98 forester clutch and timing belts

Hi Gang.

Took the wifes suby to turkey fest and on the way i can feel the clutch slip easily when merging on the hi-way any time the motor get over 3500 rpms it will slip. I've know for years it was in need but now it is sliping. Thinking of going with cheap exidy stock unit for $138. I also need to do the timing belt again its over due and the dam seal is leaking again...poor guy i took it to last time will not even look at it again he did the seal 4 times.

So questions for a 180,000 miles forester are. 1) Exidy any good? 2) do it need a whole timing kit or just belt? 3) water pump? (its got ~80,000 on it when the belt was last done) 4) if i pull rad can the motor just be slid forward enough to do the clutch or must i pull it out?

Thanks 44

I questioned my brother (Sube mechanic) and it is by far easier to pull the motor out and get it out of the way. Of course he has access to a lift and and has all the air tools ever invented, but can pull a Subaru motor in less than an hour. Why not do the H2O pump? With 80k on it, how lucky do you feel? As long as the rust doesn't eat the car up, it should be good for another 80k.

Nice to see a DOHC '98 that didn't hit the junkyard a few years ago.

I've used the Exedy, it feels like stock but is a good bit more resistant to heat and abuse. The easiest way to do the clutch is to pull the engine clean out(much easier than it looks). I wouldn't say your timing belt/waterpump is overdue; IIRC, the stock parts were to be changed every 95k miles.

Wow - 180k on a '98? How are the those head gaskets? If you're pulling it out you might consider replacing those SOB's too.

My '99 Forester (SOHC car) is under the knife in my garage right now.

There fine....right now.....I've toyed with the idea of doning a motor swap buy never got around to getting another to rebuild and now i have no times as it's slipy slipy...

So what seal is the newest no leak front seal?

Do i do just the belt and pump or should i be doing the "Kit" with idelers and gears?

It's my wifes car so it get used every day about 28 miles rt to her work. but we use it to haul kyacks and food on weekends.

44

Do the "end plate" gasket on the back of the engine too. They will leak oil and look like a HG leak. Man, if I had a dohc I think I'd to the HG's while I was in there. With that kind of mileage I'd do as much as I could afford while it's apart. If you can keep them sealed, there is no limit to how long they will run. One of my local independent Subaru-only dealers has one with way over 350,000 on it.

Clutch and HG how-to

44Dwarf wrote: Do i do just the belt and pump or should i be doing the "Kit" with idelers and gears?

I'd do the hydraulic idler(s?), certainly, but I don't think I'd bother with new gears unless the old ones are worn or damaged(I'd think they'd eat the belt before getting damaged themselves).

Thanks for the info on the "oil plate" i had no idea it was there at all. Dealer says they sell 6-8 per month!!! and have for a long time. $43.90 with the hardwear.

HG and bolts are to much $$ right now. So its getting full clutch kit ($138), oil plate ($44), water pump ($54), crank seals (front and rear $15), cam seals ($5.00), timming belt ($43). and in it will go. total $250 plus 1 quart of blood..... Keeping wife happy.......Priceless

Look on the bright side...donating a quart of blood makes more room for Millertime.

The Exedy feels like stock because, well, it is stock. Your car will appreciate not having some reverse-engineered POS clutch installed.

FYI - head bolts are reusable on these cars.

Just found out my Subie had a burnt exhaust valve. I'm surprised I had any compression at all.

All the web site i've seen say to replace the 2.5 head bolts.

Here's the typical debate on NASIOC... http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1387025&highlight=head+bolts

I've reused mine without issue. I only mentioned it because of the tight $ situation you're in. I think the head gasket set is only $150 and it's much easier to do this if you're pulling the motor anyway.

Still haven't got to do this yet....Darn snow storms and holidays.... Put it up on ramps tonight to lube all the bolts etc and found both inner CV shaft boots are toast.. ERR...

Whole under side is a slimmy mess from the front crank seal leak.

Crap i had fun trying to finf the trans bolts to hit them with lube. Hopefully wednesday night we start the work and hopefully finish sunday night.

44

How did it go?

Well we got it pulled today. The clutch we took out is an Exedy! oil all over it....

We'll see more tomorrow it should be 30 deg F heat wave!

Okay progress report time:

washed motor and engine bay. Had to boil 2 galoons of roof drain water and add it to 3 gallons of half frozen roof water for the rinse....looks good. Good old super clean. The weed burner flame thrower dried it all except the floor in spots.

Removed the flywheel, replaced the oil baffle plastic cover with steel unit, hit the fly wheel with the DA and 400 grit pushed in new bearing, changed out rear main seal then slaped flywheel back on.

Removed timming belt, water pump then had new pump on a relized i had no new T-Stat...no bigy will re-use I tought to myself. Then while trying to slide off the crank sprocket it got stuck so i grabed the pry bar and was just about to line it up when i got asked a question i turned and looked and pushed the bar at the same time....F me I snaped one of the timming tabs of the sprocket...CRAP.

Dealer had it in stock 40 miiles away..send wife with list of stuff.

Got crank seal swaped out. cleaned idle air control valve and throlle body while waiting. new throw out bearing instled. Parts are in and T-bealt done cleaned covers and we slid the motor back in to place before leaving for the night.

44

All done. Wow its nice no chatter and knife like in or out.
One thing i did correct and this may have been the cause for the clutch chatter before was one of the two dowel pins in the trans was pushed flush with the bell-housing. Used a C clamp and a socket to push it back out and made sure it fit in to the block when bolting it up so i know it's aligned OEM. Ya it done a day early alright!

44