Well, due to my connection with local Subaru dept I have informed that almost in all new age cars when you change cambelt you have to change except the tensioner and belt also all belt idlers as they are very delicates and have caused many engine failures in both WRX/STI's!
How can this be true and if yes why Subaru changed the classic shape relative parts with new ones (part codes) less reliable?
Recently an STI MY02 had problems due to failed belt idler (13073AA142 - factory idler not changed after cambelt change)!
Anyone with similar experience?
JIM

 

Jim, In my view, this is Subaru propaganda to sell more parts. We fit a new belt every time we rebuild an engine, but we almost never change the idlers unless we can see an obvious problem.

After about 750 rebuilds since Jan 2001, we appear to have had a first
' unexplained ' cam belt failure last week after running OK for 2 years after the rebuild.

Mechanical mayhem of course and all 16 valves bent.

My suggestion is to check and examine rather than just replace *****-nilly. The argument of course is, that if you have a good one, considering that it is a suspect bit of kit according to them, you may take off a good one and replace it with a dodgy one.........

Same thing applies to 99 / 2000 MAF's change it every service because they are crap, is a comment I hear all to often, but if you've got a good-un you may just be worse off.

Good Luck David, APi Engines / APi Impreza
www.apiengines.com

 

David,

If you were changing a cambelt on a 2001 bugeye with 23k miles would you change the tensioners ??

Cheers
Chris.

 

Chris, we would use our judgment after we've examined them. The easy way out [ read expensive ] is to change all. The engineers way is to exercise judgment.

It isn't as simple as would you or would you not.

Kind regards David APi Engines / APi Impreza
www.apiengines.com

 

Thanks David, I thought the same but the above car with failed cambelt had problematic the one idler, obviously they should have had replace it during cambelt change!
JIM

 

A J MOTORS birmingham did mine on turbo 2000 pretensioner had snapped and idle bearing had jammed they put new belt in and pretensioner/idle valve £500 all in..... car seems ok 3 weeks later,as it was b 4 problems.

 

Sounds like they 'pulled your pants down' if all they did was fit a new belt and tensioner for £500

 

Give me a shout if it happens again, only £450

Rob