The Dreaded Subie Oil Leak... FIXED! Thanks to All!!

[aircraft engineer]

the point was that with the belt installed to the cam sprocket timing marks simultaneously with the crank timing mark you CANNOT be out of time. Once that relationship is established, even if you were to take out the tensioner while holding the belt to the sprocket, timing will NOT be affected

 

The sprocket marks show if marked clearly and THEY are the critical marks, not the notch on the timing belt cover (it's secondary) You only need the notches for timing IF the belt is being re-installed and doesn't have readable marks (and which you SHOULD mark before removal anyway)

 

That's what the lines on the belt DO - they make it an easy, perfect time installation.

[Skip]

Pretty simple really

when in doubt count the belt teeth

 

this is given for a reason.

[OB99W]

the point was that with the belt installed to the cam sprocket timing marks simultaneously with the crank timing mark you CANNOT be out of time. Once that relationship is established, even if you were to take out the tensioner while holding the belt to the sprocket, timing will NOT be affected

 

The sprocket marks show if marked clearly and THEY are the critical marks, not the notch on the timing belt cover (it's secondary) You only need the notches for timing IF the belt is being re-installed and doesn't have readable marks (and which you SHOULD mark before removal anyway)

 

That's what the lines on the belt DO - they make it an easy, perfect time installation.

All well and good if the belt is marked and the lines on it match at cams and crank. However, I have been addressing what lostinthe202 said ("For good measure I counted the teeth as mentioned in the endwrench article and the left side came out to the number, but the right side seemed to be a tooth off." and "I did get an OEM belt and thus a bit disappointed that the marks/teeth didn't add up.").

 

I'm dropping out of this thread now, since the current discussion is actually OT with respect to the original topic, and I seem to be anyway.

[lostinthe202]

Pretty simple really

when in doubt count the belt teeth

 

this is given for a reason.

 

 

but that was kind of the point, I counted belt teeth and the pax side was fine but the driver's side wasn't, it seemed to be off by .5 a tooth. I counted several times and kept coming up with the same result. Furthermore, if I was to move it one tooth it would still be off by half a tooth just on the other side of the timing mark and there wasn't any slack to move the belt with it engaged on the crank and pax pulley which all checked out, so if I wanted move the belt a tooth on the driver's side, I'd have to rotate the pulley to do it which would bring the mark off the 12:00 position. I assume now that I was either starting or stopping my count in the wrong place and that it was actually correct. I assume this 'cause the car still has the smoothest idle of any car I've ever owned and goes/stops/turns wonderfully.

 

Will-

[Bigbusa]

the 1/2 tooth thing is normal.

 

These guys have a great pictorial on ej22 Tbelt replacement.

 

http://www.subaruvanagon.com/tom/Timing%20Belt.htm

[lostinthe202]

the 1/2 tooth thing is normal.

 

These guys have a great pictorial on ej22 Tbelt replacement.

 

http://www.subaruvanagon.com/tom/Timing%20Belt.htm

 

 

Good link,

 

thanks!

 

Will-

[1997reduxe]

wow, what a great thread.

just what i'm getting ready to do--oil pump,

timing belt, etc.

can anyone clarify for me--i have a 97 Legacy

2.2 that was manufactured in 6/96.

this would be a non-interferencing engine, then

from what i'm reading here?

(earlier on another post of mine someone

said mine was interferencing, but that's when

i thought it was made in 97.)

thanks,

'97

[idosubaru]

i have a 97 Legacy

2.2 that was manufactured in 6/96

yours is an interference engine. it's annoying the way they do "model years". but a 1997 model year vehicle has a 1996 manufacture date. so all 1997's have a manufacture date of 1996. when we say all 1997 and up EJ22's have interference engines we're talking about the model year. so yours is a 1997, which has an interference EJ22.

 

which means you'll need to replace some of the timing belt pulleys when you do the timing belt job. on a higher mileage vehicle i always get the ebay kits - they come with all the pulleys and the belt. or i'll regrease the pulleys myself, there's a thread posted on how to do that.

 

there's probably some cross-over so if you have to know for sure then you need to verify by something other than the date. by cross over i mean that i do not think that 12/31/95 and 01/01/96 is a magic number where they just quit installing the non interference engines in anything. i know that to be true of some things (like Phase II engines) and would only assume it's true here as well.

 

though yours being right in the middle is hard to imagine it not being an interference engine. with the mileage on yours i'd rather have all new pulleys as i can promise that unless they've been replaced before they are all low on grease internally.

[johnceggleston]

i agree with gary, 97 model year is interferrence. but you might check the engine number on the id tag and compare it to a 96 ej22.

 

i thought they started manufacturing 97s around the middle of 96. i doubt they can inventory cars for 9 months waiting on the new model year. but making them 3 months in advance seems about right to my ill-logic. but the id tag should comfirm the engine model. someone will have a 96 you can compare to.

[1997reduxe]

Thanks.

I'm going to look for that tag. I have to find out quickly--I am planning to

replace all pulleys, tensioners etc and have already started buying some parts.

In this car's case the date of manufacture seems more critical to know because from what I've learned the changover from one system of hydraulic tensioner to another (and i assume many other changes) occurred around 1-2/97.

[1997reduxe]

And you know, it makes sense what you guys are saying about years etc.

I was just driving to work yesterday and saw 09 vehicles in already, and this is only just March! Amazing.

[aircraft engineer]

You guys sure about the EJ22 interference? I thought all of the 2.2s were non-interference and only the 2.5 was interference.

[nipper]

You guys sure about the EJ22 interference? I thought all of the 2.2s were non-interference and only the 2.5 was interference.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_EJ_engine

 

"The SOHC EJ Subaru boxer engines were non-interference engines through 1996, run by a single timing belt driving both cams (both sides of the engine) and the water pump. Because they are non-interference engines, if the timing belt fails, the engine of the models up to 1996 will not be destroyed. The oil pump is driven directly from the crank shaft and the waterpump by the timing belt. All DOHC and 1997-up SOHC EJ engines are interference engines, if the timing belt fails the engine will likely be destroyed or the valves & piston will be heavily damaged."

 

 

(thats a very well written peice so it had to be subaru or a subaru insider).

 

Its almost impossible to find a non interfernce engine these days that puts out any decent power on any brand.

 

nipper

[Sakai]

Ive been trying to find the oil leak on my 1997 Subaru Outback, standard with 300k miles on it.. I recently purchased it so don't know history.  It was fine then all of a sudden total gusher on e heated up. I have no idea where to even check. its drivers side up front and is dripping onto the radiator hose... Pouring on e hot instead of dripping 

Edited April 28 by Sakai

[ocei77]

Jack that side up as high as your stand will allow.

Clean the area, use an old blanket to lay on. Use flashlight and have someone start the car.

Watch your face!

The 97 Outback has the EJ25D DOHC engine unless someone swapped it with an EJ22.