Changing Timeing Belt

[gmilton]

I've never changed a timing belt and mine has gone out on my 87 gl wagon. It's a 1.8 L fuel injected subaru. Just wondering what tools I would need and where the belts are located. Thanks.

[moosens]

I wrote this up once,at least.Maybe it's in the USRM?

[moosens]

Nope,wasn't there,just my tip on making a new hole for your punch to stop the flywheel.

 

 

Anyhow,the belts are behind the black plastic covers on the front of your engine.Soak those bolts,and there's two nuts on the driver's side lower end,thoroughly,even overnight if possible.When the time comes be sure to loosen them carefully so you don't crack the weldnuts out of the plastic..

 

I'll go over the tools as we move along.

 

You'll be smart to disconect the battery-usually 10mm.

 

Remove the radiator(12mm),first the fan cover,also the electric fan,lift canister out of the way...remove fan clutch assy. from crank pulley(10mm and a long screwdriver to wedge into the studs to hold the fan from turning while you undo the nuts.Turbos have a variation on this,but same deal.....remove alternator,lift the A/C compressor(12 and 14mm) out of the way and place it up near the driver's side strut tower....easier to work now.

 

You'll probably have the large A/C comp. and sliding tensioner.Take note of the sliding stud with the long hex head female.That's a pain in the nuts to get back with all the stuff in the way,so be sure to keep them together and put them back before you get to far after the belts are in and covers on.Be sure that tensioner pulley spins nice and free.Same for the tensioners and idler pulleys in the timing train.

 

When you get all the outer covers loose you can drop a punch or screwdriver,etc. into a hole on the flywheel to stop the flywheel from turning,then you can crack that crank pully nut off.The flywheel cover is located on top of the tranny bellhousing.Normally has a rubber cover,which falls off a lot on careless people's cars.

 

Sidenote:It's a really good idea to spend the xtra money and change the cam seals and O rings,oil pump if over 75k or at least the oil pump seals,water pump if old or at least the gasket and O ring on the metal tube.Also good to consider the front main seal.

 

So,you stopped the flywheel and you've broken free the crank pulley with your big pipe over your breaker bar,good man,now you're off to the races...

 

As stated,at this time **I'd** be changing the cam seals and O rings,etc.etc... and NOW it's time for timing belts...

 

Set the driver's side belt on after you've found the three lines on the flywheel and set the f/w to the middle of the three marks(looking down from the top of the f/w hole there's a sort of arrow that protrudes from the bellhousing).

 

Once that is set you can now set the cam pulley to the upright position using the small notches on the plastic covers.The holes in the pulley should line up vertically even after you release any tension with the tensioner pulley.THere's a bit of a trick to this that I'd need to show you.For one thing,you set the tensioner pulley all the way in and lock it down,that's procedure,but then there's a way of handling the belt that I do so it won't move from the marks.I just can't describe it right now,but you'll get a feel for it.

 

Once you are confident that the cam sits at 12 o'clock and the flywheel still shows you sitting in the center of those marks then you can go onto the passenger side.

 

Now you rotate the flywheel one rotation,going right back to the center of the three marks again.Your driver's side cam pulley should now be pointing at 6 o'clock.

Passenger side cam:

Same deal,lock the tensioner so it does not affect the belt as you place it on.Place belt on with cam at twelve o'clock.You're basically done,just need to button up.

 

Some folks insist that you need a tool to get the cams where you need them.Sure they're not always easy,but you can do it with some thinking and tools.You can also set up the cams to 6 o'clock then rotate,etc...just as long as the outcome has the cams at 180 degrees apart.

 

 

This was a rough description about a procedure I haven't done in awhile.Please forgive me if I neglected some details,but you should be flying in no time with what I gave you,and what the other folks will fill in.

 

We all had our first time.Most of us here are NOT mechanics but we haven't paid for one lately either.

 

Go get 'em!!!

[moosens]

Tools:

10mm,12mm,14mm sockets and box/open end

8mm if you want to take the alternator all the way out-disconnect battery first off!!

Punch or screwdriver or equiv. for stopping the flywheel and stopping the fan clutch.

 

Good to have some large Channel locks for the cam pulleys.

 

Breaker bar w/22mm socket,good to have a large pipe over the bar for leverage.

 

THe gang will fill in the details,I'm a little tired.

Good luck.

[sregor13]

If you do the Water Pump Oil Pump and Seals, which I recommend, then get a tube of Blue RTV Sealant,

If you buy a Water Pump then it should come with the O-Ring for the coolant tube. Otherwise,get the cam seals and the orings that go on the back off the camseal housing. Both of the Oil Pump Seals (one is a mickey mouse seal) and the Crankshaft seal itself. It is not worth doing the timing belts if this is not done at the same time IMO. Just because it saves a lot of redundant labor later. if you do the seals you may want a Seal Puller and a Gasket Scraper. You can use a screwdriver with tape on the end in a pinch for the Seal puller. As for the Gasket Scraper, I dont know because I just bought one to make sure that was done right. Otherwise I think all was covered. Oh yea get plenty of RTV on the Water Pump, both sides of the Gasket. Thanks