VolvoMatt Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Pretty nice weather today, so I decided to tackle the timing belt project that I wanted to do before a ~4000-6000 mile road trip next month. There have been no running issues with the car, but, it's got 185k miles, and zero service history. Belt didn't look bad to me. Attached pics show cracks, but I really had to bend it tight to get those cracks to show. All idler pulleys looked okay too.. little noise, tiny bit of play. Ditto water pump. Said pulleys and water pump are all getting replaced. I hate doing a project like this with the feeling it was unnecessary. Ah well, I suppose peace of mind makes it worth it. Does that belt look all that bad? NAPA brand (still visible)Second, water pump gasket. I forgot to get gasket sealant. And now I'm committed, have no car, and the nearest parts store is nearly 2 hours away. Any thoughts on something that would work in lieu of 'the right stuff'? Bearing grease? Shoe goo? Silicone calk? I can probably get some sealant tomorrow from a neighbor, but alternative ideas would be helpful.Lastly, what other precautionary maintenance stuff might you recommend in advance of a fairly long trip? On other types of cars (Volvos), I generally carry a bunch of spare parts.. fuel pump, distributor, etc. Are the simple things I should carry just in case? Thanks for any and all thoughts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 water pump gasket. I forgot to get gasket sealant. what kind of gasket do you have? i doubt that sealant is going to help the gasket. either the gasket seals, or the sealant seals, but you don't need both. usually sealant on a gasket just holds the gasket in place so you can bolt it up. the belt looks old. carry with you on your trip: water and /or coolant on your trip. hose clamps & duct tape, the combination can get you to a parts store. tape it ans then clamp it . go slow to a parts store. 2 qt. of oil, a credit card, and a AAA card, maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VolvoMatt Posted January 3, 2015 Author Share Posted January 3, 2015 Thanks.. the gasket is what came with the kit. And in the kit were instructions that said apply sealant to both sides. I read that only shortly before I was fixin' to install the gasket dry, as I would normally do. But, a coolant leak there effectively means the whole job all over again. Don't want to do that.I'll not worry about it too much. And if it drips a bit, I don't care. This ain't no trailer queen (but we love her just the same )Thanks for the reminder on renewing the AAA subscription Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VolvoMatt Posted January 3, 2015 Author Share Posted January 3, 2015 (edited) Is there a way to delete a duplicate post here?Not my normal computer and this guy has an itchy trigger finger Edited January 3, 2015 by VolvoMatt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 (edited) and for the record - no, you did not waste your time - that belt was in need of replacing, and noisy pulleys with a tiny bit of play can quickly become failed pulleys that will leave you stranded - not what you want on a long trip. In addition to what johnceggleston has suggested - carry a toolbox with at least a basic metric socket set - make sure you have one to fit the main crank pulley & possibly a cheater bar, perhaps a few of the most common combo wrenches (open & box end - 10, 12, 14 mm), screwdrivers, pliers, a utility knife, wire cutters, vise grips if you have them. Edited January 3, 2015 by heartless 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 that belt looks terrible to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 carry a large c clamp if you had to re-do your belt as you can squeeze down the tensioner with it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Belts toast. Needed to be changed. Install paper gaskets dry. No sealant. On old carburetors I wipe the gasket with oil because it helps the gasket conform to irregular surfaces a bit better. Also keeps the gasket from sticking so its easier to clean off. Done it on water pumps too and it seems to help keep coolant out of the paper which helps keep it from dissolving into pulp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOONGA Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Wow that makes the timing belt I just replaced look brand new, bending it like that had made it even more unusable than it was 185K and it looks to be the original timing belt, did it have subaru stamped on it or was the brand long gone with wear? If there is any play / sideways movement in any of the pulley wheels they are stuffed as well. A light coat of oil, grease or silicon just so it stays in place while you put the bolts in is all you will need on the gasket. Just gently smear what every you use thinly over the surfaces of the gasket when you are ready to put the pump on. TOONGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 When you are done be sure to top off the radiator thru the little square head plastic bolt/cap on the passenger side of the radiator. Cam and crank seal? Thermostat? New hoses? Always good to consider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VolvoMatt Posted January 3, 2015 Author Share Posted January 3, 2015 (edited) Thanks all! I feel much better now The old belt was definitely not the original.. It has NAPA printed on it. Not sure about about the idlers (SKF is what came out, I think) or the water pump. I suppose I should be prepared to do timing belt on the road, if only to insure that I don't need to I figure it's less likely to fail though at steady highway speeds. It's just the proximity to home that worries me. And no, I considered doing seals, but... A) they aren't leaking, and I don't care if they decide to leak a little (I know, bad for rubber belts, but...) I should have picked up a thermostat, but... eh, not gonna happen. Edited January 3, 2015 by VolvoMatt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 carry a large c clamp if you had to re-do your belt as you can squeeze down the tensioner with it. Or a pre-compressed tensioner with a pin in it ready to go As for the Water pump.....Do not use the WP gasket at all if it's a paper one. Which I assume it is because if the pump came with a correct gasket....it wouldn't have said to use sealant. Call a friend, get a ride, or order a OE stamped metal one from reputable seller and have it shipped to you. If you use the paper gasket, with or without sealant.....it will have been a waste of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VolvoMatt Posted January 3, 2015 Author Share Posted January 3, 2015 The gasket that came with the pump seemed better than paper, but definitely less than stamped metal. In any event, the project is done. I ended up using a very thin smear of sealant on both sides of that gasket. No sign of leaks. Only problem with the belt was getting the idlers in place with the belt aligned. Not knowing the order of operations, it seemed that getting belt aligned, then around the water pump, then get the toothed idler on, then the other low smooth idler last. That toothed one was a bit of a bear, but I got it.Any hints on bleeding the cooling system? Upon completion, I refilled the radiator first, then the overflow tank, then radiator again.. Is it just a matter of running it and keep topping of off until it's happy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newtribeca Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 http://www.strongforsubaru.com/resources/subarucoolantbleeding.html this is a basic overview, but when working on cooling systems the thing I've found super helpful is a rubber mallet. It sounds redneck as heck, but when I can't identify the place air is most likely to pop up tapping on the bottom of the system on up with a rubber mallet can help get rid of air bubbles. And there have been times when I've realized that a hose is on wrong or whatnot. Cooling is a complex system. And I'll say I got no experience on subies but I have a lot of experience on any American system you can name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 On the old 2.2 its best to fill the engine with coolant via upper radiator hose before filling the radiator. If the radiator has a bleed screw on the upper corner opposite the cap, open it to let air out while filling. If you got at least a gallon and a half to go into the system you should be good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VolvoMatt Posted January 4, 2015 Author Share Posted January 4, 2015 Fascinating. And thanks for the advice! Very first thing I did was drain the coolant. It was low, and I knew that in advance. But never bothered to top it up, knowing the upcoming project. Upon completing the project, of course, last thing to do was add that coolant back in (clean before, clean after). At first, it wouldn't take all that I'd drained. Ran the car for a spell. Added the remainder. Still no heat. Topped it off yet again, took a short drive (including steep ups and downs, as that's how the road here are). For about 15 seconds, I started getting good heat from the vents.Then back down hill, heat went away again. That's the curious part to me. I'll get it figured out, and really do appreciate everybody's replies throughout this project. I do love learning new things, taking on new tasks. But man, I sure don't like going in blind. Thanks for the eyes! -Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 When you are done be sure to top off the radiator thru the little square head plastic bolt/cap on the passenger side of the radiator. Works and is easy to button up with car running up to warm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 the oil seals generally don't leak such that the belt gets wet unless they're just gushing oil out...which is highly unlikely. the only one i've ever seen do that was an aftermarket seal on an older Subaru which were known to not be well-fitted and the seal was a fraction too large. It puked oil out all over the new belt which failed in about 6 months due to oil saturation. And when I say saturation, it was saturated, he must have been dumping oil in it weekly. as much as it's talked about - i've never seen a failed thermostat in a Subaru. it obviously happens but i wouldn't be terribly concerned. that being said - the thermostat is easily replaceable right under the vehicle regardless of the timing belt job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/fill-and-burp-your-cooling-system-burpcoolingsystem-198487.html?t=198487 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VolvoMatt Posted January 5, 2015 Author Share Posted January 5, 2015 Pretty sure I got it, the hard way. Between filling, running, filling, running, nose raised (easy with lots of steep hills), opening the radiator vent, filling radiator, filling overflow, driving to a neighbor's steep driveway, repeat, squeeze upper rad hose... etc, etc. I think in the end, I got it over-filled. I'll keep an eye on that, but otherwise, no leaks, heater seems to be 100%. Perhaps better than before this project even. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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