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Parts for timing belt change?


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My 03 OBW has 108000 miles on it so I guess its time to change the timing belt. What parts do I need to order? I know the belt, water pump and tensioner. What about the oil seals on the camshafts and thermostat. I assume the cover have three gaskets and a seal correct? Does the seal need replacing too? Any other parts?

 

Also is this a job that any decent mechanic can do?

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reseal the oil pump

cam seals

main (crank) seal

water pump

thermostat

tensioner

idlers

timing belt

drive belts (you already have them off)

Radiator cap

 

 

The list may seem long, but you wont have to touch anything on that end of the engine for another 108K. By then the engine should be just broken in :clap:

 

nipper

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Thanks. True. Looks like $400 worth of parts not counting the belts. I guess the antifreeze needs changing too? One mechanic said about $200 for labor. Does that sound about right? To me it seem like a lot of work but then again it takes me an hour to change my oil.

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Thanks. True. Looks like $400 worth of parts not counting the belts. I guess the antifreeze needs changing too? One mechanic said about $200 for labor. Does that sound about right? To me it seem like a lot of work but then again it takes me an hour to change my oil.

 

Thats not a bad rate. Our local guy charged close to that on mom's 98 a few years back. And he knows these things inside out. Just comes down to whether or not you trust your motor's life to him or not.

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i would rather have a mechanic that i trust then a no name "Subaru" specialists. a subaru timing belt isn't that hard, i'd have him do it, there's nothing tricky about it. $200 labor does seem really sweet deal.

 

for your information the dealers where i live charge $699 for a timing belt change - that includes ONLY the timing belt. so they're charging $600+ for an hour or two worth of work...just the timing belt. so yeah, $200 is a steal.

 

the geared sprocket pulley (the only one with teeth of the timing components), usually is the noisiest pulley of them all and tends to "wear out" first. i think i've always replaced that one at least when doing EJ22 and EJ25 timing belts.

 

in addition to nippers list you'll want to replace the cam o-rings. on the EJ stuff i see more seapage (wetness) there than on the actual seals. there are two on the front cams and i think there's a rear on the passengers side as well...i think all EJ's have that o-ring (it's the same part number as the front) if so, that one is super easy to replace. 2 10mm bolts and that's it. on the cam seals you can visually look and decide if you want to replace them or not. the cam sprocket bolts are very tricky to remove if you don't have a good assortment of tools and such to work with.

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the cam seal is pressed into the cam "cap", it's a housing that bolts to the engine, holds the cam seal, the cam shaft passes through it and the cam sprocket bolts to the cam. it's about 2 inches 'high' so to speak. between this cam cap and the engine is an o-ring. they are brittle and hard as a rock by now typically. i see more seapage behind these than the cam seals on EJ motors. remove the cap sprocket on the drivers side, the rear timing cover and you'll have access to 3 10mm bolts that hold the cam cap to the engine. remove those to access the oring.

 

on the rear passengers side there's a rear cam cap as well, remove 2 10mm bolts to remove that cap and replace the o-ring. that one is really easy. other than the air intake tube, there's nothing to remove to replace that one, super easy. same part number as the front one. i've never actually replaced that rear passengers side one on an EJ25 though that i can think of, only on EJ22's...but i think they're still there on the EJ25 as well.

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the crank pulley is the easy part - insert a heavy duty extension or screw driver (remember - heavy duty and dont' let it fall down) into the flex plate through the bellhousing access hole (remove the rubber plug for it under the throttle body/intake hose). this is for an automatic. if it's a manual, put it in gear and have someone press the brake pedal.

 

the hard part is the cam sprocket bolts, they are rather difficult to get off. i have a large and very heavy cast iron tractor part that works well to just jam it through the holes in the cam sprocket while i back the bolt off. get creative with what you have, or remove the valve cover and put a wrench on the cam as it has a square part to it. or buy the expensive tool.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm back in town finally. This is the list I've come up with. Still don't see any O rings for the camshaft cap but I guess they are up under the camshaft cap. They caps don't come off during the timing belt change do they? The holding tool for the right side looks like something I can make. For the left side it looks like I can use two vice grips taped together. What did you all do about it? Also I didn't see a water pump for the Outback, is the Legacy one the same one? https://www.subarugenuineparts.com

 

Description Total Cost

 

Timing belt $62.18

 

 

Idler pulley $54.86

 

 

Idler pulley $59.82

upper and lower

 

Tensioner $105.15

 

 

Front crank seal $5.87

 

 

Water pump, $84.14

legacy, 2.5l

 

Thermostat $10.94

 

Total: $382.96

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the cam o-rings don't come off for a timing belt change. if the cam seals, crank seal or cam oring areas appear wet, then it's a good idea to replace them. not entirely necessary, but i always do. if you don't, you're expecting them not to start leaking anytime during the next 100,000 miles.

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  • 2 months later...

I will note that removing the crank pulley and cam sprocket bolts is exceptionally easy with an impact wrench.

 

However, to get enough room, I did have to take out the radiator, and on the crank pulley I needed to unbolt the AC condenser and swing it out of the way.

 

Still, if you have one, use it...

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  • 2 weeks later...
reseal the oil pump

cam seals

main (crank) seal

water pump

thermostat

tensioner

idlers

timing belt

drive belts (you already have them off)

Radiator cap

 

 

The list may seem long, but you wont have to touch anything on that end of the engine for another 108K. By then the engine should be just broken in :clap:

 

nipper

 

Would this list be correct for a '95 Outback as well? I just got one, and the seller doesn't remember ever changing it...150K, so I'm ASSUMING it's the original one. After tires and fluids, it's next on the list.

 

Fat Tony

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Yes that list should do you good. Your interval though of course is 60k miles on that engine, not 105k. Your '95 2.2L is non-interference. And yes on that engine there are cam o-rings. The RH on is at the DE (drive end) of the engine and can be done easily without touching the timing belt of anything. I have some pics if any interest. Geared/toothed idler is most likely to be the troublesome one.

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Sure, I'll post them tonight after I get home from work (on lunch now). They're from a '94 2.2L. It's really easy; I mean there are just two bolts in there and then you pull the cap out and put the new o-ring on. I have the o-ring part # and size too.

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Thanks, porc. No rush. I actually have the o-ring--ordered it with some other stuff a few weeks ago. But I have to finish digging up the yard to replace our sewer line before my wife will let me play with the Subaru again! :eek:

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