Hey guys, I'm looking at doing my timing belt soon, and am looking for a reliable but cost friendly belt.  Links or suggestions will all be accepted. Any advice you have for the job as well will be appreciated.  (For a 1998 Subaru Legacy Outback)

 

Thanks in advance!

 

-Nick

go with a gates brand timing belt kit, you're in there change out the idlers, water pump, t-stat, and tensioner

 

a timing belt isn't something you want to cheap out on, if it fails you are replacing the heads

 

find gates kits on ebay/amazon - reasonably priced

If pulleys and tensioners have not been replaced for a long time................

 

Suggest you go on line to e-bay motors and look for timing belt kits for sale. Kit will include belt, pulleys, and tensioners. All should be replaced, as bearings go bad in pulleys and tensioners causing a "lock up.". When that happens, a  lock up, resul is a broken timing belt and bent valves.

I've been using the Mizumo kit with the aisin pump and the mitsuboshi belt.   Seems OK.  I have about 25K on the oldest kit that I installed. Cost was $191.  Since your car is 2.5, you would have to use one of their other, but similar, kits.  I don't use their crank and cam seals.  As noted above, replace everything.  

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/90-97-Subaru-1-8L-2-2L-SOHC-Timing-Belt-Kit-Hydraulic-AISIN-Water-Pump-EJ18-EJ22-/360598032061?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Year%3A1997|Make%3ASubaru|Model%3ALegacy&hash=item53f5514ebd&vxp=mtr

Gates kits on Amazon for $115

I have a local Subaru shop that will install Mitsuboshi belts and, Koyo tensioners for $500.  If you want the Aisian water pump and a new thermostat it is $600.  Most other quotes I was getting in the area were $800+.  The car has 107k on the clock do the water pumps go pop that often on the EJ25?

 do the water pumps go pop that often on the EJ25?

 

EJ water pump failure is very rare.  Rarely they will weep coolant. I have never seen myself or locally any other type of failure, you can google it and see the relatively few instances of failures.  While I often replace them for good measure since it's an interference engine - if there's a compelling reason to ignore the water pump until 200k I wouldn't talk someone out of it. 

So to save $150 would not be really bad idea to leave the original water pump in till 200k.  However, It did have that SOA external head gasket leak stuff running though it to prevent external heat gasket failures.  Wonder if that stuff is harder on the pump?

The reason you dont hear of water pump failures is because they get replaced (even subaru suggests this) with the timing belt. Not to change it is foolish.