In this video, I show how to replace the harmonic balancer (crankshaft pulley) in a 1995 Subaru Legacy. check out my blog: http://mercedesdieselguy.blogspot.com.
1995 Subaru Legacy – DIY: harmonic balancer replacement
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If nothing else, save a few dollars on the belt.
huh. well then. i guess it just means that its one less belt to worry about failing and causing other problems. the a/c on my car has a leak in the system somewhere so after i replace my water pump i might just neglect putting on the belt that drives that pulley.
The A/C didn’t work in this car (nor in my present one). Running the A/C belt would have been pointless. Someday, I’ll add A/C diagnosis and repair to my skill set.
is there a reason that the ac compressor on the right is not hooked up?
That’s the first time I heard of that. Can you take the new balancer back off and check the mating surfaces for cleanliness and flatness?
do you know why a brand new balancer would wobble? my old balancer went completely out. it worked its self off and the woodruff key broke or was lost. after fixing timing, I put brand new key and balancer on and it wobbles noticeably. I’m afraid to drive it.
rockauto dot com
where did you purchase the pulley?
Well… it did. I had low compression in one cylinder and ended up replacing the car.
Runs pretty good! Better than my 08 forester with the ej253
Awesome. Glad I could help.
We actually found it. Thanks so much for this video. My wife is very happy to have her car back together now.
There’s not much I can do to help. The access port is definitely there on a 1995 model, rear of engine, under the throttle body, just toward the passenger side, where the engine meets with the transmission.
Once the access port is off, you can brace a big screwdriver or maybe a chisel in there against the flywheel ring gear to keep the engine locked in place while you remove the crank pulley bolt.
I am working on a 2004 outback and have no clue where this flywheel spot is u are talking about. Could u give me a location hint? But your video is very helpful
Glad to hear it. If it was helpful, consider subscribing :)
Thanks for the video, it really helped me today!
Thanks. I don’t know for sure if the later ones will interchange. You could always grab a junkyard part and try that. For the most part, first and second generation EJ22 Legacies will be (almost) mechanically identical.
Thanks MDG. Your video is really going to help. Especially the port into the flywheel. What a find!
Unfortunately I have a 1990 Legacy and tbe OEM is $150. The aftermarket stuff is MUCH more affordable but I have been unable to confirm that the stuff they make for newer models will work with the 90. They look the same to me but search engines haven’t satisfied me with a firm aftermarket match yet.
At any rate GREAT channel learning so much.
Databyter.
It SHOULD come off by hand. Sometimes, they stick. If that happens, work CAREFULLY with a pry bar and/or tap it with a hammer to get it going. A PAPER-THIN coating (or less) of anti-seize on the back of the new one should help prevent future sticking.
I need to do this. Do I need a puller or does it come off easily by hand?
I just re-watched that portion. I’m not sure what you’re hearing. Then again, this is how the car sounds to me. If something’s a bit “off,” I’m used to it. As for jamming the flywheel, there’s an access cover on top of the engine, passenger side. If you pull that cover off, you can jam a screwdriver or chisel in there against the flywheel teeth to stop it from moving.
You make me curious about this balancer.
After restarting the engine, there’s some wheezing that I never heard from mine. Power steering pump? Or maybe it’s just a camera mike effect.
Thanks for producing all these videos. It’s good to see other people working through similar jobs on the same car as yours.
Can you tell a bit more about how you jammed the flywheel. I may have to do a belt/water pump/pulley job soon, as I heard a shrieking sound that I know just too well. 🙁
I’ve got a 2003 Outback that I will replace the crank pulley on. I’m considering to put a Grimmspeed light weight pulley on that weighs ~1.2lbs vs stock ~5lbs. Do you think there are any downsides to having less rotational mass?
In my experience, a bad radiator is related mostly to how it was cared for (or not). I had to replace a Subaru radiator once. It wasn’t a big deal. I’ve never had to personally replace a Mercedes radiator.
Another thing I will forewarn you about is that the radiators, thermostats, etc. typically go bad on these Subarus and usually Mercedes as well once they approach the 200k mile range. If it hasn’t happened already that’s a good thing but if you notice any unusual behavior particularly with either of those two components, my advice is don’t take a chance.
Well, then I caught it in time.
The crankshaft pulleys typically do go bad after about 180k or so
I’m really more of a DIY guy, not that there’s much of a difference.
It’s not a loud noise. It’s a VERY SUBTLE roughness in how the engine runs. Whatever it is (was), it predates the cylinder head job. Actually, I drove the car yesterday, and it does seem to run better now.
do you consider your self “Shade tree mechanic” ??
could the loud noise possibly have anything to do with the head gasket & cylinder head replacement?