2001 timing belt, water pump, and valve cover gasket set

[bblooz]

I have a '99 OBW with the ej25 DOHC engine and an ATX. How can I lock the crank pulley to get that bolt out? I see some kind of screwdriver stuck in an inspection cover somewheer in these pictures but not sure where this is going. Is this an inspection cover to the flywheel perhaps? This is the only thing keeping me from getting my cover off at this point.

[pinion72]

On my '03, the inspection port cover is just forward of the air filter assembly on the passenger side. It's a small black plastic cover with a little bit of a hook on it. I ended up using a really long 3/8" drive extension to lock the engine after mangling a screwdriver.

[Marcos]

Thank you all! I just finished my valve cover gasket and spark plug grommet replacement this afternoon. I found this thread very informative and it made the time to do the replacement much shorter. Maybe now I'll not see and smell the leaking oil!

[Slobo7x]

This is a great thread. So the timing belt marks have to be lined up again prior to starting it with a new belt, correct? or does it even matter at that point where the belt ends up before starting?

Thanks

[tdelker]

Marks on timing belt are irrelevant, but helpful when first putting on the belt. Marks on cams/pulleys and timing cover ARE important and must always be lined up when at TDC.

[Jaguare1]

This is one of the best DIY picture sets I have seen in a long time. I want to thank OutbackDEG for taking the time and effort to post it.

Also all of the contributors who added to it. All were valuable.

I did mine this weekend, (Water pump replacement), I purchased the Gates Kit , new water pump, timing belt, new timing belt tensioner, new guide pulley's.

My wife came home from work and the coolant overflow reservoir had blown its stack, and of course the engine has gone up in temperature, super hot, no water in the system. I refilled the system and waited for the engine to cool down, started the engine to see if the system just had a leak and the temperature went strait to over heat, no leak anywhere. I thought that the thermostat had failed and I changed it.

I found a piece of metal on the thermostat when I took it out. Where do you think that came from?
I refilled the system and the same thing happened. Can you tell this was not what I wanted to happen, I knew in the back of my stubborn mind that the water pump had gone by-by.

With the help of this post and my tablet I was able to remove and replace the water pump and everything else associated with the that job.

A suggestion to anyone that has to replace the water pump, Do order a kit, if the water pump goes the other parts will not be far behind.

In the pictures that I've posted, if you look at the first one, it's the right hand valve pulley and the timing mark is in the wrong place Ive marked it, the left hand valve pulley is the same. My timing was associated with an arrow on the pully itself.

The water pump has no fins on it, it is just a piece metal that moved nothing. I am surprised that I still have an engine. AND VERY GRATEFUL.

[avk]

What happened to that water pump? How many miles did you have on it? Was it an OE pump?

[Jaguare1]

I have no idea if it was original or not, but I dont think so, the metal was very thin.

The car has a little over 143,000 miles on it.

[avk]

Thank you. This looks very odd. Probably an aftermarket replacement. A pump most usually fails by leaking at the seal.

[Jaguare1]

Originally Posted by avk

Thank you. This looks very odd. Probably an aftermarket replacement. A pump most usually fails by leaking at the seal.

I had no indication of leaking and the timimg belt did not show any indication of use.
I think that the pice of metal I found in the thermostat was the last vain on the pump to circulate water, when it broke off we no longer had any circulation. I also had indications that someone used tap water to fill the system, which accounts for the weird look of the pump.

BTW the engine sounds like a new.