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A friend brought me this 99 Forester with 200K+ miles after it died with a bang.  It turned over too easy and no racket or fluids spilled or mixed.

Pulled the timing belt covers and the belt is nearly toothless -nothing is turning except the crank. It seems to have compression on whatever cycle the cams are currently.

Is it worth putting a belt on and seeing if it will run, or should I assume it needs valves or it's toast?

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It's worth the 15 minutes to check just in case.

 

But otherwise, good block but heads need a valve job or you could put a set of used heads on there for a runner.

Yea, prolly the valves are bad, since it is an interference motor. Pistons should be okay. It is only the valves that gets taken out.

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Seriously people?  Put a belt on it and find out!

 

There is 50/50 chance with an interference motor that the valves are bent or are not bent.  Just because it is interference doesn't guarantee the valves bent, it just makes it a lot more likely.

 

Your not going to know until you put the crank at TDC, put a belt on it, and then try starting it.

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Thanks for the replies! It is still here, should have kept a belt from one, I've done a couple. I am struggling to ask my friend to buy a belt and roll the dice, on what might be a bust. And he insists on paying me.

He has an OB that is going to need one, maybe if the Foz is bent, I can use the belt on that. Don't think he wants to drop a bunch of cash buying heads, or valves in this high mileage car -although the rest of it is in fair shape.

Any advice here would help -I don't know if I'm up for the tear down...

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Ok I have an idea...

The same guy has a 01 Outback that will need a timing belt soon. I think I will get the kit and try the belt and tensioners on the Foz  and see what happens. If it runs, I'll go ahead and do the wp, etc., If not, (and He wants to cut his losses) -I can put the kit on the Outback instead. 

Does this sound feasible?

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an EJ timing belt can be installed in 45 minutes, rip the covers off if you have too in the rust belt.

the timing covers, accesory belt and crank pulley don't even need reinstalled to start the engine.

hang the belt in 20 minutes and start it.

 

If it were me I would buy the full kit and install on the 01 outback. Then take the old belt and try it on the forester.

 

now that's a good idea.

 

someone on here woudl probably have an old belt they'd send you for $5 if needed.  i have one...though i'm traveling through like 8 states in the next week starting tomorrow...

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Well I guess if you gota you gota. Like gary said you just need to get the belt on , no need to cover everything back up or put acc. belts & pulleys on.  Line it up ,release the tensioner , roll the engine by hand. the first sign of bent valves will be if it doesn't want to turn over normally by hand.  If it rolls around two times at crank without hitting anything and your timing marks still line up ... then go turn the key and see if it starts. 

Edited by montana tom
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Just thinking, because removing valve covers can be a pain, but if you wanted to do that instead .. if you have bent valves you will find loose rockers when they should be tight , and compressed springs that shouldn't be. 

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Thanks Montana, I was struggling to figure out how to get the vc's off, plugs out or do a compression test on this thing- decided changing the belt is going to be the fastest way to know...

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If you decide to let it go I'd be interested

Stay tuned coma.

Waiting on the kit to see what happens. When I got the covers off I found the culprit. The cog idler bearings had become shrapnel and seized. There was a pile of teeth from the belt, although the belt was not broken.

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This belt is not going on with the marks aligned. When I try, the D side cam comes up way short and when I go to hook it in place, it spins past.

The old belt looks longer in comparison even though it's chewed up.

Is there a different version of the ej25 belt??

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Well per rockauto it seems a '99 OBW and a '99 Forester w/ 2.5L H4 engines take different timing belts.

 

Gates TB for a '99 Forester will fit:

SAAB 9-2X 2005 SUBARU FORESTER (1999 - 2010) SUBARU IMPREZA (1999 - 2005) SUBARU IMPREZA 2.5I (2006 - 2011) SUBARU IMPREZA OUTBACK SPORT (2006 - 2011) SUBARU IMPREZA SPORT (2008 - 2011) SUBARU LEGACY (1999 - 2012) SUBARU OUTBACK (2000 - 2012)

Please refer to catalog for application details.

 

It could be an older EJ25D belt that you got which would be different.

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