So about a week ago my 88 dl wagon died as i was driving into my apartment complex. it was cranking fine but was not turning over. checked for spark and there was none at all. I looked at the coil and it was just about to rust through so I replaced it. still no spark so i pulled the distributor cap and cranked it and the rotor was not moving. Figured it was the timing belt.

Well this morning i start pulling everything to get access to the timing belts and low and behold they are still good. So i figure I should pull the distributor itself and see if thats the culprit no dice again it spins fine and the gears look good.

Now I'm totally stumped any ideas?

I suggest you have someone watch the drivers side cam pulley while you crank it to make sure its spinning.

Sounds like the teeth on the belt are missing at the crank pulley. Or you managed to break a cam some how.

my timing belt didn't break when it went out. it just stripped the teeth from around the crank sprocket. happens to alot of these cars.

Had a friend drop by to watch as I cranked the Subaru and the cam is not turning. I got the driver side cover off fine but the passenger side timing belt cover bolts are just slipping when i try to remove the bottom two. how do i go about getting those out?

Edited November 2, 201015 yr by Dorjan

Any way you can - break the covers usually. That's a problem with those and one reason why most of us run them without covers.

 

GD

i run mine without covers because I HAD to break them off, I used a big flat head driver to pry it off while turning the stripped ones, That will pull them out. also the timing belts aren't hard on these cars, but you need a manual that tells you how. they have a few tricks that aren't like the newer ones. if you don't have the book, you can also use your "resources" to "find" the gates eb05 timing belt book online.

i run mine without covers because I HAD to break them off, I used a big flat head driver to pry it off while turning the stripped ones, That will pull them out. also the timing belts aren't hard on these cars, but you need a manual that tells you how. they have a few tricks that aren't like the newer ones. if you don't have the book, you can also use your "resources" to "find" the gates eb05 timing belt book online.

 

We actually have a write up here for that.

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=50768

Awesome thanks for all the help guys! Finally got all of the timing belt covers off including the rear half of the covers. The driver side belt was torn through the belt teeth at the crank. Getting the parts I need on my way to work tonight and should have it all installed tomorrow.

Will be great to have my Subaru running again!

We actually have a write up here for that.

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=50768

 

IIIEEEEEEEE!!!!! I couldn't find that when mine broke!!! :mad:

 

Nice write up thanks to MilesFox for that one!

my pleasure!

see the vids

http://www.youtube.com/milesfox

"The Art of Subaru Maintenance"

hmm I put on the belts on according to the article and the videos lined the marks up and turned it etc. then after both belts where on i lined it to the 0 mark and reinstalled the distributor pointing at the 1 position. put back in the radiator filled it and all that but its still cranking and not starting. guess i will check for spark and fuel when i get off work. at least i know the belts are on right.

zip ties work great in place of the bolts for the timing cover

zip ties work great in place of the bolts for the timing cover

 

2nded

snip snip snip, and your done

hmm I put on the belts on according to the article and the videos lined the marks up and turned it etc. then after both belts where on i lined it to the 0 mark and reinstalled the distributor pointing at the 1 position. put back in the radiator filled it and all that but its still cranking and not starting. guess i will check for spark and fuel when i get off work. at least i know the belts are on right.

 

The passenger cam dot should be pointing at 10:30 (45* CCW from straight up) when you install the distributor pointing at #1.

 

I'd wager that you got the disty in 180* out. Happens to everyone at some point.

 

(and by 'turned it' above, you mean you cranked it over one turn between each of the belts, right?)

yup cranked one turn on the crank or half of one on the cam depending and which your looking at between driver/passenger side belt install. thought you dropped in the distributor at the 0 mark on the flywheel? was that wrong then? how would i correct that then? or is it that the cam should be in that position at TDC? oh and I am not seeing a spark at all now at the plugs or coil anyhow. think i might have fried a part when i was trying to diagnose the electrical before i realized it was the belt though too.

Edited November 6, 201015 yr by Dorjan

So, I could be COMPLETELY wrong on this, so bear with me.

 

My Subie was cranking and not turning over... Heres what I saw "in words"

 

Key in On Position (just before cranking)

No dash lights (usually red lights everywhere etc)

Crank but no spark

 

Towed back to Ricks house... Couldnt find any issue, except that the 15 fuse for the Coil was blown... Replaced it.

 

Red lights came on when in On Position

 

Car turned right over...

 

This could just be an EA81 thing, but it would be pretty easy to fix the blown fuse issue

yup cranked one turn on the crank or half of one on the cam depending and which your looking at between driver/passenger side belt install. thought you dropped in the distributor at the 0 mark on the flywheel? was that wrong then? how would i correct that then? or is it that the cam should be in that position at TDC? oh and I am not seeing a spark at all now at the plugs or coil anyhow. think i might have fried a part when i was trying to diagnose the electrical before i realized it was the belt though too.

 

The piston is at TDC twice in a cycle; at peak compression (where you want the spark), and after the exhaust stroke (where you don't want the spark). If the disty is in backwards, you'll get spark after the exhaust stroke.

 

To fix it, make sure the pass. cam dot lines up like I mentioned above, then re-install the distributor so it points to #1 (I'm guessing you'll find it pointing at #2). I wouldn't troubleshoot anything else until you've verified this.

It was just a blown ignition fuse. starts up fine now just been busy so I still need to set the timing ect. but it runs!

It was just a blown ignition fuse. starts up fine now just been busy so I still need to set the timing ect. but it runs!

 

Like what I said? I surprise myself when Im right

 

In all honesty though, I wouldnt have known if LuLu hadnt crapped out on me at the Gas Station and GD knew what it was