Subaru EJ Timing Belt Marks Explained - Why they don't line up

If you have just put a new timing belt on your WRX or STI with a Subaru EJ engine, one of the last steps before you button everything back up is to rotate the engine a couple of times to make sure everything is in sync.
But it is very common for the marks on the timing belt to not line up with the marks on your pulleys. In fact, it is totally normal, and not a cause for concern.
This is something that is fairly different compared to most engines that use a timing belt, so why is that?
In this video we do our best to answer this questions, and hopefully help you understand what is going on with those timing marks after you install your new Timing Belt.
Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!
In this Episode:
0:00 Intro
0:52 Setting up the Test
1:24 Why the Timing Belt Markers Don’t Line Back Up
3:59 Rotating the Crankshaft
5:08 Using the Timing Cover Markers
7:25 Thanks for watching!
_______________________________________________
Support us at our Website
www.flatironstuning.com
Connect with us on discord
/ discord
Current specials and open box items
www.flatironstuning.com/sales...
Check out our blog for more great articles and info
www.flatironstuning.com/blog
Join our new KZbin members area
kzbin.info/door/jQA...
Follow us
Instagram: / flatironstuning
Facebook: / flatironstuning

[@gamerin]

I wish I had known this. When I rebuild my engine. I almost lost my mind. I gave up and said it's good enough.

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks for watching, and glad that this helps to solve the mystery! Stay Tuned!

[@zachryan7257]

Very timely content since my timing covers are off as I type this and I would have made this exact folly.

[@FlatironsTuning]

Ha! Very glad that we could help. Best of luck with the timing belt, and Stay Tuned!

[@EncordialeHD]

You guys are a LIFESAVER, thank you!! I just finally lined up my timing belt and cranked it over 2 times and was so confused as to why the belt marks and crank/cam marks werent lining up

[@FlatironsTuning]

Very glad that we could help! Stay Tuned!

[@nrw510]

Havent kept up with the channel in about a year. But to no surprise, ANOTHER extremely helpful video. Thanks guys!!

[@FlatironsTuning]

Absolutely! Glad we could help, and glad that you found the channel again. Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!

[@PeterHernandez-lg2eh]

This should be indicated on the timing kits. It would be helpful. On a side note still troubleshooting a po302 on my 2006 sti. 71 retired diyer

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks for watching and glad that the video helped. Stay Tuned!

[@jtotheace1]

Perfect timing thank you! Putting my timing belt back on tomorrow!

[@FlatironsTuning]

Excellent! Glad that the video was helpful. Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!

[@1atinlove]

Ob1, have you ever heard the heavens open up and that heavenly music play as it welcomes you in...yea that was the feeling just now....never again having to do it over and over again..

[@FlatironsTuning]

Ha! Thanks very much, and glad that the video was helpful! Stay Tuned!

[@Khg72]

Also when you resurface the heads, depending how much the machine shop took off from block and heads, you will get the marks don't line up.

[@icemantuck2638]

Great vid that's a must-bookmark for EJ guys. 👍

[@green_bugeye]

Very helpful! Great content as usual thx!

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks for watching and Glad this video helped. Stay Tuned!

[@henryv.3272]

Good video, but I think you missed an opportunity to discuss what to do when you have a decked block and heads and the marks don’t line up. And what solutions are available ie. offset idle followers.

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment. We discussed that back in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2O0nn6vZtJ5mLssi=aM1uech09eJGpwaZ But we will most likely be talking about it again soon. Stay Tuned!

[@henryv.3272]

@@FlatironsTuning I remember hearing about it, a mention to that discussion would have been useful for the unaware.

[@ianbotts3702]

Thank you! Very helpful!

[@FlatironsTuning]

Absolutely! Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!

[@AaronM-wx4bh]

Very curious, most aftermarket timing kits (Aisin for example) expect you to run a "bleed" on the timing tensioner prior to install? But here it mentions definitely NOT doing so? So, should or shouldn't it be done?

[@woodzy575]

he commented on how the bleed is done. should be with the piston upright and very very slowly compressed. I've never done a bleed on any timing belt change and I've probably been very lucky

[@AaronM-wx4bh]

​@woodzy575 he says the biggest mistake you can make is to think you've messed up the timing and take it all apart. Because recompressing the tensioner is so difficult and has so many steps (according to Subaru). As I stated, most if not all aftermarket companies supply instructions to do just that, before installing... hense the confusion

[@AaronM-wx4bh]

​@@woodzy575.. 3:10-3:45

[@woodzy575]

You have to follow the manufacturer's instructions. The tensioner could get air in or from manufacturing or shipping. If you take the tensioner back off, then go through the bleed procedure again

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks for watching and thanks for the question. The short answer is if you are using a kit from a manufacturer that requires you to "bleed" the tensioner, then I would recommend doing so, and documenting your process as well as you can. The overall goal of this video is to prevent the removal of a properly timed and functioning timing kit, and there by reduce the possible damage that could be done to a tensioner from re-installing it. I hope that helps and Stay Tuned!

[@Christosan88]

I had some laughs, thank you.

[@davidrobinson6495]

I always assumed this made sense and was done to not have the belt in the same place when the ignition events occur. The belt is constantly changing speed a little bit as rpms change and as each cylinder ignites on the combustion stroke. Seems like a way to try to prolong the life of the belt. I also don’t think this is unique to subaru.

[@user-nf3oq2ge3g]

Don’t think he mentioned those but if you deck the heads or block then the left side head will be off and will need an oversize pulley to compensate for the timing being off. IV only ran into this once and the pulley fixed it.

[@monsteriamturbo]

You should use eccentric pulleys to pull the slack out of belt to pull cam gears back to where they should be when heads or block have been decked. It comes down to the length of the belt being so long.

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks for watching and this is a good point. This is what eccentric idlers were designed to compensate for: www.flatironstuning.com/rcm3330 Stay Tuned!

[@TonyPifer]

Ah yes, but what about the 2 indicator marks bottom of the intake and top of the exhaust sprockets how they don't line up after rotating the engine, sometimes when excessively off line indicating you need adjustable timing pulleys because the heads and block deck have been skimmed shortening the entire engine.

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks for watching and thanks for the question. This is what the eccentric pulleys are designed to compensate for: www.flatironstuning.com/rcm3330 That is a great point though, and I may dive into it more at a later date. We did touch on it here in this older video looking at OTC Racing's engine: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2O0nn6vZtJ5mLssi=GVjAbrdEqHQSpB-v&t=104 Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!

[@cortes93329]

Sooo if I took the riverside upper one and took it one teeth to the right and turned the engine and the white line was matching is my engine that is know running not timead right 😮

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks for your question. I would say that if you put on the timing belt, and the marks lined up, but then you thought that it was off, so you moved one of the gears based on the timing marks on the belt, that may have put the engine out of time. I would say this would warrant taking the left and right covers off, and setting the crank pulley to TDC to make sure that the cam pulleys are lining up. If one of them is off, it would be worth correcting that issue. Hope that helps and Stay Tuned!

[@JWCMotorsports]

117 rotations to get the marks to line up....maybe

[@slippinsideways240sx]

Was 5min in before i realized that this was for the ignorant people that use the white lines for timing reference 🤣