My EA82 is running better than ever... for now. 

 

The driver's side timing belt is slowly getting eaten away. The cause? I'm not sure.

 

But what I do know is that the belt is walking off the back of the camshaft sprocket and the crankshaft timing gear... and the tensioner... and the idler pulley. The point is the belt is walking towards the back of the engine and I don't know why.

 

I've redone the belt tension a couple of times and the belt will be centered, but when I start the car, walk to the hood and look at the cam sprocket, it is right back to walking off the sprocket.

 

It runs and drives, I've been driving it for about a week now. But I know eventually that thing is going to snap. 

 

What could cause this?

Does your oil pump pulley still have it's guides on the edges?

 

And is there any chance you swapped the inner and outer crank gears?  If you did you would see an issue like this

 

Try flipping the belt over, so the other side is toward the engine.

 

If that makes no difference, try a new idler.

Does your oil pump pulley still have it's guides on the edges?

 

And is there any chance you swapped the inner and outer crank gears?  If you did you would see an issue like this

The oil pump pulley doesn't appear to have any guides. I was wondering if maybe I swapped the oil pump gear and crank gear. I am almost certain that the crank gears are on the right order, but I could be wrong.

Is there a keyway on both crank gears or just one?

Does anyone have an extra oil pump pulley with guides laying around? That seems like the most probable cause.

Does anyone have any idea how I could modify my current oil pump gear to have guides? Could I take it to a machine shop and have them weld some flat pieces of metal on the gear? I don't have a welder or I would do it myself.

You can't swap the pulleys.

 

I can look around to see if I have an extra one.

You can't swap the pulleys.

 

I can look around to see if I have an extra one.

 

Confused by this statement?  anyhow.......

 

But to clarify, the oil pump pulley can easily be swapped.  Unfortunately to do it correctly, you must remove the oil pump.   I suppose if you could use some tool to hold the pulley from spinning you might be able to remove/reinstall with the pump on the engine.

Oh, the original question was if the oil pump pulley would swap with a crank pulley. Or that's what I thought I read....

 

To replace the oil pump pulley, yes, remove the pump so you can hold the rotor to get the nut on and off. I think I remeber trying to hold the pulley with an old timing belt, and getting nowhwere.

$19 and I’ll ship one to you. PM or email me for PayPal and give me a shipping address.

 

I can look around to see if I have an extra one.

Thanks Dave.

 

Unfortunately to do it correctly, you must remove the oil pump.   I suppose if you could use some tool to hold the pulley from spinning you might be able to remove/reinstall with the pump on the engine.

you know i'm gonna try everything before taking the pump off haha the last thing I want to do after resealing the entire thing is taking things back apart

Holding it with an old belt and using a right angl impact driver might do it.

PM Sent idosubaru

I have an old pulley set aside for a "one- day"  idea of sectioning it up to fit into a jammed in section which would probably only assist in undoing that oil pump pulley nut. I think you amost need to keep an old belt just for this purpose. Just a minor aspect of Fuji failing us that feel the need to replace that shaft seal

Also, you say you put it centered on the cam pulley. Is it actually coming off the back of it, or is it just flush with the back? Mine rides comfortably flush with the back of the cam pulley, not in the center of it.

Also, you say you put it centered on the cam pulley. Is it actually coming off the back of it, or is it just flush with the back? Mine rides comfortably flush with the back of the cam pulley, not in the center of it.

My belt is wearing away, constantly rubbing. definitely not comfortable like yours lol

The oil pump pulley looks like possibly pressed metal or something odd.  I would not try to weld one.  Maybe braze.

A sheet metal shop with a LASER cutter could fabricate new guide pieces.  They would probably want drawings or model files.    The originals were staked on.

Any play in the bearings of the idler or tensioner pulleys?

 

That's what I'd be looking at...

 

Cheers

 

Bennie

Have by any chance your tensioner or oil pump pulley bolts been stripped out then heli-coiled? The prior owner to my 87 did this, and put the bolt in at a slight angle. I had he same issue, belt would rub til it snapped. It walked all over the place. I had to take engine out and have the hole redone by a machine shop on a drill press to make it straight again. Fixed my walking belt problem.

+1 el freddo - the crank pulleys are right there, with guides.  It isn't going to walk off in the short distance between the oil pump and the crank.

Thanks Dave.

 

you know i'm gonna try everything before taking the pump off haha the last thing I want to do after resealing the entire thing is taking things back apart

 

Just don't spin the pump backwards.  You risk pulling the staked in retainer that holds the bypass valve ball.  Ruins the pump.

 

And even if that doesn't happen, you may collapse the one-way baffle in the oil filter.

 

You want to hold the oil pump gear still while removing the nut.  And on reinstall, make sure you get the flat/indexed side lined up correct on the shaft.