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2002 timing belt forester!

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I just put a new timing belt, water pump, and pulley on. I drove about a mile and then the subi started getting real hot.  Before it red lined I heard a very small click and the subi died. The timing belt is came off and is now sticking out of the timing case.  I did everything to a T according to alldata.  Can someone point me in the direction of where to start looking on what went wrong?  Thank you very much

I don't know anything about alldata.  Go by the FSM, plus experience from people on the forum.


Details needed. 

Which engine?

Did you replace all of the idlers and tensioner?

Did you use OEM or high quality kit?

 

Did you work ALL of the air out of the cooling system before going for a drive?  This is not a simple process, and a large air pocket is a likely cause of the overheat.

 

Wouldn't hurt to know mileage.  Have headgaskets ever been replaced? 

was there any coolant leakage from the TB cover? maybe a waterpump gasket problem?

 

did you have the fans out? forget to plug them back in?

 

did you pull the pin on the tensioner?

 

any other parts replaced? thermostat or hoses or ....?

Also is your Forester a 5 speed? If so, did you put the belt guide back on.

The only thing I can imagine that would cause overheating and timing belt breaking is if the water pump was compromised during install and couldn't rotate - the engine would overheat due to lack of coolant flow and the belt would slide over the water pump pulley and burn up and break. 

 

Otherwise, more normal issues would be:

 

Overheating - the coolant wasn't properly burped

 

Timing belt - pulley bolt broke, tensioner failed, or a bolt wasn't tightened enough.

 

They usually bend valves - get a set of used heads and resurface them:
www.car-part.com

  • Author

Dave T.  All data is a program used in my shop, its like a online chiltons.  The engine is a 2.5l and there is 160,000 miles.  the timing belt was replaced at 75,000. I put on both new tensioners, the toothed idler gear and tensioner.  Plus water pump and gasket and thermostat.  IDK if the heads have been replaced. My sister just bought the car.  I didn't work the air out before driving it.  

 

 

1 Lucky Texan.  I remembered to plug in the fans.  I remember to pull the pin and i put a new thermostat in. at first I thought i put the new thermostat in backwards but i didn't. I didnt see any coolant from the TB case.

 

db 213.  It is an automatic.  

 

On a side note, if the waterpump was faulty, is the company responsible for the bill if I need to get new valves and heads?

 

 

Once i get my kids down for a nap I' going to go pull the TB case.  

Edited by tysons92loyale

If I'm following correctly, the timing belt was done at 75k. The engine is now at 160k. It's now close to 80k on that replaced belt. So you replaced it just now? (Which is good).

  • Author

Yes, you are following me correctly.  I replaced it yesterday.  Im getting ready to take the tb case off right now, then I'll upload a picture or two

What brand of parts did you use? I've seen GMB brand parts cause the timing belt to walk out and hit the cover before.

No, parts warranties only cover the cost of the part. They usually explicitly disclaim any further costs - parts or labor.

 

They'd be replacing a lot of engines and expensive repair bills and parts would be much more expensive otherwise.

Throw those parts away. Get yourself Koyo/NTN bearings and tensioners, use a Mitsuboshi belt.

 

I have seen a Dayco belt fail after 15k miles on a 2010 Forester. It's a shame telling customers that they need a full valve job due to a crap belt coming apart.

  • Author

I'll have to talk to the person paying for it. Its not my vehicle.  but I am 95% sure that the last person that did the TB stripped out one of the bores that connect to upper idler pulley and the heli coil that was put in cooked to the thread of the bolt

  • Author

I got super lucky. I put new thread in, got a new timing belt in and she started right up.  Huge lesson learned, I will inspect each bolt when I pull it out

awesome.  doesn't happen often. 

 

use Subaru OEM bolts (even if they're used), they don't fail if they're not abused. very high grade materials. 

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