So ive searched this forum and cannot find what im looking for so ill start this thread. Replaced guides and tensioners on a 2002 h-6. I can see the arrows on the cam gears, but what do i line them up with? I know on the 2.5 motors there are marks to line everything up but i dont know where to go with this one. Any help or a point in the right direction would be awsome.

I am doing a little research. I found this

 

http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/110-gen-2-2000-2004/31558-3-0-h6-timing-chain-guide-discussion-2.html

 

"You'd be hard pressed to get the chain keys to line up with the sprocket marks after the car has been running. Those are really only useful during reassembly. The dark gray links are pretty subtle; you can just make them out at about 3 o'clock on the intake and 6 o'clock on the exhaust in this photo of my engine"

 

The outback board has done three of them (guess we are all H4 people here) so try there.

BINGO

 

http://www.bustedfingermotorsports.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=211

 

H6 engine Manual

did you pull the motor?

 

So ive searched this forum and cannot find what im looking for so ill start this thread. Replaced guides and tensioners on a 2002 h-6. I can see the arrows on the cam gears, but what do i line them up with? I know on the 2.5 motors there are marks to line everything up but i dont know where to go with this one. Any help or a point in the right direction would be awsome.

 

couple of great H6 timing chain threads on subaruoutback.org

 

nice hit nipper, i already have some H6 technical engine sections from the FSM but that one is laid out really nice, thanks!

friggin sweet...thanks guys.

+1 for bustedfinger. Mucho info on there.

well...got the timing set as put forth in the service manual...and still runs like ************...new coils..plugs and boots. But missing all on 1,3, and 5. I suspect bent valves or the chain for that side is stretched.

Time for a compression test

yup....i just kinda got pissed after i fired it up so i just walked away till tomarrow

HOw did it die?

honestly dont know...my boss bought it at an auction for like 300 bucks or something...and he dont know nothing about cars so i got stuck fixing it.. Which doesnt bother me really. Anyway...it ran when i first got into it...chain was banging all over the place...pulled the front cover and saw a few chunks of the chain guides laying around in there. So i told the boss man we needed to replace everything, tensioners, chains, guides, the whole works...i didnt want to do it again...he cheaped out on me and wouldnt get the chains. His buddy told him you dont have to replace them. Well whatever i guess...im getting 20 bucks and hour to work on this car so im good with it.

except for the fact i dont like doing something that could have been done already

ah ok, i was going to say if it jumped at idle, no damage, at speed, lots of damage. Havent seeen a guide that bad yet, your the first. I know subaru had a TSB about guides, may be that year, dont remeber. They are supposed to last the life of the car, IMHO i'm betting 200K.

 

Good for you that your getting paid for it.

I don't know where the idea comes from that timing chains don't need to be replaced.

If a chain is flopping around on broken guides it is almost certainly stretched.

 

Compression check might tell you something, or it might not. A leak down test will tell you if you have bent valves to deal with.

its got 206k on it...its a really clean car...i would honestly love to have it for myself...ive worked on dozens of subarus and done probally 20 head jobs on both the single and dual 2.5 motors and love working on them...so easy to do...this was my first h-6. So far pretty simple.

ok so I was correct about 200K out of a chain, which is about normal for a chain in any car on avg.

cant help when the boss is cheap...but what do ya do? I told him everything should be replaced...but whatever.

well i hope all the guides and the chain. and now a rebuilt cylnderhead or two. Doing a valave job at that mileage makes me nervous, but hey, not your car

Doing a valave job at that mileage makes me nervous, but hey, not your car

 

why is that bad? is it a subaru thing? worried about the bottom end im assuming?

Do a wet and dry compression test in the good cylinders and see the engine health, it may be fine.

 

Generally you have the valves and the rings that seal the combustion chamber. On high mileage engines, if you do a valve job, you are increasing the seal of the engine, so worn but happy piston rings may get annoyed and result in some blowby.

 

Subaru engines can go either way on this. Luckily subaru cylinder walls really don't wear (assuming no heavy piston slap which H6 is not known for) it should be good to go.

 

Even if it does get blowby it usually isnt heavy. The oil level will have to be checked regularly during the oil change interval (bring it down to 1000 miles the first one then do it at 500 miles from then on. There may be some alumunum bits in there and you want to get them out. Do change the oil now.

FYI: there was an H6 engine for sale in NC recently on craigslist, charlotte maybe.

 

 

found it,

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/pts/2795737551.html

i put a h6 3.0 in my race buggy we put turbo on it whent like stink broke one piston and had to replace it was over 160 bolts and tons of crap i made cardboard templates to keep bolts organized the timing marks where strait forward the links that are diferent coluors lined up with the marks on cams when its right it looks right all marks should line up

well...before i start tearing too much apart...im just gonna stick a camera in the plug hole and see whats up...and by the way..i dint expect to get this much help...you guys are awsome.

well...leakdown test complete...no bent valves...gotta be a stretched chain.

YOu didnt replace the chain?!?!