Guys

Driving home last night in my '87 EA82 and without any warning the engine dies. Oil light came on, revs died away, power faded off. Quickly checked the rear vision mirror and no sign of the dreaded smoke cloud. Stopped quickly, gave it a quick try on the starter-turned over but no ignition, didn't want to push it with no oil pressure. Managed to coast around the corner and down the hill to where I stay. Checked the engine as far as I could, plenty of oil in the crankcase, no sign of oil in water or water in oil, no suspicious holes or oil patches anywhere so engine is still sealed.I suspect it is a timing belt broken, due to the fading light I couldn't investigate any further. Is it a major to change timing belts, do I need any special tools-I have read the manual from here and it mentions a "tension wrench" for the belt tensioner, any suggestions as to a suitable replacement?

Cheers

Roy

Sounds like your drivers side timing belt to me. That one turns the oil pump, which would explain the pressure loss as well.

 

As to the timing belt tensioning tool, you can make a substitute. Just get a chunk of steel about as long as the timing belt pulley is wide and put two bolts in that can go into the holes in the pulley, and another bolt in the middle to turn the whole mess with, and you're good to go. If you just need to get the car home, you can do it without that tool and just tension it as much as the springs on the tensioner pulleys will do, then lock them down. By mistake and ignorance, I ran my car with both belts like that for about 6,000 miles and it was fine.

Cheers there Snowman, that takes a bit of a load of my addled mind. I have organised a trailer to tow it home, got 100 miles or so to get home and haven't got squat here in the way of tools so safest to drag it home and do it there-at least I have got a booze cabinet full of liquid perspective to help out when the going gets tough!! I'm assuming that like most belt jobs I will need to do both belts but what about the tensioner, I had heard that it needed to be replaced with the belts as a matter of course but it sounds like a marketing plan by some parts store to me!!

Thanks again

Roy

With no T-belt covers...all you need is a 12mm, 3 inch ext, ratchet, a long screw driver, and tools (usually 12mm wrench and above mentioned ratchet assy) to get the drive belts off, and you can install new T-belts on the side of the road...as long as you have t belts and remember the procedure. center mark on flywheel, drivers side up, install belt, use SD to put some tension on belt, tighten down. Turn crank 360 deg, center mark again, and do the passenger side...and *ding*, done and on your way.

I'm not sure what to think about the tensioners. Lots of people do replace them every time they do belts or every other time. My recommendation and what I generally go by, is to check them for any excessive rotational resistance or play, and if they seem fine, put them back on after a good cleaning.

my car does the same thing occasionally. all i do is replace the ignition fuse and away she goes, but then again i have an ea-71.... just a thought

-mike

I'm not sure what to think about the tensioners. Lots of people do replace them every time they do belts or every other time. My recommendation and what I generally go by, is to check them for any excessive rotational resistance or play, and if they seem fine, put them back on after a good cleaning.

DO replace the tensioners, provided you can get them, and time and resources (ie, it's not an emergency roadside repair). It isn't easy to see with the naked eye, but all the hardware associated with the timing belt takes on a 'set' wear pattern after being run a long time with that belt. If you just change the belt, the new belt won't last as long as it will if you change the tensioner too.

Well, the old girl is at home and looking very sad on the roadside. Due to time constraints (bloody overtime, no rest for the wicked) and the fact that duckshooting season starts this weekend and she will be required to carry all of the alcohol,armaments and ammunition for two solid days of shooting in the direction of assorted ducks and other denizens of the sky I have had to go the garage route and pay to have it done-ouch! $532 odd but thats Pacific Pesos so to you Americans thats about $US260, I guess thats a reasonable price judging from the prices I have seen for different jobs done by paid mechanics over there. Advice from the mechanic doing the job was definitely replace the tensioner unless it is absolutely necessary to save a few bucks but only as a temporary measure as once the wear starts and a little play develops it pretty soon eats into the new belts and can leave you right back where you started from. And he is not a Subie mechanic looking to pad out the bill!

Thanks for all of the input though, nice to know a bloke can get help just by asking!

Cheers!