Timing belt replacement: 2.0 non-turbo SOHC Impreza my01, Forester my03, Legacy my04 — SUBARU
Timing belt replacement — 2.0 non-turbo SOHC Impreza my01, Forester my03, Legacy my04 on Subaru: 55 steps, engines EJ161, EJ20, EJ201.
Workshop procedure for SUBARU — the exact step sequence and torque figures, straight from real workshop data.
🧭 Before you start
Fits: platform codes 1.6, 16V, |, 2.0
- Timing position: the crankshaft or camshaft is set and locked during this job
Don't miss
- Always check the timing marks before timing belt removal
- The engine must be cold before timing belt adjustment
📋 Procedure
Preparation and removal
- Always check the timing marks before timing belt removal
- Stage 2:
- Coolant pump renewal is recommended after timing belt removal
- Remove the air-conditioning drive belt
- Check the timing marks
- Stage 2:
- Note: The engine must be cold before timing belt adjustment
- Remove the timing belt guide plates
- Remove the tensioner
Installation and checks
- Refit the timing belt guide plates
- Use a special tool:
- Turn the engine 2 rotations by hand
- Check the timing marks again
- Fit the crankshaft pulley
- Maximum distance (mm)
- Refit the radiator fan
- Reconnect the battery
Other SUBARU procedures
Who makes these pages, and how
TorqFix was built by a mechanic — after a 2,700 km drive with five roadside repairs that no diagnostic tool could explain.
The figures on this page come from manufacturer workshop documentation and are shown as they are. The page is assembled automatically from that data — it is not written by an AI. The AI works in the chat, where it answers for your specific car. It writes nothing here.
Variants of the same model differ. Cross-check torque against the factory manual for your engine before final tightening.
Seen a figure that does not match your manual? Write to us — we correct it and note when. support@torqfix.com
The story behind TorqFix →Workshop data on this page last updated 20 Sep 2026.