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I had a new timing belt, 2 idlers, and a "large smooth tensioner" installed at the end of December. I had the A/C belt and tensioner replaced in August. Therefore, they were all still in good shape. I agree that a new oil pump and all new seals were a good idea and the parts for those were reasonably priced, not too much more expensive than on SubaruParts.com. I thought the labor was outrageous, though. And I never found out for sure if the oil pump had gone bad. Yes, I even suspected that the freon may have leaked out while they were working on the engine and that the compressor could have been damaged by accident in the process. But, they should have taken responsibility for that. I did tell them that it worked perfectly when I brought it in. They didn't even offer the charge to be free, not even before they found out it was R-12. It was so difficult to challenge them directly, especially since they seemed like such nice guys, and I'd felt they'd become like friends. I liked them right from the start.
I had less interaction w/the actual mechanics, and that tended to be more towards the end. Although they preferred speaking in Spanish, most of them spoke English too. Jesus definitely did.
Although there was plenty of reason to believe I was being taken advantage of, there was also a reasonable doubt. Just as I'm not sure what broke in my engine (crankshaft?) and what caused it to break (bad oil pump?), I can't be sure of what to make of Townsend's. Finding out what is actually wrong w/that engine may tip the scale one way or another.
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