How hard to replace timing belts, '89 1800

If you don't take the radiator out, it will not be an easy job. Taking it out makes the job fairly easy. It comes out easier than you think. You will need a service manual to tell you how to install the belts so they are timed properly. You should get a service manual and read it and see if your mechanicing is up to the task. If your are not a manual reader, you won't get the timing of the belts right and fail at the job. If you can read and understand what they say about timing the belts, the job is a fairly easy one.

Bob Noble

Original Message ----- From: "Hachiroku ????" Newsgroups: alt.autos.SubaruSent: Wednesday, July 04, 2007 5:59 PMSubject: How hard to replace timing belts, '89 1800

Be very certain to burp ALL the air out of the cooling system after reassembly!

Carl

Oh, yeah! I learned this on a Mazda in December!

Hi,

I've tried it both ways, and agree 100% w/ Bob! It's a pretty easy job w/ the radiator out. Might not be bad w/ radiator in if you have tiny hands and like to peer thru cracks and crevices to see what you're doing. I got over that years ago...

And READ AND HEED the manual. A very common question here is "I just replaced the t-belts and now the engine won't start..." and it seems the reason's almost always the installer got the timing 180 deg out on one of the cams cuz they didn't see something important in their reading.

Good luck! Allow the better part of the day to do it first time. After you learn what's where, it's a leisurely 3-4 hr job for a shadetree mechanic. I've SEEN claims of an hour or so... I'd hate to see the pile of "extra" parts at the end of one of THOSE jobs!

Also, since you're getting in there deep enough to do one job you can kill several birds w/ a single stone, so here's a "most folks agree" shopping list of things to get and replace for the EA-82 engine:

"Definitely do these":

--Timing belts (suggest Subaru OEM for best life expectancy--these engines aren't nice to belts, and some of us have had bad experiences w/ aftermarket belts. Also, your book probably suggests a 60k mile belt change interval--Subaru once changed the recommendation to about 50k mile, which more accurately matches my "aftermarket" belt life experience. The decision on brand and change interval is the individual owner's IMO)

--Front crank seal (ask for help here if removing the pulley presents a "challenge")

--Oil pump front seal

--Oil pump O-rings for rear (2) (some posters suggest re-installing the rear cover bolts w/ some blue Loc-tite to minimize some problems)

--Camshaft oil seals (2)

"Inspect and replace if required--or there's ANY doubt":

--Belt tensioners

--Idler pulley(s)

"Might as well while you're in there cuz of the amount of work to get there":

--Water pump

I may have forgotten something, but someone will add anything else necessary or helpful!

Rick