legacycentral bbs

Okay I'm re-positioning the timing belt on my EJ20G with the engine in the car, and as far as I can tell its physically impossible to see the marks for the lower passenger side cam sprocket or accurately count teeth. Anyone have some super-secret tips for DOHC setups?

Also, any good way to hold the belt on those sprockets?

Something like this works to hold the belt to the sprocket.

I used something similar...of course, w/engine OUT it was easier. Do you remove the radiator for more access?
I'd go read up on the USMBsite. Should be tips/tricks over there....you definitely want to count the teeth, IMHO.



GL,
Td

I bought similar clips and it made install much easier. But I had the cam gears 90* off from each other (had the belt lines up on the double marks). How hard is it to replace valves on a DOHC head?

Probably not much harder than a sohc, the valves come out the same way. You can get this fancy guy if you don't have anything to get valve springs compressed.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/COMPANY23-VALVE ... e8&vxp=mtr

I use a small mirror to check my marks after marking them with a white out pen to make them easier to see.

I also have two of these tools, one at work and one at home and they work amazing. They however do not work on 08+ STi's.

http://www.amazon.com/Lisle-36880-Dual- ... CAM+HOLDER

How does that lock tool attach?

Sorry for the crapy pics, I just pulled them off Google real quick.

I may have to pick that up. The left-side cams snapping shut with the belt off is a big problem too.

If only I had asked thus before the first time I tried to do the belt, I would probably be driving my car now.

I'm surprised the FSM doesn't specify a Subaru tool for locking the gears together during a timing belt service.

I don't think I've ever done one that hasn't spun on me with out that tool.

I've used vise grips with just enough tension on the gears to keep them in place and not damage them. Or I'll use a pair of grips and a quarter at the timing marks, pinch the belt between the quarter and the cam gear.

I used vise grips once, ended up breaking the cam gear and that turned into a huge night mare.

Yeah, you gotta be careful with those. Mostly if you have Plastic gears. I have 3 metal gears and 1 plastic gear on my engine.

Metal you could get away with it. I had to keep going tighter and tighter to get it to hold, until it snapped.

All because I wanted to get the job done that night and forgot that holder at work.

Driver side cams move after I take the off the clamps off. I have an old style tensioner. Sometimes the belt seems lose in between the 2 cans on that side. Looking for advice

Are you installing the belt with all the idler bearings installed? I leave the bottom one on the passenger side off when I install the belt. After putting on the belt, but before installing the last bearing, I use my breaker bar to rotate the crank towards the passenger side by several teeth. This puts enough slack in the lower part of the belt that I can install the bearing without stretching the belt at all. Obviously afterwards I rotate the crank several revolutions to ensure timing is still on.

Maybe a second set of hands with a small breaker bar on one of the driver side cam gears would help them not slip as you install the other side.

I'm a visual guy, and I have referred to this video more than once: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1PunROR3VU
I believe it is our very own Jamal.

I leave the lower bearing off till the timing setup then put the tensioner in place then tighten down release the pin then take off the clamp on drive side. Old style tensioner

Just get yourself a few of those black office clips and clamp the belt to the pulleys on the driver's side so it won't slip when you're putting it on. Pretty easy. The black metal clips with the chrome arms.

Yes, that's a great idea. I used some clamps even on my ej22t install.

The video really helped. I was trying to slide it on like I've seen most YouTube videos not get the mark on the cam then more the cam like the video shows used my clips to hold the timing. I got the car to run today super stoked about it. Thanks for the help.

Yay! Glad it worked