Rejuvenate my 2003 during timing belt replacement; list of all "rubber"?

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moogle007
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Rejuvenate my 2003 during timing belt replacement; list of all "rubber"?

Post by moogle007 »

Hi,

I just bought a 2003 manual NA Baja in Burgundy. I live in San Diego, so I will be calling my cruck Ron Burgundy, obviously.

It's due for a timing belt (120k on the odometer), and I figure I may as well replace a bunch of aged components at the same time. There's the obvious water pump and pulley/tensioner/idler, but what about all the rubber? Other belts, hoses, seals, gaskets, that kind of thing. What components are accessible during a timing belt job, that would be easier / more labor efficient to do at the same time, please?

Cheers,

moogle007
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Guacamole
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Re: Rejuvenate my 2003 during timing belt replacement; list of all "rubber"?

Post by Guacamole »

moogle007 wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 2:08 pm so I will be calling my cruck Ron Burgundy, obviously.
:lol:

Well since you're going to be in and around the engine, keep a close eye on the heads! Look for any signs of leakage around the gaskets. head gasket failure is a common issue in all the NAs. Depending on how you do it (I'm assuming you're doing the maintenance?), you may have to remove the radiator to get to the timing belt, definitely check the seals and hoses in that too!
I have an NA so I don't know if they're on manuals, but if it has a transmission coolant line, due be extremely careful not to rattle that metal hose around and check it for rot.
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ZUBAJA
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Re: Rejuvenate my 2003 during timing belt replacement; list of all "rubber"?

Post by ZUBAJA »

I've done several belts (both DOHC and SOHC). Once you remove the cooling fans, the belts / covers aren't that hard to get to. I use drive on ramps to make it easier on my aging back.
If you're doing belts, consider replacing the cam and crank seals - BUT ONLY IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCED WITH THIS. You may need a holding fixture to remove the cam sprockets.
The NAs can have head gasket issues that are coolant related or simply an oil leak - there is a return gallery that can leak (like on my wife's Forester). For now, it gets to be just an annoying drop on the garage floor (pan) here and there. Dennis
moogle007
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Re: Rejuvenate my 2003 during timing belt replacement; list of all "rubber"?

Post by moogle007 »

Thank you for the replies, quite helpful.

I’m intending to pay a mechanic for all the work, as I’m in an apartment and have nowhere to tinker / do major car work. That, and my inexperience at turning wrenches. Why buy a project car, if so, you ask? It’s because I love the car truck / Ute format, for surfing enablement Was just down in MX, and saw so many Dodge Rams (which are Fiat Utes using the Ram brand), and a lot of Renault Orochs. I wish I could have bought one domestically, but that’s okay; the Baja is nobody’s consolation prize. If they still made Bajas, I’d have bought new, but I’m content to invest in my ancient Baja until I get it where I want it. Will I pay more by not doing it myself? Of course. Will I end up with a dope ride at the end? I hope so!
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