I just pulled the heads off of my 2k EJ22 after the t-belt slipped. The pass side cams turn smoothly w/o the lifters. The driver's side one is really hard to turn by hand.

Could the cam have bent when the piston hit the valves?

I am having a hard time getting the star cam bolts off. The cheapo star wrench from autozone sheared.

 

BW

I just pulled the heads off of my 2k EJ22 after the t-belt slipped. The pass side cams turn smoothly w/o the lifters. The driver's side one is really hard to turn by hand.

Could the cam have bent when the piston hit the valves?[...]

A more common scenario is for a cam bearing to seize, which then causes the timing belt to slip.

[...] I am having a hard time getting the star cam bolts off. The cheapo star wrench from autozone sheared.

Are you referring to Torx plus (Torx+) cam cap screws? Are you trying to use a standard Torx bit?

 

EDIT: I think you need a Torx-plus 40 (but it's late for me to be awake, so someone please correct it if I got that wrong).

Edited March 21, 201016 yr by OB99W

I am in the middle of repairing an engine in a 2000 Impreza that had the belt come off.

The collision by the valves on the pistons was very minimal, but enough to bend every single valve. I think it unlikely the cam bent as a result- but possible. Bearing more likely. And if one is toast, others are probably close behind,

 

Just curious , do you know what caused the belt to slip? How many miles on the engine?

 

If I were to do it all again, I would pull the engine and replace it with a used one, after doing the T-belt on it.

 

Used engines are available pretty cheap. The cost of parts and labor to do the heads doesn't really make it worth it.

 

 

 

I just pulled the heads off of my 2k EJ22 after the t-belt slipped. The pass side cams turn smoothly w/o the lifters. The driver's side one is really hard to turn by hand.

Could the cam have bent when the piston hit the valves?

I am having a hard time getting the star cam bolts off. The cheapo star wrench from autozone sheared.

 

BW

Thanks for all of the responses.

 

I figured that it was unlikely that the cam got bent.

 

I think that the cam bearing seized or got scored and the t-belt was thrown.

 

This was a partial engine rebuild. I used a rebuilt EJ25 shortblock w/the old ej22 heads and cometic headgaskets that were cut for this swap. there might have been a problem with the head gaskets and the oil ports to the cam bearing.

 

I tried looking on e-bay and stuff for cam bearings and I can't seem to find any.

 

Where else can I look besides that stealership?

 

BW

There are no cam bearings, they ride directly in the head.

 

So, you need a fresh head and cam.

 

Best to get one from a junkyard.

 

Check to see if it siezed first.

well, it's definitely a seized cam shaft.

 

The first bearing surface is messed up.

 

So anyone have a phase 2 99-01 head they went to sell?