I am approaching 105000 miles on my 2010 Forester with EJ253 and looking for timing belts and components.

 

Has anybody used https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C0YRXO/?coliid=I3EXUD770J0QNG&colid=33MEMBLFIEMAN&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

or https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C0YRXO/?coliid=I3EXUD770J0QNG&colid=33MEMBLFIEMAN&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

 

What are your thoughts?

 

I have used both Mitsuboshi and Dayco drive belts without any problems but will it be good for timing belts?

Thank you for looking,

Sam

1 hour ago, somick said:

I am approaching 105000 miles on my 2010 Forester with EJ253 and looking for timing belts and components.

 

Has anybody used https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C0YRXO/?coliid=I3EXUD770J0QNG&colid=33MEMBLFIEMAN&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

or https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C0YRXO/?coliid=I3EXUD770J0QNG&colid=33MEMBLFIEMAN&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

 

What are your thoughts?

 

I have used both Mitsuboshi and Dayco drive belts without any problems but will it be good for timing belts?

Thank you for looking,

Sam

 

Use a Subaru or Mitsubishi timing belt.

That's 15 months overdue on belt replacement as it's 105,000 or 105 months.  

Most folks on this forum recommend a complete timing belt kit - belt, pulleys, and tensioner, and water pump. Since the timing belt relies on none of those failing to work properly.  

The belt and lower cogged pulley (it's only $40 from Subaru) are the bare minimum, that pulley fails often enough that just replacing the belt doesn't make sense for only $40.

Get Subaru or AISIN timing kits or piece together the koyo, ntn...etc pulleys and tensioner and pump.  eBay is a good resource for this as well. 

18 hours ago, idosubaru said:

 

 

That's 15 months overdue on belt replacement as it's 105,000 or 105 months.  

 

I bought it in September of 2010.  According to my calculations it will turn 108 months on September 17.

Thanks Garry!

 

How about other components?

 

Will the water pump survive another 100000 miles or is it better to change it now?

 

Regards,

Sam

33 minutes ago, somick said:

I bought it in September of 2010.  According to my calculations it will turn 108 months on September 17.

Got it.  The belt and vehicle was made and installed in 2009 - the date of manufacture is probably 2009.  It doesn't really matter, failure is rare at this stage but it does happen and if one is precise about 105k they may also want to be precise about other factor recommendations.

33 minutes ago, somick said:

Thanks Garry!

How about other components?

Will the water pump survive another 100000 miles or is it better to change it now?

EJ25 water pumps frequently make another 100,000 miles very easily. 

They do have rare failures, mitigated somewhat by being detectable via dripping coolant through the weep hole.  EJ25 water pump failure is rare, but it does happen.  I haven't actually ever seen a failed water pump, so it would be low on the list of priorities for me. Some people wait until the second change, I base it on contexts/owner/vehicle, others like GeneralDisorder who owns a Subaru shop replace them every time as a rule.  Is there a reason not to replace it?

Where I live rust is a large problem, if it's a rusty car with limited life span anyway, I'll skip the water pump.  If they're newer/great condition I'd lean towards replacing them.  I do all Subaru labor for free - if someone is really tight on finances I recommend the water pump but don't balk if they don't want to pay for the parts. 

Mitsuboshi.  

I would replace everything except MAYBE the tensioner.  

Mitsuboshi is the OEM supplier to Subaru for the timing belt.  Previous advice about Aisin kit or buying quality parts (NTN, NSK, KOYO) is spot on.  Definitely replace the tensioner with a NTN part.

21 hours ago, FerGloyale said:

Mitsuboshi.  

I would replace everything except MAYBE the tensioner.  

 

13 hours ago, Mike104 said:

 Definitely replace the tensioner with a NTN part.

Funny...

 

So I plan to buy a belt only.  Amazon's price is around $70.  I have not visited the dealer yet but I am going to, next week maybe.

I will NOT change the water pump.  We will see how lucky I am...

I am also going to check the  tensioner's conditions.

If the pulleys do not make any noises they will stay also.

 

Thanks,

Sam

 

Don't be cheap. Buy the Aisin kit with water pump or piece together your own with Japanese made components.

Replace, at a bare minimum, the cogged idler that bolts to the water pump. When (not if) it fails, there is a high probability you'll bend valves. 

Is this a job you're willing to go back and do again just to save a few bucks right now?

11 minutes ago, somick said:

If the pulleys do not make any noises they will stay also.

With the belt off, spin them.  If they freewheel and sound like roller skates there's no grease left inside.  The cogged idler is under the most stress and likely the first to fail.

3 hours ago, somick said:

 

Funny...

 

So I plan to buy a belt only.  Amazon's price is around $70.  I have not visited the dealer yet but I am going to, next week maybe.

I will NOT change the water pump.  We will see how lucky I am...

I am also going to check the  tensioner's conditions.

If the pulleys do not make any noises they will stay also.

 

Thanks,

Sam

 

 

Replace the cogged idler too. 

That one in particular is the known culprit of 70-80% of the t-belt failures. 

Koyo only.

Personally I would at a minimum do the upper smooth roller too.  it has alot of stress on it.  The lower smooth has barely any stress in comparison, so re-using it is not so risky.  

If you add the upper smooth, and the lower cogged idler, it should only add another $100 to the whole job.  

8 hours ago, somick said:

 

Funny...

 

So I plan to buy a belt only.  Amazon's price is around $70.  I have not visited the dealer yet but I am going to, next week maybe.

I will NOT change the water pump.  We will see how lucky I am...

I am also going to check the  tensioner's conditions.

If the pulleys do not make any noises they will stay also.

 

Thanks,

Sam

 

It's your car but people smarter and with more experience than me have given you the best advice and recommendations.  Lots of anecdotal stories about other failures after just changing the timing belt.

$200 in parts now while you have everything off is a better option IMO than having to spend that plus getting heads repaired after the valves bend.

But hey it's a free country do what you want.  

when I did the service on my WRX, I was at about 8.5 years but under 70K miles.

the toothed idler and another idler spun like like skate wheels, the toothed idler also wobbled slightly. There was oil on top of my tensioner.  Belt looked surprisingly good. No signs of seeping oil from crank or cam seals.

I left the waterpump but  changed the belt ,tensioner and all idlers.

 

Thank you guys!

 

I am at 104K now.  So in about a month I will probably start the job.  I'll let you know how it went.

 

Sam

I agree with "don't buy cheap". I tried Gates and the belt broke 2 months after installing the complete kit on our 97 RHD EJ22. I was lucky, I had swapped the heads and Y-pipe for 95 heads and Y-pipe. The  95 heads have hydraulic lifters. Non-interference. 

I finally bought a Mitsuboshi belt.  All tensioners are rumbling a little and I going to replace them.  But look what I found.  Did I catch it on time?

I just changed a Dayco belt with eight years but only 30,000 miles. Looked brand new, if a little polished. 
I swapped it for a ‘Unitta’ Subaru oem belt made in Japan.

 Why not spend the mere price of a tank of petrol on this part?

Of course I swapped the 22 y.o. idlers too, they spun free and dry, with ateeny bit of lateral play; When you compare them to new ones, that is when you feel the difference.

Edited December 8, 20196 yr by Mitchy

You could be lucky and never have a water pump failure, but  whilst everything is accessible i generally renew/restore all I can whilst doing the timing belt.

Keep the old working one as a spare perhaps?

6 hours ago, somick said:

Did I catch it on time?

I think so. Lucky man.

I would check all the notches in the sprockets for leftovers.

Makes me wonder what the inside of the belt looks like.

16 hours ago, Rampage said:

I think so. Lucky man.

I would check all the notches in the sprockets for leftovers.

Makes me wonder what the inside of the belt looks like.

Makes sense!  I will check the sprockets tonight.

However the rest of  the belt looks fine.

 

Sam

 

The gates belt that I tried split from the front edge into the center of the belt, then split lengthwise about 3 inches then the rear half broke. I could see wear marks on the front edge of the first split. Like yours the rest looked fine.

Never had a Dayco belt break, but the bearings in their kits only last a couple years.