99 Legacy Outback - Snapped a tab off my crankshaft sprocket. Must replace?

[kevinrse]

I pulled the crankshaft sprocket off of my 1999 Legacy (2.5L). It was a bear of a job and required a lot of prying. At one point I got careless and had my prybar applying pressure directly to the back of one of the tabs on the rear side of the sprocket---it snapped off.

 

Here's a photo:

 

 

I assume these tabs are used by the proximity sensor to tell the computer the crankshaft's position. Therefore I assume I must replace the part. But before I order it, I wanted to verify with the experts here. Can I get away with not replacing it?

 

Thanks!

[idosubaru]

tack weld the tab back in place.  it receives no load and will work fine if it's done right.

 

paypal my username here @yahoo $15 and i'll ship you one.

 

buying new wouldn't be cost effective for a part that never fails.

[kevinrse]

Thank you. Would JB weld work? I don't have welding equipment.

[idosubaru]

any machine shop, shop, welder, exhaust shop would weld it back on for you in 2 minutes and 8 times out of 10 i bet they won't bother to charge you for something that simple.

 

i wouldn't use JB weld on a moving part seeing those kinds of revolutions/vibrations.  the more static the application the better.  the closer it is to moving parts and loads, chance of success goes down.

 

someone else probably knows what the engine would do if it broke again.  if the check engine light would come on until you fix it again, who cares, try it if you don't mind redoing the job again.  if it's going to cause misfires and strand you, then i'd be less willing to get creative here. 

 

i'm not sure what would happen in terms of drivability with one of the reluctors missing, someone else may know?

[willwright]

Going out on a limb here but I believe the crank shaft and cam shaft work in conjunction telling it when to fire, I need to go back and read to make sure but I'm pretty certain they do.

[johnceggleston]

crank triggers the spark

cam triggers the fuel

 

usually the engine will not start if a tab is missing.

 

but i priced them new the other day for a guy on anotheer forum,

omline dealer ~$35 plus shipping, so local dealer maybe $45.

but i would only do that if you need the car on the road TODAY to get your wife to the hospital.

get a used one, from gary if you have the time.

[987687]

Just replace it. It's not worth trying to weld it back together. Good 'ol Murphy says the tab will come off at night in a rain storm.

 

Also don't pry those off, I've seen people crack the oil pump doing that. The proper way is to tap the holes out and use a puller.

[kevinrse]

Thanks all. After reexamining the sprocket I started getting nervous about the condition of the teeth. (we hit it with a hammer to knock of off the end, under the assumption that it'd have to be replaced) A couple of the teeth were flattened a bit, and I don't want to risk premature wear on the belt as a result of misshapen teeth. I just decided to buy a new one. $47 new at the local parts store unfortunately, but I wanted to get it back on the road tonight or tomorrow.

 

Thanks 987687, regarding the puller---I will keep this in mind in the future.

[idosubaru]

if the teeth are compromised, they'd be fine if you smoothed out any rough edges.  you won't want to leave sharp edged divots.  but yeah you did the right thing, just replace it.