Crunch Posted January 7, 2005 Share Posted January 7, 2005 Hi, Great site. We have ; #1 a Subaru 1992 with 167,000 which we got at 75,000. Dealer did timing belt on that at 80,000 and it has had only oil changes and one set of break pads in its life. It runs like a Swiss watch. #2 a 1999 Outback 115,000 miles. We got it at 45,000. We have had one dealer service at 60,000 and oil changes at 3-5,000 by me. Car has not missed a beat. Regularly, about once a month does a 303 mile trip at 60-80 mph. So time to do a service. Goto local Subaru dealer, for timing belt, water pump and I think he said a 35,000 or there about service US$950. So will do service myself. Thanks to the posts here have got just about everything set. However dealer said I should do water pump while it was apart... It looks like the timing belt will be easy to do, but that water pump requires a whole lot more to come off to get at it. So do I touch something that’s not giving me a problem? If I had not read the posts here of others woes I would have believed our Subaru’s were invincible. Hence the question. Really, do I need to go do the water pump? I was going to give it a new set of plugs, the other belts and coolant as a present. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brokechump Posted January 7, 2005 Share Posted January 7, 2005 Which engine in the ouback? I think on any vehicle with over 100k it's recommended to change the water pump. Especially if you're doing the timing belt. Assuming the engines are very similar I just did the HG, timing belt, and water pump on my 00 Legacy OBW's 2.5L SOC with 120k (HG external leak everyone complains about). Cooling fans removed there is pleanty of room and once the timing belt is off the only stuff in the way is the tensioner and bracket (3 bolts 12mm I think) and one of the idler gears (14mm IIRC). Being a weekend warrior mechanic I encourage you to dive in. Subaru's are easy to work on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crunch Posted January 7, 2005 Author Share Posted January 7, 2005 Thanks BC It is a 2.5 SOHC. The manual (Service Procedure Water Pump MSA5TCD99L72) says I need to do the following and I have seen some posts where step # 14 can be difficult. Also it doesn’t tell me how difficult #13 will be? 11) Remove automatic belt tension adjuster. 12) Remove belt idler No. 2. 13) Remove camshaft position sensor. <Ref. to 2-7 [W10A0].> 14) Remove left-hand camshaft sprocket by using ST. ST 499207100 CAMSHAFT SPROCKET WRENCH 15)Remove left-hand belt cover No. 2. 16) Remove tensioner bracket. 17) Remove tensioner bracket. 18) Disconnect heater hose from water pump. 19) Remove water pump. I saw you had written HG and I thought what’s that 'headgasket'! Ouch I really don't want to go there if I don’t have to. Surely if its served 115,000 I should leave it. While I don’t mind doing a bit of preventive maintenance I think the old "if arn’t broke don't fix it" might apply. If the engine 'spits the dummy' on me latter then yeah I will get into it. Any comments of difficulty in getting some of these pulleys off with a Wal-Mart box full of tools. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nug Posted January 7, 2005 Share Posted January 7, 2005 The cam position sensor is simply held in by one bolt. Cakewalk. Sometimes, getting the cam pulley off can be difficult. The easiest method is zipping it off with an impact wrench. You don't even need to hold the pulley. If you don't have an impact, go get a Craftsman strap wrench. You don't want to mar the pulley, the strap wrench is made of plastic and is tough enough to hold the pulley without damaging anything. Change the water pump. They are relatively inexpensive. They are also driven by the timing belt. If your current water pump lets go, then that means disassembling the front of your engine again. I think the 2.5 is interference, so if the belt breaks, the engine is toast. And that would suck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commuter Posted January 7, 2005 Share Posted January 7, 2005 Thanks BC It is a 2.5 SOHC. Thanks. Is this a Legacy Outback, or Impreza Outback Sport? Just wondering, as the Legacy Outback didn't get the SOHC engine until 2000 in North America. Commuter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brokechump Posted January 7, 2005 Share Posted January 7, 2005 Sorry, overlooked those details since I had everything off... Doing my work I did not remove the CamPS, makes that easy. My technique for the camshaft pullies was feed some nylon rope into cylinder #1 (or easiest to get to). 17mm socket and a breaker bar, once the bolt is loose on both pullies and the belt was removed (a few more steps) my pully just popped right off. It fits over the shaft end. The plastic cover is next. Tensioner, stick an allen key in the small hole on the body of the tensioner and the tensioner pin so it doesn't extend anymore. ( I actually replaced mine and it came with a pin in it.) Remove the pivot bolt of the tensioner (14mm?) then the three bolts holding it on are right there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brokechump Posted January 7, 2005 Share Posted January 7, 2005 Oops...once the pivot bolt is removed the tensioner comes off...NOW the three bolts to the bracket are right there. My headgasket was leaking both coolant and oil, that's why I replaced my timing belt and water pump...because I was in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crunch Posted January 8, 2005 Author Share Posted January 8, 2005 Hi, Sorry 'Commuter' you were right DOHC. Wife’s car and I assumed it was single. Brokechump.. you saying I can do water pump without removing pullys and back cover? Its 11.50pm Friday night and I just got crankshaft pulley off, took 30 + minutes as it seemed to be varnished on. Took 3 covers off and set to go in the morning..... All looks fine in behind covers so still looking at doing all the belts and water pump. Two questions- First, and I seem a bit silly asking this but is there a correct way to take the old belt off! Do you just leaver it off, cut it, loosen a certain bolt?? Also I notice on the tensioner that there is a hole made in the housing at about 8o'clock from the bolt that holds it on. Question - once I get belt to where it should be can I put a rod in that hole and lever against the bolt to compress the tensioner and put the pin in to hold it? I set it up and think I can do it but was not game to put pressure on till I ran it past some of you. If this works it would save me having to go off and use a press to reset the tensioner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brokechump Posted January 9, 2005 Share Posted January 9, 2005 Sorry, about the delay. Hope I haven't held you back. With the belt still on hopefully you can get a pin or something in two holes of the tensioner. I don't see why you couldn't lever against the tensioner keeping a linear push on the tensioner shaft. As far as taking the timing belt off goes, the manual says to remove the smooth idler puller on the lower left (left side if facing the front of the engine, passenge side). I had to take that one and the idler gear on the lower right. The idler gear should have to come off to get to the water pump bolts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crunch Posted January 10, 2005 Author Share Posted January 10, 2005 Hi & thanks to all with there input. Finished the car this afternoon, Sunday. Total time, a few hours on Friday night to see where I was going, most of Saturday till 6pm, then a few hours today to flush and fill radiator. A few items I had problems with. Getting crank pulley off. It was varnished on well. Left hand cam pulleys just loved to jump out of position and scare the life out of me in doing so. Looking at the wrong timing mark delayed me a few hours. Did the following; Timing Belt, Other belts, Water Pump, Thermostat, Radiator cap, Sparkplugs & flushed the radiator. No leaks and started first turn of the key so finished off by giving the engine bay a clean. So I hope my wife has another 60,000 miles with no problems. Of course the $500.00 savings still in our pockets feels good. Time to sign off and get ready to watch ‘24 Hours’ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nug Posted January 10, 2005 Share Posted January 10, 2005 They are really easy to work on once you get in there, aren't they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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