I just finished my first timing belt replacement job on the '95 lsi and wanted to thank all posters, past and present, for the invaluable information you have contributed to this site. I literally couldn't have done it without you (nor would I have wanted to).

 

I ended up replacing all the seals, idlers, tensioner, water pump, thermostat, hoses and resealed the oil pump. The toothed idler pulley was the only one that was shot, but at 141,000 miles I went ahead and replaced them all. The old tensioner had a slight leak, but all the seals were still good (replaced them anyway as well).

 

I breathed a sigh of relief when she fired right up the first time! And although it runs about the same as it did previously (aside from less water pump noise), the oil pressure seems to come up much faster than before (maybe it's just my imagination).

 

For what it's worth, I only had one mess up. I didn't realize that the gasket for the OEM thermostat actually went around the outside of the thermostat flange. Only after watching it drip for a day and then draining the fresh coolant (argh!) and re-doing the job did I finally figure it out (for those that don't know, the thermostat flange actually slides into a groove on the inside of the rubber gasket). Doh!

 

At 97,000 miles, the '03 Forester is next -- but I think I'll wait until spring

 

Steve

Another happy Soob owner. It's a good thing.

congrats! Ahhh yes, the trusty soobs, vehicles which were (are?) still servicable and have space to work. Well for most jobs anyway...

Nice work. It is always satisfying to successfully repair your own car. With that success, you might consider a second career as a mechanic at you local Subie dealer. They alway need good mechanics!