Timing Belt 1998 Outback

[[HTi]Johnson]

Hello all, I just bought a 1998 Outback. I would like to do the timing belt on it. Do you have any suggestions on parts to use and anything else to do while in there.

 

I was thinking of doing the:

-Belt

-Idlers

-Seals

-Water pump?

-Oil Pump?(hahhah nevermind, that's not driven by the belt...I'm used to ea82s.)

It has 146k miles.

 

Thanks for your time,

Justin.

[Legacy777]

You've got the main things. You can probably skip the idlers, but that's up to you.

 

There is an o-ring that seals the oil pump & block. You can replace this. Also, sometimes the screws on the back of the oil pump backing plate back out, and need to be tightened. I will usually put a small dab of locktite on them to keep them from backing out in the future.

[WoodsWagon]

When compressing the tensioner, follow the directions perfectly. Don't hurry the process at all, it will blow the internal seal.

 

When buying a new tensioner assembly after doing the above wrong, buy it off the web. The parts stores will give you the pulley+tensioner kit for the 1996-97 kit, which doesn't fit.

[OB99W]

This might be useful: http://endwrench.com/images/pdfs/2.5Timing.pdf

[idosubaru]

on an interference engine it isn't a bad idea to replace all the idlers and pulleys. if you don't want you have a few options. buy them all but only replace the ones that aren't tight and feel like good pullies. having new pullies is a good idea if you've never had one before, to tell how tight and smooth and soundless they are. return the ones you don't need. the last option, besides not replacing any, is to at least have on hand or replace the cogged pulley. those tend to be the first ones to start making noise and loosing their smoothness in my experience (and others i've talked to as well).they are expensive but if you don't replace them, you're expecting them to make it to the next timing belt....250,000 miles. another option that few take is to take your pullies to a shop and have new bearings pressed in them, much cheaper that way but requires taking them to a shop and little extra work. on the EA82's, ER27's i regrease the existing bearings but i wouldn't do that on an interference/100,000 mile timing belt engine.

 

your list looks good to me.