Hey all. With your help, I completed a timing belt replacement on my '96 Legacy 2.2. I did the timing belt, new idlers, resealed the cam shafts, resealed the oil pump, and installed a new water pump. After reassembly, the car runs perfect, but when cold makes a strange noise I am having a hard time locating. It almost sounds like a belt is hitting the plastic cover, but it goes away after 2500 rpm, and is gone after 5 minutes of run time.

 

Anyone have this happen? Ideas on what I did wrong?

Can you get a video or sound clip of it?

Could be one or more of the hydraulic lifters has leaked down, esp if you turned the cams too many times during the work.

The cams did get turned 5-10 revolutions during the course of the job. What's the fix if the hydraulic lifters leaked down? Is that something that might fix itsself with time?

Yes, they will pump back up. 5-30 oil is recommended for the Subaru engines.

 

You could also pull the AC and or ALT belt and see is the noise changes.

I'd pull the other belts off and see if it stops the noise, then, if the noise was still there I'd use a screwdriver to my ear to listen for the noise on the plastic covers.

 

The covers fit pretty close and if they are warped or misfitted they can touch the belt.