Upcoming timing belt change: what else?

My mechanic says unless cost is extremely sensitive, he always replaces water pumps with new items at the same time. But he wasn't a Subaru only sort of guy.

In every prior vehicle I've had, the recommendation to do the water pump while you had it torn apart for the timing belt anyway was money well spent. Dunno is these boxers are any different though.

Best Regards,

-- Todd H.

On Fri, 23 Mar 2007 10:39:50 -0400, Todd H. wrote (in article ):

Thus making a few extra bucks for the next boat payment.

Timing belt. All idler pulleys, including tensioner. (unless they are _perfect_) Front seal. Consider replacing oil pump; it has to be removed anyway to do the seal. Water pump. Thermostat (use OEM). Thermostat housing. (A cheap-o plastic part, prone to warpage/leaks) Both radiator hoses. Flush coolant system. AC and PS belts. AC belt idler pulley. Cam seals probably optional; if you do, replace the valve cover "O" rings and sealing washers while you're at it. At 100K, probably worthwhile to replace spark plugs and wires, tho not really timing belt related service item.

ByeBye! S.

Steve Jernigan KG0MB Laboratory Manager Microelectronics Research University of Colorado (719) 262-3101

Steve,

Thanks for the comprehensive list. If there's a "rule" I'm trying to stick to, it's something like "replace wear items if most of the labor is already done as part of the timing belt replacement".

So the thermostat and housing don't make the cut - they're easy to replace anytime. Ditto for the upper radiator hose. The lower hose is a pain even to inspect, and it's a cheap part, and easy to replace when the timing belt is done, so doing that now makes good sense.

Joe

Is the harmonic balancer bolt right or left hand thread?

Thank