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Old timing belt tensioner vs new style


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I am doing a timing belt on my legacy that has a 2.2 that I swapped in about a year ago. I got this 2.2 out of a 98 impreza. The 98 has the new style tensioner and I was wondering if the old style tensioner will work since it is much better and I have a new one from my old engine. Are the belt sizes the same in the earlier 1st gen 2.2s as they are in the second gen liked I have in the 98?? It seems the price goes up for these timing belt kits with the new style tennsioners and they are not nearly as good as the older ones. Also can I use a timing belt from a 2.5 sohc along with the old tennsioner since the dimensions, length, width, teeth spacing appear to be the same. The reason I ask this is that the 2.5 sohc belt are superior in quality and have a 100k change interval instead of 60k interval. Will these items fit??
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Also I have read that the 98 2.2 is an interference engine. I always thought is was a non interference engine. What year did the 2.2 change to a interference engine. My 96 2.2 looks exactly the same as my 98 ????
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the ej22 went interference in 97.

 

you can use the old style tensioner but you will need the mounting plate that is on the block. if you have never removed one of these mounting plates you probably thought is was part of the block. but the old style tensioner with the matching mounting plate will bolt on to the 98 block and the timing belt will fit.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Look for California spec timing belts. My 97 2.2 was built for sale in CA, and it has a 100k timing belt interval, while the national build was still 60k.

 

The 2.2 lost the non interference battle when they upped the horsepower in 97, all later 2.2 engines are interference.

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the last time i checked, my local parts store stocked the 60k belt and cost more, the 100k belt was special order and cost less.

 

but it usually isn't the belt that fails, it is the idler pulleys. replace them as well.

 

and on a side note, i recently learned that the change interval for the ej25 in the asian market is 100k km or about 60k mi. i doubt the part is different but i don't know, maybe.

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