I have a 2001 Legacy Outback w/65k, & we were going to use our $200 Subaru Bucks towards the dealer to replace the timing belt, but the dealer told my wife not to worry about it till 105k because they make them better than they used to. I have NEVER heard a dealer say this before. You always hear 60-90k max on a timing belt. Can anyone confirm this as accurate or was he just drinking on the job? :-)

The dealer is correct, the timing belt interval for the EJ25 is 105k miles. When I did the timing belt on our '99 at about 100k miles the belt looked almost new.

The SOHC engine puts less strain on the belt than the older DOHC engine did (2.5L). The valve train has less friction.

 

It's strange, but with the 96 to 99 2.5L DOHC engine, SOA says 105k miles. SOC (Subaru of Canada) says 60k miles (96k km). It's right in my manual and confirmed by the dealer. :argue:

 

Commuter

I wonder why they don't put a time limitation on it too, something like 105k miles or 5 years. It seems to me that time would affect the rubber in the belt.

weather may be enough for anything.

After growing up in Maine I can respect what cold can do to equipment. I have broken a one inch shaft clutch pedal off a backhoe in the cold.

What is the recomended interval for a timing belt change on a 2.2l SOHC?

60k miles.

Cookie,

 

Weather is a factor. It was one of the reasons stated by the dealer. Still... Is Windsor that different from Detroit? :-p

 

I just found it a bit curious, even humorous.

 

Commuter

my owner's manual for 99 leg l sedan 2.2 ej-22 5-sp says cambelt change interval is 105000 miles, but check every 30000 miles.

Wow, there seems to be quite a bit of variation.

Does anyone know if any serious changes were made to the t. belt design over the years? It's of practical interest to me because I have a NOS belt for 2.2/1.8, bought with a bunch of other parts, and I wonder if using a newly made belt would be any better.

I am also a bit purplexed that the cold of the US does not seem to be noticed by several manufactuers that give different specs for Canada.

Certainly we rival the cold of a Canadian winter and how different is Alaska?

I think it would be wiser to publish specs like that that are more like oil specs. Just put a temp range and specify service levels for that temp.

It makes me wonder what Subaru's timeing belt spec is for Russia.

Once upon a time I read that the reason for the 105k mile interval in the US is that California requires it, so SOA went with that for the entire US. I don't know if that is true or not. Maybe it isn't climate based.

We do require an emission warranty but I think cam belts are free.

A lot of cars here require 60,000 mile cam belt changes.

Who can fathom the logic of Subaru?

Cold conditions of Canada were my best guess, but that's all it is, a guess.

Originally posted by 99obw

Once upon a time I read that the reason for the 105k mile interval in the US is that California requires it, so SOA went with that for the entire US. I don't know if that is true or not. Maybe it isn't climate based.

I came across this as well once before. (Perhaps we read the same post.) It seems a stretch that a state would mandate something like a timing belt interval... Oh wait, this is California we are talking about.

 

Commuter

We will have mandatory oil change periods.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.....

If it was my car, I wouldn't push it much farther than 60k miles/100k Km. It sucks to be stuck on the side of the road, and a victim of a towtruck driver, & a strange garage... Just my two cents (cdn).

an American translating to the metric too.

Lets see....a Kilometer is about the same as a mile isn't it Bob?

OK we'll change at 100,000 miles...

It has been said that the only Americans to make a successful conversion to the metric system are its drug dealers.