The recommended timing belt replacement interval for my 2005 Legacy GT is 105,000 miles or 105 months per Subaru. It has been a full 9 calendar years since the car was built, or 108 months. The car has only 58,xxx miles on it. Now, I can read and comprehend Subaru's recommended service interval, but by the same token I have a hard time rationalizing this service based on the low miles. And yes, I know rubber ages even as it sits still not doing anything. The car is stock and has not been hammered on (I am the original owner). Has anyone ever seen a timing belt break before the recommended mileage interval regardless of age of the belt? I would also like opinions on changing the water pump, tensioner and idler pulleys or would you leave them be if there is no roughness in the bearings or coolant weepage or any other questionable symptoms? Thanks for your opinions.
Take a timing cover off and visually inspect the belt. If it has cracks or other signs of wear, replace it! I would recommend buying a kit with the belt, pulleys, and tensioner. Water pump? eh... I haven't seen many water pump failures on Subarus, but I don't work on them every day either.
Seconded on a visual inspection. If it's degrading, the cracks will be evident. If you're talking about doing it yourself, I would probably plan on doing it before too long (probably not right away, but certainly before you get another 50k miles). That said, I would only do the belt. The bearings don't wear out over time. I don't replace the water pump on the first timing belt change on a Subaru (I was going to say "unless it's showing signs of failure", but that's never happened to me). The second TBelt change, yes, I put a new water pump in, either way. I do normally replace the pulleys with the first belt change, but I've never had one where age was a genuine concern.
Thanks for the replies. My thoughts were to not do the water pump unless there is a visual reason to do so...since the car gets used regularly the seal should not dry out - I assume water pump seal failures would be due to wear (meaning miles) rather than age. Idler pulleys, same deal...bearing failure would be more mileage related rather than time, but I assume the idlers are relatively cheap parts. Can I safely assume the same line of reasoning for the tensioner too, or are there seals, springs, etc that can be affected by age only? I'm gonna have Morrie's Minnetonka do the work along with a laundry list of other things since I have some Subaru Bucks to help ease the financial pain.
I dont do many water pumps. On turbo engines I almost always replace the upper small idler pulley and inspect the others for roughness. Also inspect the tensioner for fluid puddling by the piston
I would if I was wrenching myself. I'm gonna ask to have Driftin240 do the work at Morrie's and I have no doubt he'll do what is in my best interest. Thanks again.
Replace everything in there..... The full kit at the dealership is around $500 in parts. You are going to sacrifice a possible catastrophic failure to save $100-$200. As for the belt a visual inspection is a easy fix. I personally haven't seen a belt actually fail, most of the time it is the bearings or the tensioner a and would highly doubt at 60k it would need one, but that all depends on your driving/parking conditions. Lots of heat cycles, and big swings in temperature changes a lot do not help belts. Car parked outside all the time, lots of short trips each day... Ect Again if you are really worried and feel like you are driving a ticking time bomb.... What is $500 to keep your car operable for another 9 years
