SOHC 2.2L Timing Belt risk

Hey there- First post on this forum, glad to be here. I bought my '94 Subaru Legacy L 2-years ago from a used car dealership, and have decided to become a member as I am starting to face frequent tune-ups and troubleshooting.

I am about to go cross-country, and have been looking into everything possible to cover on my car before departing, dependent upon my low budget.

I bought the car at 150k miles 2-years ago, and have since driven it up to 176,000 miles. I have researched that the 2.2L SOHC engine is suggested to have its timing belt replaced every 60k miles, or at 180K miles in my case, assuming the previous owner changed it at 120. However, I have been reading on this forum that timing belts are good for longer, and more importantly that with SOHC engines a failure in the timing belt will not cause serious damage to the engine compared to DOHC engines.

My question is too see if I should risk not replacing my timing belt now before departure (as it is expensive, and I still have 4k miles to go), given that if it does go out I will be able to tow it to a shop and just have it done there, assuming no serious damage will be done. Has anyone had experiences with their SOHC engine's timing belt breaking while driving?

Thanks!

I would replace it before your trip as you have no knowledge of whether the PO did the correct maintenance or not. I just bought an 2005 Impreza with 129K miles (timing belt due at 105K) that doesn't appear to have the belt changed anytime recently (so I am having it done this week). More than likely, the PO didn't both with it since he knew that he was getting rid of the car anyway.

The good news for you- unlike my Impreza, your '94 vintage EJ22 is NON interference s, so if the belt breaks, it shouldn't hurt anything. The EJ22 was the last non-interference engine Subaru built (up to '96)- everything else, SOHC or DOHC built later is interference.

So the choice is yours- but I would rather know I won't be stranded on the side of the road on a long trip. I know there are some folks on this forum of have had the EJ22 break a belt, so they can weigh in on the experience.

As for my experience, I had a '71 Pinto many decades ago that broke its timing belt twice, but was luckily non-interference, and it was a simple enough operation that my dad and I changed one in a parking lot at night and got it running.

it is smarter to do it before you go.

if it fails on the road, what ever shop you tow it ot is going to have you over a barrel.

what ever price they quote you will have to pay.

plus rent a room, and buy meals while you wait for them to do the job.

plus, what if the parts have to come in by UPS?

you will not be able to drive it down the street to another shop to get a better price.

of course you could have it towed down the street, but then you pay his price.

and what if this is the first subaru these guys have ever worked on?

if you do it now you can pick the shop, maybe even the mechanic.

compare prices, schedule the work when you want,

and eat and sleep at your house while you wait.

it is usually not the belt that fails.

usually it is the toothed idler pulley that fails.

lots of folks just replace the belt and nothing else.

it would not surprise me if the idler pulleys on your engine were installed at the factory.

you can get the belt kit with idlers and water pump for $125 - $135 on ebay or amazon.

a kit without a water pump is $90.

and if you download a manual,

and buy some basic tools,

read a ''how to'' or two,

watch a youtube video,

ask questions here,

you can do it over the weekend.

especially if you have a buddy who works on cars to help.

check out this ''how to''.

http://lovehorsepower.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48:1995-subaru-legacy-outback-timing-belt-and-water-pump-replacement&catid=10:subaru-legacy&Itemid=64

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Hey there- First post on this forum, glad to be here. I bought my '94 Subaru Legacy L 2-years ago from a used car dealership, and have decided to become a member as I am starting to face frequent tune-ups and troubleshooting.

 

I am about to go cross-country, and have been looking into everything possible to cover on my car before departing, dependent upon my low budget.

 

I bought the car at 150k miles 2-years ago, and have since driven it up to 176,000 miles. I have researched that the 2.2L SOHC engine is suggested to have its timing belt replaced every 60k miles, or at 180K miles in my case, assuming the previous owner changed it at 120. However, I have been reading on this forum that timing belts are good for longer, and more importantly that with SOHC engines a failure in the timing belt will not cause serious damage to the engine compared to DOHC engines.

 

My question is too see if I should risk not replacing my timing belt now before departure (as it is expensive, and I still have 4k miles to go), given that if it does go out I will be able to tow it to a shop and just have it done there, assuming no serious damage will be done. Has anyone had experiences with their SOHC engine's timing belt breaking while driving?

 

Thanks!

A guy at my work was moaning one day because the cam belt had broken on his car. I asked him when it was last changed, he said it's never been changed,I didn't know it had to be. I then asked how many ks his car had done, he said 225.000ks. He knew nothing about cars, he just drove it. I found it interesting that this engine had done that many ks before the cam belt had finally given up the ghost so to speak. I can only conclude that the 100.000klm service change is a minimum and that a cambelt will last many thousands of ks more before damage will result.

owners memories are notorious for being wrong.

especially if the work order calls it a cam belt, not a timing belt.

i bought a 95 lego w/ ~75k miles at a repo auction.

no history of service.right around 100k miles i noticed the ''crank pulley bolt wobble''.

i was familiar with this since my 93 had failed in this manner.

i had the shop replace ''everything'' when they did the belt.

60k miles later i had it done again.

48k miles later i did it again my self and then sold it.

belts can last longer than memories,

but neither lasts forever.

Seems like every used car I've bought needed a timing belt:

In 2011 I bought a 1988 Nissan Pulsar with 105,000 miles and a sticker on the motor saying the timing belt was replaced at 64K miles... in 1997!. Actually car ran like crap but was good after the timing belt change so I figured it had jumped a tooth or two.

In 2012 we bought my sister's 2001 Accord for my son with 121K miles. There we had a service history, but they never changed the belt so we had it done immediately.

In 2013 I bought my '98 Legacy EJ22 with 89K miles and no service history so we had my mechanic friend change the belt, tensioner, idler pulleys, water pump, seals etc...

And now in 2014 we are dropping off the 2005 Impreza tomorrow with my mechanic friend to do the same as on the Legacy.

Not sure I'll buy next but most likely it will get a timing belt change before long.

owners memories are notorious for being wrong.

especially if the work order calls it a cam belt, not a timing belt.

 

i bought a 95 lego w/ ~75k miles at a repo auction.

no history of service.right around 100k miles i noticed the ''crank pulley bolt wobble''.

i was familiar with this since my 93 had failed in this manner.

i had the shop replace ''everything'' when they did the belt.

60k miles later i had it done again.

48k miles later i did it again my self and then sold it.

 

belts can last longer than memories,

but neither lasts forever.

In NZ we used to call it a timing belt but it seems to be old terminology these days and it is now called a cam belt. I had a look recently at the belt in my car to see what condition it was in, as it had been in for 80.000ks. I was surprised at how good it looked. If I didn't know any better I would have said it was near new. But in saying that, I will still be replacing it at it's service interval no matter what it looks like, pulleys as well. On the subject of pulleys, I questioned my garage about them, and the mechanic told me that they never replaced them because people didn't want the extra cost on top of the already expensive job. Interesting.

In NZ we used to call it a timing belt but it seems to be old terminology these days and it is now called a cam belt. I had a look recently at the belt in my car to see what condition it was in, as it had been in for 80.000ks. I was surprised at how good it looked. If I didn't know any better I would have said it was near new. But in saying that, I will still be replacing it at it's service interval no matter what it looks like, pulleys as well. On the subject of pulleys, I questioned my garage about them, and the mechanic told me that they never replaced them because people didn't want the extra cost on top of the already expensive job. Interesting.

And thats how they end up going out. Pay the extra $50 and always get the pulleys.

they never replaced them because people didn't want the extra cost on top of the already expensive job. Interesting.

And thats how they end up going out.

so that does add a good bit the cost of the job.

but since you can now get good quality parts from amazon you don't have to spend that much more.

and if you replace them at every timing belt interval,

you know they will not fail.

or more sure than if you never replace them.

i had a 98 outback ej25D that the toothed idler failed at 142k.

i bought it that way and swapped in ann ej22.

but there are lots that have last longer than that too.

but how many are going to last 210k for an ej25, much less 315k miles.

or 240k miles for an ej22.?

you just can't ever be sure.

so better to replace them .

Goin to take yalls advice and replace the whole timing belt system to play it safe (might actually try it myself with the help of a friend).

If I bought this, would it have everything you all are saying to replace? It doesn't mention idler pulleys- and I am not sure what they look like.

Link

Goin to take yalls advice and replace the whole timing belt system to play it safe (might actually try it myself with the help of a friend).

 

If I bought this, would it have everything you all are saying to replace? It doesn't mention idler pulleys- and I am not sure what they look like.

 

Link

Get a gates one off amazon. Then you know your getting quality. And no that one doesn't have the tensioner. This one [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Mitsuboshi-Evergreen-TBK304WP-M-Subaru-Timing/dp/B007P742JQ/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1393453921&sr=1-2-fkmr1&keywords=gates+ej22+timing+kit](LINK)[/ame] should do the trick and it has the newer style tension setup. I don't know if it makes any difference on the newer or older style.

One tip. One you have your timing cover off, pull the lower passenger side idle pulley off first. That will give you enough slack to get the old belt off the water pump. When putting everything back together do that same pulley after you have the belt on BUT BEFORE YOU TENSION THE BELT. It will save you a lot of headaches and trouble.

i prefer this one.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/90-97-1-8-2-2L-Subaru-Impreza-Legacy-EJ18-EJ22-Timing-Belt-Kit-AISIN-Water-Pump-/260925109309?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Make%3ASubaru&hash=item3cc059343d&vxp=mtr

i prefer this one.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/90-97-1-8-2-2L-Subaru-Impreza-Legacy-EJ18-EJ22-Timing-Belt-Kit-AISIN-Water-Pump-/260925109309?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Make%3ASubaru&hash=item3cc059343d&vxp=mtr

Still missing the tensioner. Thats the only setback. I prefer getting new ones over trying to compress the old one.

the hydraulic tensioners used in the 90 - 97 ej engines rarely fail.

so i would not plan on replacing it unless it is leaking.

or if you compress it TOO FAST.

the pulley that the tensioner manipulates is included.

but whatever.

I just resealed the front of my 95 due to oil leaks (cam seals, orings, crank seal, oil pump seal, etc. My car has 137k and all seals but the crank were crispy. When you pull off a rubber oring it shouldnt break in two pieces. The radiator and trans hoses were spongy and soft too, so I replaced those. I believe the "toothed" idler is the same as the idler sprocket or idler gear and mine was original and noisy. Picked one up at Oriellys ($50, but same as factory). Had to remove timing belt to get to everything but mine was newer (NAPA Gates) as well as the water pump so I left them. It was actually fairly simple once you figure out how to do it. No special tools. Did the breaker bar/starter method to loosen the crank bolt. Loosened the cam bolts before I did that. Bought one of these locking chain clamps to get the crank bolt and cam gears tightened up: http://www.harborfreight.com/locking-chain-clamp-36813.html and it worked great. Just wrapped the pulley with a towell first.

The job isnt hard and shouldnt be too expensive to have done. If you want the timing belt only I have seen the advertised price around here for $200. I would do them all day long for that.

I plan on keeping the car for only a year or two so the belt wasnt much of concern and was newer and good shape.

Bottom line. If your questioning whether or not it should be done and you are going on a lengthy trip, do it. Tow bills are super expensive unless you have AAA. That and the hassle isnt worth the few hundred to have it done. If you have questions I could talk you through it as I just did it last weekend.

right around 100k miles i noticed the ''crank pulley bolt wobble''.

what is this?

''crank pulley bolt wobble''.

the first one, 93 lego sedan, i was too new to even ask if that was right.

when the bolt finally got loose enough the engine quit running since the timing was off.

but on a 93 ej22 non-interference engine, no harm no foul.

i paid a shop to ''glue'' it back together with ALL new timing parts and seals..

he said '' it will never come apart again''.

and it didn't , i wrecked it 2 years later.

the next time i saw it, on my 95 lego sedan, i knew it was a problem.

but we caught it before it got bad.

i had the same shop do a complete timing belt job, ALL components and seals,

and i drove it for another 100k miles and sold it.

the ''crank pulley bolt wobble'' is caused by not torquing the bolt to the proper 137 ft lbs.

if not tight enough it will loosen over time,

and hammer on the crank key, the crank key way, and the pulley key way.

if not corrected it will then hammer on the crank sprocket key way causing the timing to be off.

on interference engines, like the ej25 and the 97+ ej22, you can bend valves if the timing is too far off.

if it wobbles , fix it.

on the ej22s you can see the bolt head when you look at the crank pulley,

on the ej25 you may not be able to.

but look any way.

I found this on another post when doing torque spec research for the crank pully:

FSM states: 2.2L is 94 ft/lbs 2.5L is 130.2ft/lb and both are plus or minus 3.6ft/lb.

FSM states: 2.2L is 94 ft/lbs 2.5L is 130.2ft/lb and both are plus or minus 3.6ft/lb.

i don't know if they amended the spec later or if that is a published error.

but 94 ft lbs is not enough torque for the ej22 crank pulley bolt.

maybe in 95 they changed the spec.

i don't know.

but it is the same bolt and crank (different part number but same material and manufacturing process) as the ej25.

if you torque it to 94 ft lbs you will have problems eventually.

so lots of timing belt jobs were done and the bolt was not tightened properly.

it is possible that the bolts were not tightened properly because they could not / did not know how to keep the crank from turning when trying to tighten it.

so the spec is 130, +/- 3.6 ft lbs.

lots of folks use 150 ft lbs., including me.

it is a steel bolt in a steel crank,

i don't think striping the threads is very likely.

but use your own judgement.