subaru.

 

if they aren't all replaced i would be doing the next timing belt a bit earlier - like 175,000 instead of 200,000. that's not a bad idea in reality anyway.

 

water pumps rarely fail on these motors but it's never a bad idea to replace them either, they aren't all that expensive.

 

if the seals are all dried they can probably make 200,000 miles and in the event they start to leak a little, they are unlikely to cause any reliability, break down, or other issues - just annoying leaks/burning smells. then you just do your timing belt early in that case - at 150,000 miles but then you're good to 250,00 or whatever if done right. so that's why i feel okay skipping those sometimes - though i do them often enough as well. just depends on the vehicle/owner.

[jdc79b]

2005 are prone to an external oil leak. Look at the lower end to see if this has developed. Some say just drive it and check the oil.It adds about 1000-1300 to your hg job at a shop as I recall.

Otherwise, recommended in addition to the tb and wp are the rollers, gear, and tensioner. These parts can be purchased as a complete kit for for just about what you'd pay for the tb and wp at the dealer. Labor $ is just about the same.

I recently posted a youtube video of a shop doing the full hg etc. repair on an Impreza.

 

 

By an external oil leak are you refering to leaky valve covers or something else.

[glkiller2]

Oil pump? Oring on oil pump? dunno if it's in there on that one....

[brus brother]

By an external oil leak are you refering to leaky valve covers or something else.

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=130454

If you read the post linked above, there is some discussion of the location and possible cause of this oil seepage. If it's bad enough SOA will cover replacemnt under 60K warranty. Mine had just ran over an extended 80K warranty but SOA graciously kicked in 1K of a $1300 bill for the hg job and I paid the additional charges for early replacement of tb/wp/tensioner parts only.