TIMING BELTS!

I would definitely seek the advice of folks at

as they are very good at keeping older soobs running. It might be a DIY job if you are mechanically inclined. There may also be other components you would want to change and how long it has been since the car ran, etc. are all issues that should be considered before firing that puppy up.

Carl

Hi,

If you're handy and want to get a book, it's not that big a job. One problem w/ replacing the belts on two-belt systems is getting the timing

180 deg off on one bank cuz someone misses the step to turn the engine over a full revolution between installing (and timing) the first side and the second.

On single belt systems, the problem can be similar: something slipped its timing while installing the belt and somebody forgot to check their work to make sure all the timing marks were still aligned at the end of the job.

If you're not handy, the prices you quoted seem fair enough if the guys are familiar w/ older Subies.

Rick

snipped-for-privacy@aol.com wrote in news:1160332044.559797.233360 @m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com:

This manual is for an '89 but the timing belt section is the same for your '86.

The longer belt on the drivers side of the engine breaks more often than the other one. If you're just checking that the new belt was installed properly you only need to remove the outer end covers so you can see the timing marks. Also open the distributor cap and verify that the rotor is pointed towards the number one cylinder when that piston is near TDC on the compression stroke. It's possible the guy who did the belts got it

180 degrees off. The exact setting varies with different years and whether or not you have fuel injection but it should run if it's somewhere close.

The prices you've been quoted are very reasonable but if you'd like to learn how to DIY you'd have to search for quite a while to find an easier car to work on. I converted my own '86 GL from carb to SPFI. I had to pull the timing belts to replace the camshaft seals and left all the timing belt covers off when I put it back together. Since my car has no AC and uses manual steering the only belts on the front of the engine are the two timing belts and the alternator/water pump belt. It doesn't even have the conventional fan mounted on the water pump, just the electric fan offset towards the passenger side. I'll admit the setup looks kind of snarky. Sort of "Road Warrior" meets "Mickey Mouse", but it does make it a lot easier to keep an eye open for leaks and belt adjustment.

Later, Joe

everyone, thanks so much. this sounds like its gonna be a free daily driver! :)