I have a 99 outback 2.5. just replaced orig tbelt at 130k miles. also replaced idlers water pump and seals. I was very careful lining up the marks. I also hand turned the engine 2x before i attempted to start . Any ideas what i might have done wrong? The drivers side cams moved off the lobes, but i lined them back up. The marks were not perfect but all very very close. Question also, if i am off by a tooth, is that enough to bend valves? Thanks

Close is not going to work. Needs to be dead on.

 

Are you sure you used the correct marks, there are ticks, and there are arrows, Do you know which you tried to use?

 

Damage, is possible on that motor. Not really a good move risking that motor if you are learning. I am not sure i would want to learn on a interference motor, could be very pricey.

 

Cheaper to pay some shop to do it right. If they don't get it right, it would be there obligation to fix the damage.

 

Good luck. If it was slightly off, probably no damage but you are taking a gamble to learn on this.

Well, its a done deal now. I've done a lot of motor work but mostly on small blocks . That was a while ago. Most it could be off is one tooth. Wouldn't trouble show up when I hand cranked it?

my rule of thumb is this, if you think you can get the timing right by just looking at the cam and crank sprockets you are going to get ti wrong. you need to KNOW what the timing marks are befre you set the belt.

 

i haven't done a timing belt on any other engine so i only know what subaru timing marks look like. but i here a lot of people sy ''it is dead on the timing marks'' onlt to learn later that they used the wrong marks.

 

you need to do your home work first if you have never done a subaru timing belt.

 

hopefuly you used the correct marks and are only a little off with no damage. but usually if you are only one tooth off it will still start.

 

you might double check that you have fuel and spark getting to the cylinders. a can starting fluid will help eliminate fuel as the problem.

As far as. marks go, I used small dot on case by crank sensor. All the cam marks line up. Guess ill do a compression test.

Here is link to FSM, check to see if you did it right and save for future ref.

 

Double check your electrical,harness and hose connections.

 

Pray it is a simple fix.

 

http://www.main.experiencetherave.com/subaru_manual_scans/1999_Legacy_FSM/

 

http://opposedforces.com/parts/legacy/

 

O.

make sure you do not use the arrows on the cam pulleys. your crank mark is correct.

 

did you unplug a cam or crank sensor?

I had an issue with the marks when I did the timing on my EJ22. The marks that LOOK like the most obvious ones to use are not the right ones (I believe I tried to use the arrows which are not right IIRC). It is normal for the marks to not line up after the engine has been turned over I think, I am pretty sure mine did the same thing when I was going through this. As far as damaging the valves I cant help there, my EJ22 was non interference.

Dots and dashes (NOT arrows).

I'm sure I got the marks right. Dot on housing near crank sensor. Dash on pully guide attached to crank. Dash on drivers cam pully. Both sides. Lower cam pully line up with double dashes. Drivers side came moved off marks but I read this is common and simply lined them back up. The mark on the crank was dead on. Drivers side was a lil off but got close ,I'm talking 2 or 3 mm, when I released the tensioner. Both pass side marks weredead on. When I hand cranked it everything lined up again. Just thought of something...:before i began this job, steam cleaned the engine. That was monday. Hmmm....moisture somewhere?? God I hope so.

It should at least start and groan if you were close. Did you forget to pop on the bigger vacuum line over near the airbox, it is the one hidden up underneath the intake chamber. It wont start if you left that unplugged. look over to the right shock tower, and then under the intake snorkels to find where it hooks in.

well it sounds like the timing is right, or at least very close.

 

you did the cam seals, double check the cam sensor connector. it controls the fuel. you would have to unplug it to do the cam seal on the driver side.

 

i doubt the compression test will tell you anything, my guess the compression is going to be good.

 

 

air, spark and fuel, you need all 3. get a can of starting fluid and see if that makes a difference. (use sparingly.) if yes, figure out why no fuel. if no, start looking at spark.

 

water in the spark plug ''sleeves'' could certainly cause a problem. but i don't know if that would cause a no start situation. maybe if they were all soaking wet.

Edited July 1, 201114 yr by johnceggleston

Yesterday morning , I open the hood, pushed it back into the sun , said @#$k it, and went to the beach. This morning it started right up! First time I ever fixed a car while laying on the beach!! I must have gotten water into a connector etc. I forgot that a dirty engine is a happy engine.

Well. all in all it was not that bad of a job. The crank marks are kinda obscure but the other marks are straightforward. I took out the whole radiator. Easier then messing with the fans and gave me more room to work. covering the condenser with cardboard was a great tip, thanks. Chain wrench worked fine on the crank pulley bolt. I used a gates belt, water pump, and idler kit. Emailed their customer service on a sat night and they got back to me within an hour!! Amazing service!! You cant get the marks perfect. I got them all daed on except the drivers top cam. hat was off about 5mm but when i pulled the pin on the tensioner it dropped to about 2mm off. Thats VERY close!! Thanks to everybody who responded to my post. Now its on to the cel.

If you are going to do a timing belt the easiest way I have found is to use a paint pen and mark either side of a tooth on the old belt and the tooth itself on the gear, count the teeth on the new belt and mark it the same as the old one.

Fit the belt as the old one came off and tention the belt.

This I find eliminates the slight movements in cam gears as the belt is removed or when you release the tention from the old belt.

It also removes any mucking around lining up timing marks etc.

 

works for me...

99 so thats a DOHC engine, you didnt mix up your Left intake and exhaust pulleys did you?  It would keep your from running since your cam sensor pickup magnets are on the intake pulley.

 

And my rule with any/all Subarus is you disregard the plastic notches are reference marks.  All EJ engines use the 12 o'clock position for their intake cams.  exhaust on a DOHC always points the single mark outwards @ a 90 degree angle (9 or 3 oclock depending on the side)  The plastic timing covers tend to warp from heat (usually a sign the engines been overheated)  so your reference marks and actually move 1 tooth.

 

 

Brings me to a funny story about my buddies shop.  Big ASE certified arrogant asshat that drives and owns 3 subarus got a 1995 impreza 2.2 in the shop yesterday that jumped time due to tensioner failure during -45F cold start.  Took him all day to get it put back together and he used the arrows instead of the dashes.......... took the shop owner coming out of his office and getting dirty to get the thing running. I guess it goes to show, ASE certs and 2 big 10k dollar Mac toolboxes still cant teach a guy to put a timing belt on right.   Just sayin, it happens everyones done it once

Edited March 8, 201313 yr by torxxx

walking dead??