1996 Subaru Timing Belt

I have a '96 Subaru with the 2.2L engine that will not stay in time for
more than a few minutes.

This started with a timing set replacement due to a catastrophic failure
of one of the pulleys.

It seems now that the belt is slipping on the crankshaft pulley as best
as I can tell. I say this because it seems that the cam shafts are still
timed together, but the crankshaft pulley is in the wrong position.

I set it all up to spec, reassemble, and then test run the car. all is
good for about 5 minutes, then a sudden loss of power and I find that the
belt has jumped again. This has happened to me twice now. I do not think
that this will happen at idle or if I throttle up with no load on the
engine, but I just haven't reset it and re-tested enough times to be sure.

The tensioner seems to be OK. It takes a lot of pressure to collapse it
again and the spring does drive forward into the tensioner pulley as it
should.

Is there some step that I'm missing here?

TIA
--
Tom O

On Feb 19, 11:15*am, TomO > wrote:
> I have a '96 Subaru with the 2.2L engine that will not stay in time for
> more than a few minutes.
>
> This started with a timing set replacement due to a catastrophic failure
> of one of the pulleys.
>
> It seems now that the belt is slipping on the crankshaft pulley as best
> as I can tell. I say this because it seems that the cam shafts are still
> timed together, but the crankshaft pulley is in the wrong position.
>
> I set it all up to spec, reassemble, and then test run the car. all is
> good for about 5 minutes, then a sudden loss of power and I find that the
> belt has jumped again. This has happened to me twice now. I do not think
> that this will happen at idle or if I throttle up with no load on the
> engine, but I just haven't reset it and re-tested enough times to be sure.
>
> The tensioner seems to be OK. It takes a lot of pressure to collapse it
> again and the spring does drive forward into the tensioner pulley as it
> should.
>
> Is there some step that I'm missing here?
>
> TIA
> --
> Tom O

I would take a look at the belt and the belt sprockets for wear. In my
experience once a cogged belt "slips" once it should be replaced.

TomO wrote:
> I have a '96 Subaru with the 2.2L engine that will not stay in time for
> more than a few minutes.
>
> This started with a timing set replacement due to a catastrophic failure
> of one of the pulleys.
>
> It seems now that the belt is slipping on the crankshaft pulley as best
> as I can tell. I say this because it seems that the cam shafts are still
> timed together, but the crankshaft pulley is in the wrong position.
>
> I set it all up to spec, reassemble, and then test run the car. all is
> good for about 5 minutes, then a sudden loss of power and I find that the
> belt has jumped again. This has happened to me twice now. I do not think
> that this will happen at idle or if I throttle up with no load on the
> engine, but I just haven't reset it and re-tested enough times to be sure.
>
> The tensioner seems to be OK. It takes a lot of pressure to collapse it
> again and the spring does drive forward into the tensioner pulley as it
> should.
>
> Is there some step that I'm missing here?
>
> TIA

Is the belt slipping OR is the key in the pulley sheared and that is
allowing the pulley to slip? Also look at the cogs and the belt. They
may not match up.

--
Steve W.
Near Cooperstown, New York

Life is not like a box of chocolates
it's more like a jar of jalapenos-
what you do today could burn your ass tomorrow!

On Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:57:30 -0800, golden oldie wrote:

> On Feb 19, 11:15Â*am, TomO > wrote:
>> I have a '96 Subaru with the 2.2L engine that will not stay in time for
>> more than a few minutes.
>>
>> This started with a timing set replacement due to a catastrophic
>> failure of one of the pulleys.
>>
>> It seems now that the belt is slipping on the crankshaft pulley as best
>> as I can tell. I say this because it seems that the cam shafts are
>> still timed together, but the crankshaft pulley is in the wrong
>> position.
>>
>> I set it all up to spec, reassemble, and then test run the car. all is
>> good for about 5 minutes, then a sudden loss of power and I find that
>> the belt has jumped again. This has happened to me twice now. I do not
>> think that this will happen at idle or if I throttle up with no load on
>> the engine, but I just haven't reset it and re-tested enough times to
>> be sure.
>>
>> The tensioner seems to be OK. It takes a lot of pressure to collapse it
>> again and the spring does drive forward into the tensioner pulley as it
>> should.
>>
>> Is there some step that I'm missing here?
>>
>> TIA
>> --
>> Tom O
>
> I would take a look at the belt and the belt sprockets for wear. In my
> experience once a cogged belt "slips" once it should be replaced.


The new timing set included a new belt and four cogged pulleys (including
the tensioner pulley).

Or are you saying that the new belt was destroyed minutes after the
initial installation?

--
Tom O

On Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:28:15 -0500, Steve W. wrote:

> TomO wrote:
>> I have a '96 Subaru with the 2.2L engine that will not stay in time for
>> more than a few minutes.
>>
>> This started with a timing set replacement due to a catastrophic
>> failure of one of the pulleys.
>>
>> It seems now that the belt is slipping on the crankshaft pulley as best
>> as I can tell. I say this because it seems that the cam shafts are
>> still timed together, but the crankshaft pulley is in the wrong
>> position.
>>
>> I set it all up to spec, reassemble, and then test run the car. all is
>> good for about 5 minutes, then a sudden loss of power and I find that
>> the belt has jumped again. This has happened to me twice now. I do not
>> think that this will happen at idle or if I throttle up with no load on
>> the engine, but I just haven't reset it and re-tested enough times to
>> be sure.
>>
>> The tensioner seems to be OK. It takes a lot of pressure to collapse it
>> again and the spring does drive forward into the tensioner pulley as it
>> should.
>>
>> Is there some step that I'm missing here?
>>
>> TIA
>
> Is the belt slipping OR is the key in the pulley sheared and that is
> allowing the pulley to slip? Also look at the cogs and the belt. They
> may not match up.


I thought about the possibility of the crankshaft pulley slipping, both
times I reset the timing, I used the mark on that same pulley and she
fired right up. So I'm assuming that the belt is slipping on that one.

The belt cogs seem to fit nicely into all their associated spots.

I'm torn between buying a new tensioner and buying a new crankshaft
pulley. (That one did not come with the timing set). Maybe I need both.

--
Tom O

>> Is the belt slipping OR is the key in the pulley sheared and that is
>> allowing the pulley to slip? Also look at the cogs and the belt. They
>> may not match up.

> I thought about the possibility of the crankshaft pulley slipping, both
> times I reset the timing, I used the mark on that same pulley and she
> fired right up. So I'm assuming that the belt is slipping on that one.
>
> The belt cogs seem to fit nicely into all their associated spots.
>
> I'm torn between buying a new tensioner and buying a new crankshaft
> pulley. (That one did not come with the timing set). Maybe I need both.

Put a mark on the pulley and the crankshaft. Run it till the timing goes
out. Check to see that the marks still align.

On Feb 19, 1:15*pm, TomO > wrote:
> I have a '96 Subaru with the 2.2L engine that will not stay in time for
> more than a few minutes.
>
> This started with a timing set replacement due to a catastrophic failure
> of one of the pulleys.
>
> It seems now that the belt is slipping on the crankshaft pulley as best
> as I can tell. I say this because it seems that the cam shafts are still
> timed together, but the crankshaft pulley is in the wrong position.
>
> I set it all up to spec, reassemble, and then test run the car. all is
> good for about 5 minutes, then a sudden loss of power and I find that the
> belt has jumped again. This has happened to me twice now. I do not think
> that this will happen at idle or if I throttle up with no load on the
> engine, but I just haven't reset it and re-tested enough times to be sure.
>
> The tensioner seems to be OK. It takes a lot of pressure to collapse it
> again and the spring does drive forward into the tensioner pulley as it
> should.
>
> Is there some step that I'm missing here?
>
> TIA
> --
> Tom O

Hi Tom

I think I know how you can tell if the belt is skipping. I would
assemble everything with another new timing belt. Maybe the new one
you bought is no good. Put the new belt on and mark one of the teeth
with white out or paint. Make another mark on the corresponding tooth
of the cam pulley. Run it. If problem is solved you know the belt was
the issue. If it skips you will certainly know because the belt mark
and pulley mark wont line up. You will know that the problem then lies
in the tensioner or pulleys. Hopefully this will give you somemore
info to solve the problem.