Hi all,

ROCKER COVER GASKET:

Im going to try and attempt to do my rocker cover gasket on the drivers side, what size tools are required for for the job, search isnt working so.....

1) Size of socket drive and any other tools that might be needed
2) Tips

CAMBELT:

Im considering doing my own cambelt aswell...how easy is this..?
ive read up somewhere but cant get my head round the possibility i might bend the valves....what if i lined the engine before i removed the belt..? then replace belt and tighten up..? or will the engine move slightly. Ive got timing marks on my belt.

1) Tools required
2) Any tips would be great
3) How do i line the engine up

Edit: 94 wrx

Thanks

Bob

 

 

buy yourself one of those workshop manuals in PDF format from Ebay should cost you about £6.00 delivered. You'll never look back. I rebuilt my whole engine using one of these. You'll not go far wrong.

 

Well, cant help you much as i need to do mine as well and will be looking forward to the responses you get, though they do seem to be slow in coming back.

I need to do my timing belt as it is overdue. Just turned 86K and not sure when it was last done about 40k i think.

The other point i was interested in is you drivers side rocker cover gasket. I assume you are intending changing it because it is leaking??
Mine has been leaking for for a number of months, just a little weep. But somtimes i get an oil smell in the car and a small amount of smoke from the drivers side. I really need to get somthing done with it. I did nip the bolts up an that helped for a short while.

Are you experiencing the same, leaking and smoke (presumably from the headers).

Does anyone know if this is a common problem. Does it relate to the turbo being on that side of the engine, and the additional heat causing the gasket to go brittle? or am i making assumptions that are nonsense.

 

We can do it with a bit of knowledge off other people who have done it, i bought the belt with the markings aswell so surely it cant be hard.

Bob

 

I have done the cambelt. For me it was a 2 people job.

There was a thread somewhere here which i got my info from.. just trying to find it.

G.

 

Right, don't buy that manual from Fleebay.

it's here

http://www.jimclarkeracing.co.uk/sco...7/premy97.html

 

That's all can find without the search.

All i can say is make sure that all the line match up on the cambelt.

oh and bob.... make sure you change the right belt

G

 

Cheers m8 .....all i need to know is, how do you time the engine up first before removal or after removal..?

Bob

 

Before you run down this road, how far have you gone with this rocker gasket issue already? Mine was leaking and I had good luck stopping it with taking the heat shield off from below and just giving the bottom bolts a twist, not even a quarter turn, cleaned up the whole area, and the leak has vanished.

 

I replaced the rhs rocker cover gasket on my classic not that long ago... as I recall there are 6 10mm bolts that I had a little trouble with as they are so close to the bodywork on that side, but with a combination of spanners and small sockets it was easy enough (once the air box is out of the way). The gaskets cost less than 10 quid and that sorted the smell / smoke (once the oil I spilled onto the headers had burnt off!)

On the subject of timing, I would be very careful - I put mine into a local garage to do this as I am relatively new to scoobys and didn't want to break it! However I have done this on previous cars, and I cleaned the cam and crank sprockets & surrounding areas then used tipp-ex to put my own marks on. There is a good chance things will move a little once the existing cam belt is removed.

Hope that helps a bit, good luck

 

Well ive noticed one bolt that looks very suspect on the drivers side rocker cover....hope its not been cross thredded. I will be investigating more when i get a bloody 8mm spanner or was it 10mm hmmmmmm.

Bob

 

Ive just got a price off prosport in stockport for both rocker gaskets sets £85, i aint paying that...anyone know somewhere cheaper. Joth, im gonna try first but im sure the drivers side is beyond repair now...its pissing out.

Bob

 

Forgot to mention...im still after the way to turn the engine to line her up???? dont want to bend my valves i love my car.

Bob

 

I did my cam belt a couple of weeks back. The book time without air con is under 1 hour according to autodata! It took me about 4 1/2 hours in the end!

Here's how:

Remove the crank pulley

Remove the rad and accosiated air con/alternator pulleys and cam covers.

There are timing marks on the cam pulleys that line up with markings on the block. Once you have lined up the marks lock the cams to each other using a mole grip with just enough pressure to hold the pulleys in place (you will find the top right cam will want to spin on the valve springs so apply a little more pressure on this side with your grips).

Remove the old timing belt.

Remove the tensioner and compress it in a vice and lock in place with a small rod/pin (Allen key did mine). Re-install tensioner.

Refit new cam belt. Its very tight and fidly! Once you have refitted the belt remove your rod/pin from the tensioner.

Rotate the engine a few times to make sure the markings are alligned and the valves arn't fouling the pistons.

Refit everything else in the reverse order.

Jobs done.

To do the cam covers just buy yourself a ratchet spanner and its really easy to get to the hard to reach bolts.

Hope this helps.


The mole grip solution isn't ideal, but without these I would never have managed to get the belt on as the pulleys spin and the belt is very long and tight. it took me about 1 1/2 hours to get the frigging belt back on so be aware its not easy. If in doubt... pay someone!

Nath

 

Thanks m8 .....how do these grips work, what are they gripping .
still need to know how to rotate the engine without bending valves.


Bob

 

Remember when you do the rocker cover gasket there is the main seal + two spark plug seals and the six bolt seals all need to be replaced i also put a smear of high temp gasket sealer on try as performance very helpful and cheap he also has the sealer it must be high temp stuff as other sealants eg silicone will dry out and crack very quickly take your time and make sure everything is clean and dry . did mine two years ago now and still fine .


Mark

 

Do you have a phone number or website.....cheers man

Bob

 

when i did a cam belt on an impreza i didnt even remove the rad just took the fans off and put some card or thin wood to stop peircing the rad accidently, saves draining the system.

i would suggest taking the spark plugs out to make turning the engine over easier. leave the old belt on find the marks you need to line up on all the pulleys and block or belt casing then turn the engine over using the crank pulley, to make it easier put the bolt back in and tighten up then when you turn the bolt it will turn the engine instead.

be very carefull when removing the old belt the cam springs can make the pulleys shot around and could case valves to hit. after i did it i had a brain wave of maybe cable tieing the pulleys together or to something solid beofre removing the belt to prevent anything moving.

finall suggestion is to change the cambelt tensioner, if this is faults it can cause the belt to be to tight and knacker up the water pump as well, it can also cause all sorts of annoying noises, whines/screams, knocks ect.

good luck, let me know if tightening the bolts on the rocker cover works was mine also leaks.

GAZ

 

http://www.asperformance.com/

Ask for alan very helpful next day delivery

 

Imagine the two cam pulleys on one side of the engine... there is a lower one and a top one. When you have the marks lined up pinch the pulleys where they meet at their closest point to clamp them together and stop them moving..

You can rotate the engine with the crank bolt using a spanner/wrench. The valves won't hit as you will still have the old belt on when doing the lining up.
As for the rad I had to remove mine as I have a pace front mount intercooler etc, you may not have to :-)

Nath

 

After alot of thinking ive decided to get someone who knows what there doing...booked in saturday morning, ive already got the belt and its being done for £70....seems cheap enough and if anything goes wrong i can just take it back.

Bob

 

Think thats the best idea you've had since you started this thread, lol ;-)

 

No not all a waste, done my rocker covers today.....nipped the bolts, cleaned all the muck off and sealed up where its leaking....looks to have worked, im praying now.

Bob

 

Call me yellow, call me chicken. This is a job I will leave to the experts, ie my local Subaru dealer. Have done twin cam before no prob's but I skin my knuckles enough in work so I'll take the easy route on this one.