Timing chain vs Timing belt
Asked by cheryl5967 Feb 02, 2020 at 08:13 PM about the 2011 Subaru Forester 2.5 X Premium
Question type: General
So I am looking at buying a 2011 Forester and the person that is selling it says
that it has a timing chain not a belt and that it is better than having a belt, I
have never owned a Subaru so I am asking
5 Answers
I prefer timing chains as normally they last the life of the engine.
I would be more concerned about the head gaskets than the timing arrangement. Do some "Googling" on Subaru head gasket problems.
TheSubaruGuruBoston answered 5 years ago
Hi guys. Bob, Subaru went to a sturdy three-ply HG design in 2009 for the 2010 MY production. Subies with the modern chain-driven DOHC 2.5i will not experience issues with chain wear, but have the rare possibility of front cover oil seepage, which is a big job.
The FB engine does not seem to have a head gasket problem like the older EJ engines.
