I have a 95 Subaru Impreza with about 105K, not sure if the timing belt has ever been replaced but I want to do it either way...I was reading through my Chilton's manual and it doesn't LOOK to tough, but I know how things like this can go...I'm no mechanic, but pretty handing figuring things out...Any reason why I couldn't tackle this??

Go for it. Sometimes the crank pully bolt can be tough to get off. I use the big chain wrench from Harbor Freight, not the little chain vise grips. Wrap your pully with a peice of the belt that is on it I cut mine to fit and then use duct tape to hold it. when going back together be sure and use the timing mark on the little tangs, of crankshaft spocket and not the arrow on the face of the spocket. More than one of us have made this mistake.

Hi,

 

If you are pretty handy and you have the tools, there is nothing particularly difficult about a timing belt replacement other than the need for care and attention to detail. There are certain things you must do "by the book" such as aligning teeth and sprockets, tightening the crank bolt to full torque, handling the tensioner properly, etc.

 

Getting the crank bolt off may be the most unusual aspect of the job.

 

Regards,

Adnan

is this the 2.2 motor? i just did one, very easy as far as timing belts go. the cam bolts can be a seriously annoying part too. the cam just keeps turning as opposed to the bolts coming loose. research the crank and cam bolts and good ways to get them off and you're golden. i've always found the crank bolts easy. lock the flexplate with a large strong metal object and crank off the bolt. don't forget to remove object from flexplate. if you have a manual transmission then it's really easy, just put it in 5th gear and crank the bolt off. a last resort method is to put a socket on the crank and turn the motor over with the start, very quickly. don't do this unless you're creative enough to understand how it's going to work. the socket will swing around with the motor, hit the motor mount and back the bolt loose. works like a charm if you know what yo'ure doing.

 

on the cam bolts, i don't know what to tell you i found them annoying and just made some adequate use of tools in my barn.

 

the 2.2 was much easier than my two timing belt XT6 motor (with the exception of the cam bolts), so go for it. just make sure everything is perfectly lined up, both cams and crank. don't want to put it all back together and find out you did it wrong.

Is not really a bad job, at least on my 91 legacy 2.2, Chiltons and search on this board will give you more than enough information. Pulling the radiator not absolutly neccessary but gives you more working room. Just be methodical about what you take off and where it goes and you will be fine. The worst thing on mine the first time was that several of the "Dodge inserts", threaded inserts presses into the back side of the timing covers, turned in the plastic instead of letting the bolt unscrew. Just pulled them out and replaced with a longer bolt and nut.(I hear the other fix is to just use tie wraps!)

 

 

Good luck and let us know how it comes out.

Thanks alot for all the responses...OK one more question?

 

If the timing belt has been changed recently, will I know it? Is it easily noticable when they are worn? If I get that far into it, should I just do it anyway?

If the timing belt is relatively new...it should like fairly new. It should be semi-clear as to whether or not it's been changed recently.

 

Also, here's factory scans of the timing belt change procedure for the legacy. Should be similar. Also, make sure you torque the main front crank pulley to 110-120 ft-lbs. All the manuals, including the factory one have the wrong torque listed.

 

http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8080/subaru_manual_scans/FSM_Scans/Timing_belt1.jpg

http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8080/subaru_manual_scans/FSM_Scans/Timing_belt2.jpg

http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8080/subaru_manual_scans/FSM_Scans/Timing_belt3.jpg

http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8080/subaru_manual_scans/FSM_Scans/Timing_belt4.jpg

http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8080/subaru_manual_scans/FSM_Scans/Timing_belt5.jpg

http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8080/subaru_manual_scans/FSM_Scans/Timing_belt6.jpg

http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8080/subaru_manual_scans/FSM_Scans/Timing_belt7.jpg

http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8080/subaru_manual_scans/FSM_Scans/Timing_belt8.jpg