Hey guys, I have a 03 Impreza Outback and I cant even buy a Haynes for it yet. I have to do the timing belt on the car this weekend, and being a noob I cant even tell which motor I have beyond that it is a 2.5. I have seen write ups saying I need to hold a cam, some saying it wont matter, some saying its a interferance motor, some saying it isnt. I am so damn confused I dont know what to do, I just know 1150 from the dealer is out of the question.


This is a instance of I used the search, but I actually recieved too much info I think.

So can you please help me out and direct me to the correct write up for my car so I can do this without screwing it up.

PLEASE!

TIA

alldata.com. It will provide detailed instructions on how to change belt. $1150 is outrageous. Timing belt replacement at my shop is apx $700 we do recommend replacing the cam shaft and crank shaft seals ( cams 4x$10 crank 1x$15) You do have an interference engine, There are special tools needed to hold cams in place... I've seen engines smoked (valves bent) from improper install so be careful. Is it rocket science?? No. Goood luck Hope this helped.

Thank you for the info.

And the 1150 was for all the pullys, seals, belt and WP too.

Is this motor a single or dual cam?

I fired up Alldata on my PC, I forgot I have access to a registered version. Anyway, the breakdown does not show holding a cam on this car when the belt is off. So I can just pull the belt without worry of the driver side rolling and bending the valves? Or is Alldata assuming I am a licensed mechanic and know this?

its a dual (4 cam seals) assess the water pump. There is a weep hole in the bottom of it. Its prob fine... they are $110. Pulleys????? Boy are they reaching... Unless they are mangled.. no need to replace. Also look at the timing belt tensioner, if it has developed a groove on the silver part in the middle, or is damp with oil...replace. $149.95. Let me know if you need any other info. i'm working today, and this is what I do.... Advise.

I fired up Alldata on my PC, I forgot I have access to a registered version. Anyway, the breakdown does not show holding a cam on this car when the belt is off. So I can just pull the belt without worry of the driver side rolling and bending the valves? Or is Alldata assuming I am a licensed mechanic and know this?

They are assuming, specail cam tool is required. Let's be clear. It is an interference engine. BE CAREFUL!!! the belt must be put on exactly right, one tooth off will cause a misfire, three or more.... smoked!!

Thanks Salis, I appreicate the input a great deal.

looks like i stand corrected. all data say single overhead cam. so thats 2 cams, and they are very vague on how to install. You might want to find an independent shop to do the work. all data states 2.2 hrs to install. we charge 3.5hrs. Special work.... special tools yada...yada

I'm not worried about doing it right, I have the knowledge of engines and the ability to do the work. I just worry when I tear into a new type of engine I havent worked on before. As far as I can tell, with Alldata's help, this is a SOHC and shouldnt require the holding of the cam......which makes me very happy.

Your engine has a single cam on each side.
You need to line both cam and crank pulleys at the 12:00 position.
You will have to pry the tensioner up slowly and stick a pin in it to keep it
collapsed so you can remove it and the old belt.Once you put the new belt on you will have to rotate the driverside cam so you can get the belt lined up,then rotate it back to the 12:00 position then install tensioner and remove pin.

Awesome, thanks for the tips Subtoy. I am going to replace the tensioner, so no pin, but the rest is a great help!

after you install the new belt, hand crank the motor through a couple cycles before starting it up and double check your marks after each cycle. also listen for any sounds (like valves and pistons becoming close friends) and feel for hard stops when hand cranking. If there is valve/piston interference you should feel a solid stop when hand cranking slowly. if you are cautious when cranking by hand, any valve/piston contact shouldn't be enough to cause damage. I put a ratchet on the crank pulley nut and crank the engine through with the ratchet. (only done this on chevy v8's and a 4 cyl mistu, but should be the same on just about any engine)

You have the sohc EJ25, it is an interference motor, so be sure to put the new belt on correctly. There are marks on the belt, you dont have to use them but they are helpful for first timers.

Make sure to use the dash mark for the crank sprocket, not the triangle looking mark. Line up all 3 dash marks (2 cams and one crank) to the 12:00 position like previously stated. you dont really have to replace the tensioner the first time you change the belt, but it cant hurt.

Like RaceFaceXC said, hand crank first. Be sure to make the slack part of the belt in between the driverside cam pulley, and the crank sprocket (right where the tensioner pulley is)


~Josh~

Note that the cam pulley marks will only line up on every other revolution. I always rotate the motor anywhere from 4-8 complete turns before calling it good. Taking the plugs out makes this much easier too.....less stress on the belt at each TDC on the compression stroke.

Food for thought.

Jay Storm

One other point about belt replacement: It was a beast getting the big bolt off the crankshaft pulley. There is a special tool that you can use to hold the pulley in place while you loosen the bolt, but I couldn't get anyone to loan/rent me this tool. (Buying it was $100 or so, as I recall.) I was able to rig something with a steel bar and a couple of smaller bolts that I put through holes in the pulley. I bent these smaller bolts but was able to get the big bolt off the crankshaft pulley.

Other than that, the job is pretty straightforward. There are marks on the crank and cam sprockets that help you line everything up. It takes three hands in a couple of spots but there's no big mysteries.

--Bob