New guy needs help - 98 Forester timing belt install blues

[Prisbylla]

I am having a problem with my wife's
Subaru and need some help. Let me preface this by saying I am a DIY
mechanic, but a very competent one. I've done engine and transmission
swaps, head gaskets, timing belts, but none in a Subaru.

 

The situation: I started on a timing
belt install for a 98 Forester today. After disassembling everything
I put the 22mm bolt that holds the crankshaft pulley on, back in
order to turn the engine over to line up the timing marks on the
crankshaft and all 4 cams. That done, I go to remove the bolt and it
won't come out. After trying a few things and failing I had the idea
of putting a breaker bar on both the crank bolt and a 17mm on the
left upper camshaft sprocket bolt. As I put pressure on the crank bar
and my father holds the cam bar steady, the crank bar moves the cam
bar and a very loud click is heard seemingly from the left head. Try
it again, same result. The timing belt did not jump a tooth or two. I
took it back apart and all the timing marks were aligned. After
noticing the hydraulic tensioner was leaking I put the car back
together because I didn't have one and none was available locally.
And, as you've gathered by now, it didn't start.

 

2 questions:

1 - What happened when I tried to
remove the crank bolt and the very loud clicking was heard?

2 – How do I fix it?

 

Thanks in advance -

Mike

[AdventureSubaru]

Have you gotten as far as pulling the timing covers back off to see if the timing marks still align? If it was off to begin with or jumped timing due to a bad tensioner then you are probably looking at valve damage.

 

Not wanting to be harsh but you were asking for this to happen if you knowingly reinstalled a bad tensioner. Hopefully it's something else, but these are interference engines and not worth taking those sort of chances on.

 

See if the timing marks still align. Get yourself a good tensioner. If it's only off by a bit the car may not start but not be off enough to bend the valves. You wont know until you get it done right and give it a try.

 

As for the "Click" noise, I've had those bolts tighten further when using them to turn the engine over. Often with a good bit of noise. I'd suspect that was your noise which is harmless.

Edited April 11, 2015 by AdventureSubaru

[Prisbylla]

As I said, I did check the timing marks and the belt DID NOT jump. I am well aware this is an interference engine. I turned the engine over 2 full revolutions with a ratchet and nothing was hitting. As far as the tensioner, it had been doing its job up to that point and I figured it wasn't likely to experience sudden catastrophic failure in the next couple of days. My wife and I have one car, I need it to get to work and we don't have much money. Making do is par for the course.

 

Mike

[lstevens76]

Is this a Standard or an Automatic?  If it is a Standard you should be able to put it in gear to get that bolt off.  If not usually autozone and oreilly's, along with others, rent a crankshaft bolt tool for doing this.  Not sure if that would work right for a Subaru as I just used an impact wrench myself.

 

Now, which timing marks did you use?  There are usually two, one that is very obvious and another than is painted on (or wore thin painted on from age).

 

One set is for how it's supposed to be when they assemble, the second set is after they assemble the motor and have everything correct and remark it.  They are usually very close together.  On my '90 legacy they were maybe a 1/2" apart.

 

The sound, depending on which set you used, could have been a valve smacking a piston based on what you were doing.  It is possible, but that doesn't mean you damaged anything yet.

 

The first thing would be to take some pictures and post if you can.  From the way it sounds you need this up by Monday.  Pictures of what your dealing with are always the best way to get help.

[Dj7291993]

Did the belt jump after you tried to start it. Also, you used the nothes, not the arrows, right? Pics would probably help. As for the bolt, you could lay breaker bar on the frame rail, and bump the starter, but we should make sure it's all lined up first.

[Fairtax4me]

Click could have been the bolt on the left cam turning. Those are usually pretty tight and they make a loud click when loosening them.

 

It's better that it didn't start. When that style tensioner goes bad they go from bad to worse very quickly. You might have made it A day and the timing would have jumped. Replace the tensioner, then figure out the no start.

[1 Lucky Texan]

probably a good idea to inspect the cam pulley for a crack.

 

but, yeah, I've had nuts and bolts make noises like that when they shift a little.

 

make certain you're using the dash line at the back of the crank sprocket for timing the belt. NOT the arrow on the front.