Help, First Timer Timing Belt Replacement

[Left_coast*9]

Hey folks! I found this site only yesterday and wow is it the Bomb. This is my first post. I have owned Subaru wagons since 1986 and they deserve all the attention and fanfare that this site gives them. I've only scratched the surface in going through all the valuable information here.

 

Ok, so I have a dead Subaru in my driveway at the moment. It's a 1988 1.8L FI with 223K miles. And let me tell you, she's a beauty. But I have to get her fixed so can resume the duty of being my daily driver to work and back, a 126 mile daily trek.

 

So the story is I had someone replace the belts less than 10K miles ago but a bearing froze up and tore all the teeth off one of the belts. The estimate this time around was close to $600 smackers so I told the mechanic screw you (nicely, of course) and decided to do it myself. I am a novice mechanic at best.

First, where to get the parts. I called around this morning and NAPA has a timing belt kit for like $284. Beings how I am in a bind, this might be the ticket. Any thoughts? How about Autozone? Should I just goto the damn Subaru stealer for parts? ($$!)

I saw some really good info yesterday on timing belt replacements on this board but couldn't find it this morning. Any information you could give me in the form of links to instructions or insight or help would be truly appreciated!

So glad I found this site -- I'm sure it'll make my EA82 Subaru life so much the better!

[idosubaru]

i know XT6 motors like the back of my hand but i know EA82 motors like the back of YOUR hand, so i may be a little off in details. i've done one EA82 motor and let me tell you, it was very easy. much simpler all the way around than the XT6, which im proficient with by now.

 

i'd personally check out www.thepartsbin.com. that place rules in price and service. i've bought obscure XT6 parts, which noone else has or gets wrong, from these guys and it's always been perfect. super fast service to the maryland area when i order. they are also very inexpensive. i bought a complete set of timing belts, all timing belt pulleys, water pump...all the reseal stuff from these guys for an EA82. the timing pulleys are inexpensive for the EA82, not bad idea to replace them at all.

 

i never did anything but change oil in an EA82 (and that was over 10 years ago) until this summer i helped a dude out with blown headgaskets. i went in not knowing anything about the EA82 and the timing belts were very easy, but it was very similar to the XT6 (much easier though).

 

on the replacement, it's fairly straight forward and the timing belt alignment is easy. i'd recommend getting a set of factory service manuals. or if you have a decent dealer around, they may photo copy the timing belt section for you (i've done this before for friends cars). maybe they'd even let you borrow or rent the thing? sometimes places are nice, sometimes they are not. or maybe someone on the board can give you detailed directions.

 

basic idea is you line up the driver side cam (tick mark on cam sprocket with tic mark in timing cover) when the flywheel mark is lined up (middle of 3 dashes on flywheel with arrow on bellhousing). install the belt, make sure the marks are still lined up. then rotate the crank 360 degrees, bringing the flywheel (or flexplate if you have an auto tranny) mark back to alignment with the arrow on the bellhousing. at this point your drivers side cam which you just put a timing belt on will be pointing DOWN. then line up your passengers side cam at the same time the flywheel is aligned (as described above) and install that belt. the cams are 180 degrees off. that's the basics. you won't need any extra tools. the trickiest part doing this the first time will be loosening the crank pulley bolt most likely. and have plenty of PB Blaster to spary on rusty radiator and water pump pulley bolts if they are rusty. otherwise they shear off .

 

while you're in there, reseal the oil pump, replace the crank and cam seals and replace the water pump and you're good to go for a very long time. with the timing belts off, all of these items are easily accessible.

 

good luck and have fun

[stngllhm]

last time i replaced timing belts it cost me about 40 bucks. belts are adout 20 each at auto zone. i'm not sure what is in the kit put more than likely you can get buy with buying the belts and a chiltons manuel. it is fairly easy to do good luck

[slidewaysuby]

here ya go http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/article.php?a=24

 

 

Dylan

[Skip]

https://www.1stsubaruparts.com/partscat.html

 

wants 63 GWs for each idler pulley (OEM)

 

if you decide to do the H20 pump (highly recco'd)

make sure you get the correct shaft length.

AC models differ and some parts houses will try to sell you the wrong one.

Make sure you get the 0 ring for the rad hose connection pipe.

 

There is a small H20 hose that connects the pump to the heater core pipe - good time to replace it

 

May think about an oil pump reseal while you have it exposed - lifter clack can be due to a compressed mickey mouse gasket (gasket between the pump and the block), there are also two 0 rings.