Cambelt change...
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Cambelt change...
Can you tell by looking at it whether it needs changing or not? Was getting my sti booked in at Subaru next week to have it changed but having looked at it today it looks pretty good... no frays, nice and clean... just wandering if there is anything I can do to check if it needs to be done?
The guy I got the car from said he was told it's been changed recently but has no paper work to prove it... the last time it was changed was 2008 according to the service book so I was gonna get it done for piece of mind. It's only done 10k miles since the last change but it's way over time frame wise as Subaru said it should be done every 5 years?
Thanks people 👍
The guy I got the car from said he was told it's been changed recently but has no paper work to prove it... the last time it was changed was 2008 according to the service book so I was gonna get it done for piece of mind. It's only done 10k miles since the last change but it's way over time frame wise as Subaru said it should be done every 5 years?
Thanks people 👍
#4
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Hard to tell by looking, obviously looking good is better than it looking tired, it's the tensioner I'd be worried about so better to change it and forget about it
#5
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When ever I've had mine changed the belt has never looked worn or in need of replacement. How it looks is not really relevant, it's all about age and mileage.
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On the surface the belt can look okay but it may have degraded below the surface then all of a sudden the teeth strip. I have seen on a landrover a portion of the teeth stripped on the cambelt. There was nothing seized that could have caused the stripping.
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Getting mine done in just over a week by Surrey Subaru Specialists, who quoted me about 480 including VAT for the cambelt and other drive belts that needed doing.
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£400 is pricey but it's being done by a specialist which is for piece of mind, and it looks good on the history. They also said they won't give me a warranty if they are customer supplied parts.
What garages did you get it done by?
What garages did you get it done by?
Last edited by SubieJack; 15 January 2017 at 12:47 AM.
#13
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Wow there's some serious mugging going off for a very simple job. Doesn't matter who does it or if it's stamped in the book as long as you keep receipts, any vat registered garage can stamp your book, should be looking at about 2hrs labour @ circa £50/70 per hour so if you're paying more than about the £150 mark you're being mugged.
There's a bit of a con that goes on around Subaru cambelt changes, mostly due to Classics having problems, newer versions are much more reliable due to having upgraded slightly different designs.
Idlers and followers are inspection only @ 60k.
Water pumps on newages are way more reliable, different impeller and will see well over 100k.
Oil pumps too don't have the lose screw issues of the classics.
And the main point, Subaru's are NOT hard on cambelts like some other marques, hence they still look good when they are replaced, they're also pretty well protected from the elements by the cambelt cover.
Cambelts themselves have come a long way since the 70's and 80's (which is the era all this must change it comes from) as have oil and water pumps, bearings, 'O' rings etc much improved.
One last point is Cambelts don't come with a date stamp so any "NEW" cambelt could already be 10yrs old by now having sat on a shelf somewhere in a wharehouse, which is something no one can tell you has or hasn't happened.
Fair enough if you want to get mugged off for some mythical "peace of mind" but seriously if you pay more than £250/300 you're being mugged, BIG TIME.
P.S; Another little caviate, all the snapped/ frayed cambelts I've ever heard of on here have always been down to poor fitting.
Fill yer boots.
There's a bit of a con that goes on around Subaru cambelt changes, mostly due to Classics having problems, newer versions are much more reliable due to having upgraded slightly different designs.
Idlers and followers are inspection only @ 60k.
Water pumps on newages are way more reliable, different impeller and will see well over 100k.
Oil pumps too don't have the lose screw issues of the classics.
And the main point, Subaru's are NOT hard on cambelts like some other marques, hence they still look good when they are replaced, they're also pretty well protected from the elements by the cambelt cover.
Cambelts themselves have come a long way since the 70's and 80's (which is the era all this must change it comes from) as have oil and water pumps, bearings, 'O' rings etc much improved.
One last point is Cambelts don't come with a date stamp so any "NEW" cambelt could already be 10yrs old by now having sat on a shelf somewhere in a wharehouse, which is something no one can tell you has or hasn't happened.
Fair enough if you want to get mugged off for some mythical "peace of mind" but seriously if you pay more than £250/300 you're being mugged, BIG TIME.
P.S; Another little caviate, all the snapped/ frayed cambelts I've ever heard of on here have always been down to poor fitting.
Fill yer boots.
Last edited by ditchmyster; 15 January 2017 at 10:50 AM.
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Kits from ASPerformance are the same as OEM tho.
https://www.scoobynet.com/trader-ann...tml?styleid=22
https://www.scoobynet.com/trader-ann...tml?styleid=22
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Kits from ASPerformance are the same as OEM tho.
https://www.scoobynet.com/trader-ann...tml?styleid=22
https://www.scoobynet.com/trader-ann...tml?styleid=22
#19
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I think it's something like 98% of cambelts are made in the same factory, dayco etc are oem quality, so paying for a particular name or one with a subaru stamp on it is pointless, also some of the more fancy ones (mentioning no names) are easily degraded by petrochemicals.
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I think it's something like 98% of cambelts are made in the same factory, dayco etc are oem quality, so paying for a particular name or one with a subaru stamp on it is pointless, also some of the more fancy ones (mentioning no names) are easily degraded by petrochemicals.
at the end of the day you make a choice and get the work done
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Wow there's some serious mugging going off for a very simple job. Doesn't matter who does it or if it's stamped in the book as long as you keep receipts, any vat registered garage can stamp your book, should be looking at about 2hrs labour @ circa £50/70 per hour so if you're paying more than about the £150 mark you're being mugged.
There's a bit of a con that goes on around Subaru cambelt changes, mostly due to Classics having problems, newer versions are much more reliable due to having upgraded slightly different designs.
Idlers and followers are inspection only @ 60k.
Water pumps on newages are way more reliable, different impeller and will see well over 100k.
Oil pumps too don't have the lose screw issues of the classics.
And the main point, Subaru's are NOT hard on cambelts like some other marques, hence they still look good when they are replaced, they're also pretty well protected from the elements by the cambelt cover.
Cambelts themselves have come a long way since the 70's and 80's (which is the era all this must change it comes from) as have oil and water pumps, bearings, 'O' rings etc much improved.
One last point is Cambelts don't come with a date stamp so any "NEW" cambelt could already be 10yrs old by now having sat on a shelf somewhere in a wharehouse, which is something no one can tell you has or hasn't happened.
Fair enough if you want to get mugged off for some mythical "peace of mind" but seriously if you pay more than £250/300 you're being mugged, BIG TIME.
P.S; Another little caviate, all the snapped/ frayed cambelts I've ever heard of on here have always been down to poor fitting.
Fill yer boots.
There's a bit of a con that goes on around Subaru cambelt changes, mostly due to Classics having problems, newer versions are much more reliable due to having upgraded slightly different designs.
Idlers and followers are inspection only @ 60k.
Water pumps on newages are way more reliable, different impeller and will see well over 100k.
Oil pumps too don't have the lose screw issues of the classics.
And the main point, Subaru's are NOT hard on cambelts like some other marques, hence they still look good when they are replaced, they're also pretty well protected from the elements by the cambelt cover.
Cambelts themselves have come a long way since the 70's and 80's (which is the era all this must change it comes from) as have oil and water pumps, bearings, 'O' rings etc much improved.
One last point is Cambelts don't come with a date stamp so any "NEW" cambelt could already be 10yrs old by now having sat on a shelf somewhere in a wharehouse, which is something no one can tell you has or hasn't happened.
Fair enough if you want to get mugged off for some mythical "peace of mind" but seriously if you pay more than £250/300 you're being mugged, BIG TIME.
P.S; Another little caviate, all the snapped/ frayed cambelts I've ever heard of on here have always been down to poor fitting.
Fill yer boots.
Oh, I forgot to mention that all of the drive belts are being done to, so that's extra labour and money for the parts. So I would say it's just right really.
Last edited by SubieJack; 15 January 2017 at 10:11 PM.
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Reading this thread seems that people don't. Apologies if I have the wrong end of the stick here.
#27
[QUOTE=SubieJack;11910769]Surrey Subaru Specialists also offer a warranty. Even if I am paying £150-200 more, in the grand scheme of things, I know it'll be done properly, it comes with a warranty and I will have a warranty to go back with if it goes wrong. Worth every penny to get it done properly and done right.
All well saying you have a warranty but say if the new belt broke (yes highly unlikely) I can't see anyone agreeing to replace/rebuild an engine when only the belt is covered?
All well saying you have a warranty but say if the new belt broke (yes highly unlikely) I can't see anyone agreeing to replace/rebuild an engine when only the belt is covered?
Last edited by Jonny Park; 16 January 2017 at 03:19 AM.
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[QUOTE=Jonny Park;11910824]
I believe they would be held responsible if the cambelt tore apart fudging the engine up.
Surrey Subaru Specialists also offer a warranty. Even if I am paying £150-200 more, in the grand scheme of things, I know it'll be done properly, it comes with a warranty and I will have a warranty to go back with if it goes wrong. Worth every penny to get it done properly and done right.
All well saying you have a warranty but say if the new belt broke (yes highly unlikely) I can't see anyone agreeing to replace/rebuild an engine when only the belt is covered?
All well saying you have a warranty but say if the new belt broke (yes highly unlikely) I can't see anyone agreeing to replace/rebuild an engine when only the belt is covered?
#29
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Surrey Subaru Specialists also offer a warranty. Even if I am paying £150-200 more, in the grand scheme of things, I know it'll be done properly, it comes with a warranty and I will have a warranty to go back with if it goes wrong. Worth every penny to get it done properly and done right.
Oh, I forgot to mention that all of the drive belts are being done to, so that's extra labour and money for the parts. So I would say it's just right really.
Oh, I forgot to mention that all of the drive belts are being done to, so that's extra labour and money for the parts. So I would say it's just right really.
Wait don't think too hard, I'll save you the trouble, NO they're not and rightly so, neither is any other garage on the planet, they will all point you in the direction of the manufacturer, who wouldn't???
Again it's all part of this MYTHICAL "PEACE OF MIND" if anything by replacing perfectly good working parts you are in fact rolling the dice as to whether or not you'll be on the receiving end of good parts and service.
But hey people it's your money, your car and your choice, so not my problem.
#30
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All this is basically a good money spinner for garages, plain and simple, if folks are happy to splash their cash on unnecessary parts then more power to them, who am I to get in the way of their "peace of mind"
Personally anytime I let a spanner monkey near any of my vehicles I cr@p myself for about a month afterwards waiting for something to go wrong.
Last edited by ditchmyster; 16 January 2017 at 08:00 AM.