SubaDoobaDrew Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 (edited) Hi everyone and a thanks in advance for any helpful info as this is my first post! So basically I bought an 05 Subaru Impreza with a salvage title that is at 74k and both of the serpentine belts have been changed (or so it appears). The car has been sitting for almost a year and hasn't been driven much so I threw a bottle of Lucas to regain the lost torque and horsepower and now it runs nearly new. The guy at advanced auto parts also suggested that I throw in some Seafoam in there too since it had been sitting for so long after the Lucas cycled through. Could this hurt the engine at all, or just help clean out the engine? My main question however is if anyone could suggest a mechanic in the Charlotte, NC area; since I don't believe that the timing belt has been changed. I was told by my mechanic that works on my Chevy Cavalier that it looked fine and should be good till around 90k miles. I frankly would rather just have it replaced and not have to worry about it in 15k miles since I travel for work. So I called around and the Subaru Dealerships in Charlotte and the cheapest wanted 700$ and they said that could change depending on what they feel needed to be replaced. The guy was nice and explained they replace the waterpump and also the engine timing belt tensioner as well when they do the timing belt. Which is understandable to me as I'm considering changing the AC-Belt tensioner after reading horror stories). The only thing that bothers me is that I don't want that 700$ to jump to $1500 which he openly admitted it could "depending on what they find" which is a red-flag to me for mechanics. Also if anyone would like to suggest any other preventative maintenance I should do at this point I'm open to whatever suggestions you have since this is my first Subaru. Many thanks in advance! Edited September 12, 2013 by SubaDoobaDrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaDoobaDrew Posted September 16, 2013 Author Share Posted September 16, 2013 Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I'm traveling to Tennessee next week and will most likely be in the middle of no where. I just really don't want my timing belt to snap in the out in the woods where I don't have cell reception lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 I can't suggest anyone, but the age of the car and the mileage are both below the recommended replacement intervals, 105k miles or 10 years. I wouldn't worry about it for a while. The AC belt tensioner should be an easy change. Might as well replace the Alternator belt at the same time since it could probably use that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaDoobaDrew Posted September 17, 2013 Author Share Posted September 17, 2013 (edited) Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I'm traveling to Tennessee next week and will most likely be in the middle of no where. I just really don't want my timing belt to snap in the out in the woods where I don't have cell reception lol. I was wondering about that I've read different things on different website and forums ranging from 50k to 110k however the guy I bought it from at the dealership told me I can go get it looked at a by a mechanic easily to see if it is cracked or starting to get worn down. I was wondering if his definition of easy is actually easy or more like "yea that'll be 160$ and it'll take an hour" easy. Edited September 17, 2013 by SubaDoobaDrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 If you have a metric socket set you can check it yourself. A few 10mm screws are all that holds the timing end cover on the drivers side. Pop it off and take a peek. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 EJ timing belt failure is rare, it's probably as much to worry about in this case as wondering if the next person that does it...does it properly, doesn't get auto fluids on the belt, doesn't stress the tensioner (which causes them to leak/fail).... but you are smart to consider replacing sooner than later. who knows with a vehicle that sat for awhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaDoobaDrew Posted September 17, 2013 Author Share Posted September 17, 2013 EJ timing belt failure is rare, it's probably as much to worry about in this case as wondering if the next person that does it...does it properly, doesn't get auto fluids on the belt, doesn't stress the tensioner (which causes them to leak/fail).... but you are smart to consider replacing sooner than later. who knows with a vehicle that sat for awhile. Since I'm worrying about both of those issues I'm considering replacing the water pump and timing belt myself. However this is the first time I've done work on a Subaru besides changing the A/C Belt-Tensioner and Oil which I don't even consider "work" but the videos seem pretty simple and straight forward. Would you recommend attempting any of those repairs or just continue looking for a good mechanic since it seems like I may have to replace the EJ belt tensioner as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 Let me put it this way--I've replaced timing belts and rebuilt the front ends on two Legacies (EJ22s, I admit!) and I ain't no great shakes as a mechanic! If I can do it, I'm willing to bet you can too. Study, study, study. Read everything you can about the procedure. Then read it again. Make sure you know exactly what marks go where. Take your time, make notes, take pix if you need to. And if you get stuck come on here and ask for help. That way you can use your hard-earned money to buy the new belt, new idlers, new tensioner (if needed), new water pump, thermostat and gasket, new crank & cam seals, new oil pump o-ring & sealant--you know, all the good stuff! You can do it. Good luck & enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaDoobaDrew Posted September 18, 2013 Author Share Posted September 18, 2013 I decided to just take a peak as recomeneded and this is what I saw. The belt in my opinion doesn't look too bad and doesn't seem overly tight and has about 1/2 inch play. So would you say this looks like a belt with 75k miles on it or a belt with 15k or less mileage on it and with that being said does it look like it should be a priority or should my slowly rusting out exhaust be my priority? I know these are generally simple things. Never worked on an import or Impreza for that matter and it's my dream car so I don't want to royally screw anything up. I can take pictures of my exhaust and let you see what I'm talking about. Also if it comes to the point where the exhaust is the more pending issue I was wondering what a decent affordable replacement would be? I like the sound of the stock double exhaust unit since it's not too loud. Considering I really wouldn't mind boosting my HP and letting my engine breath a little bit better ! Also the right timing belt cover bolt snapped off halfway where the bolt is attached; pics are below. I already super glued it back together, however stupid me left out the nut thats located on the interior therefore I cannot reattach it. So I plan on taking a longer bolt and putting rubber & zinc washers on both sides and tighten it so it seals completely; unlike the manufacturer design which allows moisture to seep inside and corrode the nut and bolt ultimatley fusing them together. Thanks again to everyone who responded! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaDoobaDrew Posted September 19, 2013 Author Share Posted September 19, 2013 (edited) Also here's some pics of my exhaust.. Edited September 19, 2013 by SubaDoobaDrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Belt looks good to me. Normal wear and no evident signs that its rubbing on something or has has oil or coolant spilled all over it. Timing belts aren't supposed to be as tight as a serpentine or vgroove belt (alternator,AC). A small amount of "slack" is normal. Those stupid cover bolts do that all the time, just zip tie the cover back on. I can't really tell if that's rust or mud on the muffler. Are you concerned that its leaking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaDoobaDrew Posted September 19, 2013 Author Share Posted September 19, 2013 (edited) Belt looks good to me. Normal wear and no evident signs that its rubbing on something or has has oil or coolant spilled all over it. Timing belts aren't supposed to be as tight as a serpentine or vgroove belt (alternator,AC). A small amount of "slack" is normal. Those stupid cover bolts do that all the time, just zip tie the cover back on. I can't really tell if that's rust or mud on the muffler. Are you concerned that its leaking? Not really I'm just trying to figure if there's anything that could break within the next year and find out what this rattling sound coming from under the engine bay. It doesn't sound like it's the engine. I was just thinking it was the exhaust because whenever I stop the car and it's in drive it makes a rattling noise and when you put it into park the rattling noise subsides but you can still hear it a little. However once you accelerate it dissapears the engine sounds great when I floor it, the transmission shifts smoothly there's honestly not too much that seems wrong. Just that rattling sound is just bothering me and mechanic suggested before I bought the car that I just replace the exhaust sooner than later along with timing belt but he didn't remove the cover. Edited September 19, 2013 by SubaDoobaDrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brus brother Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Rattle could be loose heat shields on the exhaust. Should be able to get under there and bang around to locate the noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 The lower heat shields on the Y pipe are always loose. Easy fix is to get a 2" exhaust clamp and tighten it around the end of the shield. Do one on each side and they'll never make noise again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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