[snowdance38]

Pulled it apart yesterday morning.. Made the 100 mile trip to the nearest dealer yesterday afternoon..

What I found was.. Timing belt did look good, gave each idler a spin all idlers had bad bearings, The one with the teeth was by far the worst.. Tensioner was leaking oil..

So I got new Belt, idlers, tensioner.. Got them installed yesterday evening..

Nice to have a belt thats marked from the factory.. Just remember there are about 4 more teeth on the passenger side than the drivers side.. Turn the new belt so you can read the writing and it will work out fine..

If you are not going to pull the radiatior, cover it with cardboard so you do not screw up the fins ect..

If you see oil on the top of the tensioner where the shaft is.. Replace it..

Also replace the spark plugs even if they only have a few miles on them..

Parts plus 6 oil filters and drain plug gaskets were $460 plus 100 mile trip..

Also if you have a Forester with the oil cooler where the oil filter is.. Check the small hoses.. They should be flexable.. If they are hard replace them.. The one over by the filter with the cover on it is usaly the worst.. When they get hard they will fail.. Mine were replaced a short while back..

If you replace any hoses and drain the antifreeze get the Subaru conditioner to add the the new antifreeze.. Cost about $5 and is a must in all Subaru's even comes in the new ones.. Nothing else on the market seems to work as well..

Snowdance

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[adc]

I would have replaced the Water Pump. But good shot.

 

[SteveB2175]

How many miles were on it ??

 

[snowdance38]

How many miles were on it ??

102000, Miles.. Had the time now and money.. The waterpump bearings were quite and no end play or leaks. So just passed on it

I would have done the water pump but its a runaround car.. Gets less than 5000 miles per year.. Odds are it will need headgaskets and water pump by 130000 miles or so.. Thats 6 years or so from now.. Odds are we will go back to one car long before that.. Also it only takes about 4 hours to replace the water pump.. With time out for lunch.. I am retired, have all the tools and a heated shop so no big hurry.. But if I were paying some one or if it were our only car.. You bet I would have replaced the water pump plus new headgaskets done at the same time.. Labor cost money.. Mine is free and it gives me some thing to do..

Snowdance

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[adc]

I would have done the water pump but its a runaround car.. Gets less than 5000 miles per year.. Odds are it will need headgaskets and water pump by 130000 miles or so..

Makes perfect sense.

 

[TexasForester]

I'm curious how you installed your timing belt; directly over the water pump drive wheel, pushing the lower cogged idler into place by levering the bolt into position, or other method?

I've had problems installing, but had reasonable success pushing belt over the water pump w/ short flat lever (brake adjustment tool worked nicely). This method has no possibility of cross threading bolt.

regards

 

[snowdance38]

I'm curious how you installed your timing belt; directly over the water pump drive wheel, pushing the lower cogged idler into place by levering the bolt into position, or other method?

I've had problems installing, but had reasonable success pushing belt over the water pump w/ short flat lever (brake adjustment tool worked nicely). This method has no possibility of cross threading bolt.

regards

That would work..

I left the lower one on the passenger side off.. (the one with the inside flange.. ) And I left the upper one next to the crankshaft on the passenger side off.. Put the belt on to the marks and installed the upper one next to the crank shaft.. Only trick was to hold the belt on the crank with my finger (Manual cars have a cover that should do that).. I then installed the lower one on the passenger side as it really has little pressure on it as it just stops the belt from flopping.. Went well.. But I have done this before on our old 99.. So had a plan..

Snowdance

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[TexasForester]

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to try that next time.

regards