Gates timing belt kit; 04 WRX different than 02-03?
07-12-2010, 01:13 PM
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Gates timing belt kit; 04 WRX different than 02-03?
Here's a mystery:
The Gates timing belt kits (water pump, belt, idlers, tensioner) have a different part number for the 02-03 and 04 WRX. Anyone have the slightest idea what the difference in the kits is? All of the individual Gates parts are for the 02-04, so common sense says that the kits would have the same parts...?
I spoke to one vendor who said that Gates told him there was a slight difference but Gates didn't know what it was. He also said that a lot of shops use the 02-03 kit for the later years too.
I have an 04, which is why I'm curious..
Thoughts?
The Gates timing belt kits (water pump, belt, idlers, tensioner) have a different part number for the 02-03 and 04 WRX. Anyone have the slightest idea what the difference in the kits is? All of the individual Gates parts are for the 02-04, so common sense says that the kits would have the same parts...?
I spoke to one vendor who said that Gates told him there was a slight difference but Gates didn't know what it was. He also said that a lot of shops use the 02-03 kit for the later years too.
I have an 04, which is why I'm curious..
Thoughts?
Last edited by Fabrik8; 07-12-2010 at 01:18 PM.
07-12-2010, 06:29 PM
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Re: Gates timing belt kit; 04 WRX different than 02-03?
Fabrik,
We use these kits all the time at the shop, I remember asking Kienan the same thing. However i forgot what he said haha. I'll ask him tomorrow, i want to say it was just one of the idlers but im not near 100% on that.
We use these kits all the time at the shop, I remember asking Kienan the same thing. However i forgot what he said haha. I'll ask him tomorrow, i want to say it was just one of the idlers but im not near 100% on that.
07-12-2010, 06:31 PM
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Re: Gates timing belt kit; 04 WRX different than 02-03?
http://www.jscspeed.com/catalog/Suba...7_WRX_STI.html
We have an account through these guys, PM me if you want and I maybe able to beat the price you're getting.
We have an account through these guys, PM me if you want and I maybe able to beat the price you're getting.
07-12-2010, 06:33 PM
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Re: Gates timing belt kit; 04 WRX different than 02-03?
That would be great, thanks. I have a fucked idler or tensioner bearing (don't know which) that is whining like a SOB so I'm doing the belt and pump replacement while I'm in there. Damn car only has 60k miles so far. Between the corroded ground, the cracked plastic radiator end tanks, bad idler, and exhaust rattle I'm not that happy with the stupid little problems that this car randomly has. I'm just waiting for the transmission or rear diff to break for no reason so I can swap in a Tremec and IRS Ford 8.8 and have some RWD fun.
I had heard that some of the early 02 engines had a slightly smaller idler so that was my best guess.. I really don't care very much as long as the 02-03 kit will work for my engine without having to fish around for different idler bolts or something.
Last edited by Fabrik8; 07-12-2010 at 06:44 PM.
07-12-2010, 06:38 PM
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Re: Gates timing belt kit; 04 WRX different than 02-03?
http://www.jscspeed.com/catalog/Suba...7_WRX_STI.html
We have an account through these guys, PM me if you want and I maybe able to beat the price you're getting.
We have an account through these guys, PM me if you want and I maybe able to beat the price you're getting.
07-12-2010, 07:30 PM
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Re: Gates timing belt kit; 04 WRX different than 02-03?
not sure what the difference is either, the dayco pulley kit advance auto sells is actual oem surprisingly and its marked for 02-05 I've never used the complete gates kits myself but they are well priced assuming you need everything.
07-14-2010, 08:04 AM
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Re: Gates timing belt kit; 04 WRX different than 02-03?
Talked to Kienan,
He said one of the idlers is different on the 04-05(bracket is different). Depending on which one of yours is making noise you maybe fine with the 02-03 and just reusing it. However with the issue you're having i wouldn't recommend it.
He said one of the idlers is different on the 04-05(bracket is different). Depending on which one of yours is making noise you maybe fine with the 02-03 and just reusing it. However with the issue you're having i wouldn't recommend it.
07-14-2010, 08:10 AM
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Re: Gates timing belt kit; 04 WRX different than 02-03?
One of the idlers sounds right. I had one of my idlers that was like a half a fucking inch shorter than the one I took off. I ended up spending 3+ hours riding around looking for a bolt that would fit it and was only threaded so far down the bolt, I think I ended up finding a slightly longer bolt and cut it to fit, probably the biggest PITA of the whole job when I did mine, lol. Good luck.
EDIT: Here is the post I made on IWSTI when I changed mine and the problems surrounding the idler.
EDIT: Here is the post I made on IWSTI when I changed mine and the problems surrounding the idler.
After putting the water pump on, I realized the smallest pulley is just slightly different from the original (someone mentioned this earlier in the thread). Where the bolt sits in the original pulley it's recessed about a half inch or so, but the new pulley has the bolt recessed about an inch. So when you go to use the same bolt, there ends up being a half inch of play that the pulley can move around (this is not going to work). So I had to go to 4 different stores looking for the bolt, and the best I found was a bolt that matched exactly, yet it was about an inch too long. So I had to buy a hacksaw and cut the bolt to get it to fit. I'm sorry I don't have any more specific specs on the bolt as I just found the one that was closest and never wrote the specs down. I know it's a M8x1.25, but that's it. It's very hard to match because the bolt needs the first 2 inches to be smooth (unthreaded) cause that's where the pulley sits, but the rest needs to be threaded. Your probably going to have to pull the original bolt and use it to try to match when you do this, or you can make sure your pulley is an EXACT match as the original.
Last edited by STi_FTMFW; 07-14-2010 at 08:15 AM.
07-14-2010, 08:30 AM
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Re: Gates timing belt kit; 04 WRX different than 02-03?
So the smallest pulley is the one that's a problem? The kit is arriving tomorrow or Friday, so I may be able to find the bolt at the dealer if need be.
I'm assuming it's the far right idler with the blue dust seals on it (not my engine):
I'm assuming it's the far right idler with the blue dust seals on it (not my engine):
Last edited by Fabrik8; 07-14-2010 at 08:32 AM.