OK so I have a random few wrx's that I work on, and it is time for their timing belts to be done. Now my question is this. Is the 2.5 suby cam alignment tool the same as the 2.0. I have e-mailed a few of the sellers and they say no. But to me it seems the same. I have access to a 2.5 alignment tool and am thinking of having one made by my machinist friend but have to be universal to fit both engines. It would just be a matter of unbolting the hold downs and re-bolting them into the correct position of the bracket arm. But I wanted to make sure first. And obviously I can keep the person's WRX here while I work out the details.

 

And don't tell me to fold the old timing belt in half and shove it between the two cams. That is not the way I work, or how I do things. Proper tools for proper jobs, no jerry riggin done here.

 

Thanks for the help

Why do you need one at all? I have done lots of DOHC belts and never needed an alignment tool. Seems an extraneous expense and waste of time to me. When the crank timing mark is aligned the pistons are all exactly halfway up in the cylinders - there is no possibility of a valve striking a piston and the valves are not in danger of striking each other..... in the scheme of things that's about the last tool I would bother building for Subaru engine service.

 

GD

Why do you need one at all? I have done lots of DOHC belts and never needed an alignment tool. Seems an extraneous expense and waste of time to me. When the crank timing mark is aligned the pistons are all exactly halfway up in the cylinders - there is no possibility of a valve striking a piston and the valves are not in danger of striking each other..... in the scheme of things that's about the last tool I would bother building for Subaru engine service.

 

GD

 

I'm not worried about the valves hitting the pistons. It makes installing the belt a whole heck of a lot easier. Man if you fart wrong, that left side bank (the ones that are on the cusp of springing one way or the other) will spring out of time. Once I started using that tool (the previous shop I worked at had one) it made installing the belts a breeze.

 

That is why I am thinking about buying one. Plus I am a tool addict...if you saw my tool box and my tools you would soon understand. So I want one just cause I want one.

Why do you need one at all? I have done lots of DOHC belts and never needed an alignment tool. Seems an extraneous expense and waste of time to me. When the crank timing mark is aligned the pistons are all exactly halfway up in the cylinders - there is no possibility of a valve striking a piston and the valves are not in danger of striking each other..... in the scheme of things that's about the last tool I would bother building for Subaru engine service.

 

GD

 

I don't think its so much for aligning the cams as is it for removing the gears while the engine is still in the car to do cam seals. At least thats how I use the tool above.

Yeah - I could see that at times. Though I have a right-angle impact now so it's a non-issue for me. I got the IR 2015 MAX a couple months ago and it removes cam and crank bolts like they were nothing even with the engine in the car and using a deep-well impact

 

GD

Ill have to buy one of those. My top of the line snap on one only does them about 2/3 of the time.

I don't think its so much for aligning the cams as is it for removing the gears while the engine is still in the car to do cam seals. At least thats how I use the tool above.

 

Huh, never thought of using it that way. As I have a different tool used to remove came gears/pulleys. I have always used it as a cam alignment tool on the dvr side cams. Learn something new everyday.

I just use a 17MM swivel head wrench and align the cams with the marks.