Subaru timing belt and the frozen barn

So my wife's '09 Forester is enough overdue for a new timing belt that I'm starting to worry about her continuing to drive it (130k). I had planned on doing the maintenance last summer but she had commitments every weekend I had off. I have the whole works for the maintenance (belt, idlers, water pump, etc...) and even a crank pulley holding tool but right now it's freezing cold in my dirt floor barn. Draining the cooling system is bound to be a mess, and flushing will be almost impossible given the temps outside. She's probably going to put another 15k or so on between now and when I will get time to do the works.

Since I can order the belt alone for $20 or so off evilbay and we are building a new shop as soon as the ground thaws, how bad an idea is it to just swap out the belt now and then do the belt again and the rest of the maintenance next spring/summer? She's probably going to put another 15k or so on in the next few months, and I don't want to worry about her car. Alternately, how worried about the belt do I need to be at 130k and 5 years old?

I haven't done a Forester, but on a 2nd gen Legacy wagon I don't think I would have had enough room to get to the belt without popping the radiator out. It's been a while, though, so the details are fuzzy.

Assuming you can get to it with the cooling system intact, I guess the question is if it's more of a PITA to drain the coolant or to do the timing belt twice. The good news is that doing the timing belt a second time is Future Oldopelguy's problem!

You are going to have to take the radiator out no matter whether you do just the belt or everything, so don't let that stop you. I have seen (and owned) Subaru motors still going on original idlers and tensioners with over 200k...but they were also early non-interference EJ22's.

Just do the whole timing belt job and top up the coolant when the radiator is back in. You can do a flush easily enough later. (And this suggestion is coming from somebody who has done more than one Subaru timing belt in an unheated Wisconsin garage in the middle of winter...)

If its anything like an ej22, I would also say the idlers should be good until the second belt change. If its an interference engine have you checked to see how much to have a shop do it? From your description of the situation, its sounds likely that the belt is going to break before you get the chance to do it, so paying to have it done may end up cheaper and easier in the long run? Also, if its anything like the ej22, make sure the crank bolt is tight enough, I had to junk an otherwise good engine because the pulley came loose. At least used ej22s are only like $150 here.

Whats the temp outside? Can you borrow a torpedo heater? Last winter i was forced to do some electrical repairs when it was -5F and it was missrable. I wouldnt risk it. I'm doing my timing belt this afternoon as it happens.

I'd say just bite the bullet and do it all. The last Subaru timing belt job I did was actually a timing belt and head rebuild job, and it was on an '01 Legacy with 112k miles that had an idler pulley seize and take the timing belt out. It was only 12k past due, and it wasn't the belt that caused all the problems, so I wouldn't chance just changing the belt.

I'm not sure about the '09, but my '04 didn't need the radiator out to do this work.
I changed my original t-belt with the Gates kit that included the water pump through Rockauto. I did the timing belt, tensioner and idler's when I first bought the car & did the water pump & head gaskets when the weather warmed up.

is freezing your nuts off worth however much a shop would do it for?

I'm of the opinion 'do it once and be done with the damn thing' even if it's a PITA to do it right that first time. Case in point: I replaced the Trooper's timing belt, it drives the water pump. I looked at the water pump, spun it, no bearing noise, no leak from the weep hole, said 'it'll be OK' and slapped it back together. You guessed it; two months later the water pump started leaking. Dammit.

Typically, Subaru and Isuzu timing belts last way past the replacement intervals (I typically saw the first failures at around 150-160k) but as always that is no guarantee.

The NA 2.5 is supposed to be non interference, don't believe it. The valves won't hit the pistons but they WILL hit each other with the same end result.

You are aware of the VERY tight crank bolt, right? Like 300 foot pounds tight? The last 2.5 Subaru I did, I had to make a tool from a 3 foot piece of tubing welded to a piece of .120 steel plate, drilled 5 holes in said plate (4 for 8mm pulley bolts, 1 for access to the crank bolt), used it and a LONG breaker bar to loosen/tighten the bolt. If you don't do this, chances are the crank pulley bolt can loosen due to torsional vibration and this will destroy the tip of the crank.

Man, I'm a cheapskate but when it gets below 20*F my car goes to the shop if something difficult breaks. If you're contemplating a Subie timing belt in this weather you're made of sterner stuff than I.

The thing about the longer interval belts are you're not just swapping the belt to save the engine from the belt failing, you're swapping the now well worn idler/tensioner pulleys and water pump to save the new belt from one locking up.

I'm inside for a 5-minute warm up break from the TDI timing belt right now. I was going to do it last week, but today is 20F warmer than last saturday. Get out there and get to work

At 130k on an ej25 timing belt you are on absolute borrowed time.

Don't replace just the belt. On subarus it's usually the idlers and tensioner that go bad long before the belt and water pump.

If you have to skip something, skip the water pump as the subaru pumps are actually really good and definitely better than aftermarket replacements.

Boy, I wish that I could have a roof and four walls to work under sometimes.

I have no garage, barn, shed or carport at home, and very often I have to "play it where it lays" (or died) at work too.

In reply to HappyAndy:

WERD! I've had to search for a snap-ring in wet grass at night with a flashlight in November drizzle working on Samurai front hubs.

Ive used a heat gun to keep my fingers from icing up from a thermostat change on my bronco in January.

I'd do it all now just for peace of mind if nothing else.

Pay a shop to do it, and while you're regreting the money spent, spend the time cuddled up with the wife instead of the car and the tools and the cold, hard ground...., At least you can be comfortable while you suffer. ;-)