Hey Guys, I am due for a timing belt replacement and have an oil leak that hits my exhaust that is getting bad. I have garaged the car and I am in the process of gathering all the parts / materials needed. I have done some reading here and believe I have a good list. Will you guys check my list and add anything I may have missed please.

 

Here is what I have. A kit ordered from MizumoAuto off ebay.

 

 

 

Here is what is on my list to still get. Am I missing anything that I should do as preventative while I am in there? Also, what is an absolute to get from the dealer and what can be purchased from local parts house?

 

 Drive Belt

 Valve cover gaskets

 Valve cover gasket bolts and grommets

 OEM Oil pump O ring.

 OEM Oil pump Anebolic sealant.

 OEM waterpump gasket.

 thermostate + gasket.

 

I do not plan to pull the motor at this time. I beleive the oil leak is coming from the valve cover gaskets and not the oil seperator plate.

 

Thanks.

How many miles on the engine?

List looks good to me.  But (1) I don't think you need new valve cover bolts--just the gaskets & grommets.

 

And (2) the Aisin water pump gasket is "coated metal" (not cardboard!) like the OEM product.

 

Good luck.

List looks good to me.  But (1) I don't think you need new valve cover bolts--just the gaskets & grommets.

 

And (2) the Aisin water pump gasket is "coated metal" (not cardboard!) like the OEM product.

 

Good luck.

 

The bolts are cheap and I read about them snapping off in the head on some occasions. Sounds like the Aisin gasket is superior to the OEM gasket. Thanks.

 

How many miles on the engine?

 

132K on the original engine.

You're welcome, tedbull.  What I said may be a bit confusing, so let me try again!

 

The Aisin "coated metal" gasket is like the OEM gasket.  Cheap cardboard gaskets that come with some other brands should definitely be replaced with a Subaru OEM one.

Many aftermarket water pumps are supplied with cheap junk paper gaskets.

 

The Aisin water pump comes with a quality rubber coated gasket that is equivalent to OE Subaru.

 

Replace the cam cap o-rings. One on the front drivers side behind the cam support, and one on the rear passenger side. They are the same o-ring.

Also get the o-ring for the oil filler tube.

 

 

When you remove the oil pump, check the screws on the backing plate.

Your list looks perfect plus the cam cap orings mentioned by Fairtax.

 

All the OEM stuff you listed get from the dealer. 

Get the thermostat from the dealer as well.  Aftermarkets are cheap toys unless you get XACTA replacement.

 

Adjust the valves depending what year/what valve train it has.

Tigthen the backing plate screws in the oil pump. Any loose ones can get a dab of locktite, particularly if you don't have really high quality beefy screw drivers capable of good torque.

 

It matters what year EJ22 though I can guess by the picture of parts that it's a 1996 or earlier?

 

A Phase II 99+ EJ22 you'd also get spark plug tube gaskets, but that's not a 99 kit pictured.

 

Valve cover bolts breaking is very rare, they're like 7 ft/lbs. Timing pulley bolts break more often than valve cover bolts if you're looking to mitigate low percentage failure rates. They'd be more catastrophic and leave you stranded (and bent valves in 97 plus interference EJ22's), valve cover bolts won't. 

 

If you're paying attention and feel it get tight when removing, don't continue to remove it. Loosen...thread back in when it gets tight, loosen...thread back in... then go take a break and do something else for the metal to cool down.  Repeat 15 minutes later.  Repeat 15 minutes later...go as slow as needed, not long for a small bolt like that.  Eventually you can work out a tight bolt without snapping it.  Then chase the threads with a tap and die before reinstalling.  But again, very rare and unlikely anyway, but at least you have options if you do encounter it.

My opinion I would not remove the oil pump unless it is leaking.  About your oil leak are you seeing a leak were the transmission meets the engine?  The oil separator plate and rear main seal leak on the 2.2.  I do agree on the cam seals and I would also do the front main seal.  Add in the PVC valve. Get an OEM water pump gasket and use some tact to keep it in place when installing the pump.  May want to think about a new tensioner.

thermostat: either OEM or Stant Exac-stat - part number 48457 - this can be had for around $20 - do not waste your money on anything else, you will pay dearly later if you do.

 

you didnt mention what year your car is, but what you have listed is good - aside from the valve cover bolts, not really a necessity - I have never had one of those break, in fact, they are frequently too loose.

 

you may also want to check the condition of your radiator hoses, and the small hose down off the water pump. If they feel soft or mushy, replace them! When I did the timing on my current car last December, the upper hose was so bad I could see daylight thru the hose! I would recommend having a set on hand - you can always return them if you dont need them. the small hose by the pump is a formed hose and will probably have to be ordered - most parts stores wont have that one

 

Vacuum lines are another thing to check and replace - they tend to get hard and brittle with age/heat

Edited April 4, 201411 yr by heartless

Thanks guys. the car is a 1996. I added the other oil filler and cam cap O rings to the list and I will take the bolts off the list.