Cam/Timing question

[landofopus]

Help! I'm stuck at a buddy's garage with my only car torn apart. Thanks in advance...

 

1992 Legacy wagon, non turbo, MT.

 

So, I'm trying to replace my water pump, and I'm at the point where I have to remove the left cam sprocket. I tried to hold the cam sprocket with a wrench and try to loosen the bolt, but the sprocket turned counter-clockwise for half a turn. Then I turned it clockwise to get back to the timing mark, but it went past. So, I continued clockwise and am now back to the timing mark.

 

So:

 

1) How do I hold the cam sprocket enough to get it loosened? Chain wrench?

 

2) Did I mess up the timing by rotating the left cam one more revolution, but not the crank or right cam? Or can the cams just spin all they want, as long as you come back around to the mark? If I did mess it up, how do I get back to the right spot?

[idosubaru]

it's easiest to remove the cam sprocket bolt with the timing belt in place (ideally not your new one or the one you're going to reinstall). when you're doing the job, just unbolt the bolt before removing the belt.

 

sounds like you're hosed for that, you already removed it. use an old belt, install it and then unbolt the cam bolt while holding the crank.

 

chain wrench is a bad idea unless you protect things well. you can get a pry bar, digging bar, chain wrench, and strap wrench to work as well....but be creative and be extremely careful.

 

the cam cap housing is only aluminum and crushes easily and the sprocket isn't hard to damage either (use your imagination to realize how i know these things!).

 

if you're replacing a water pump because it was leaking, you should be replacing the timing belt too. timing belts don't last more than a few months when they've been hit with significant antifreeze and oil (again use your imagination to figure out how i learned that last year).

 

you don't need to remove the cam sprocket to replace the water pump.

[lmdew]

Take the old belt and cut it.

 

Wrap it around the cam & crank gears and have them overlap in the middle. Pull it tight and then clamp the belt together with a vise grips.

 

You can rotate the cam gear backwards to the timing mark, no problem.

[idosubaru]

yes you can rotate the cam as many times as you want, it doesn't matter on your particular EJ22. but that's not a good idea on all EJ22's.

 

on later model interference engines this isn't a good idea since valves and pistons can contact each other.

 

you can still spin the cam around as many times as you like from the alignment and fitting the belt aspect though, that still doesn't matter.

[landofopus]

Sweet! Thank you guys so much. This board is the best.

[ShawnW]

Put a shallow 17MM chrome snap on socket on a high quality 3/8 air ratchet and bump the trigger a few times. You might be pleasantly surprised.

 

As long as the key for the crank is pointed down on any Subaru 4 cyl engine you won't have the valves hitting the pistons. It also happens to be where it belongs when setting the timing belt.