You may want to remove the radiator fans or the radiator and fans as an assembly to give you more room to work.

Here's one way to remove the crank pulley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnkcnqF_S3c

There are lots of youtube videos on how to do the timing belt job.  As you said it's not that difficult if you have done others.

I bought the Company23 crankshaft tool and have used it multiple times on the various Subaru's that I have done timing belt jobs on.  It's not necessary but It was worth it to me.  Here is a slightly cheaper version.  Is handy to tighten the crankshaft bolt.  Recommend using locktite on the bolt as well as torquing it to correct value.  Haynes manual has wrong values.

Crank Bolt tool

Edited August 17, 20196 yr by Mike104

to be perfectly correct, at 3, you are bringing the crank to a belt install position, it isn't TDC, it's about 90* from that such that all the pistons are at mid-travel and well-clear of the valves.

a good triple-check at the end before starting the car would be to do a tooth-count between all the timing marks. You find that info on-line. The belt reference marks will be gone after you crank the engine around 2 times. they may only repeat ever 197 revolutions or some crazy number.

Edited August 17, 20196 yr by 1 Lucky Texan

You set the crank to the timing belt installation mark - it is not TDC. The installation mark leaves all pistons at 50% travel. 

All marks are at 12 o-clock. 

Install the tensioner and the upper right smooth idler. 

Install the belt. 

Install the cogged idler - orientation of the cogged idler is irrelevant.

Install the lower right idler (smooth with lip). 

Pull pin

Rotate engine two revolutions and recheck cam/crank alignment marks are still at 12

Done. 

GD

Thanks guys. This is the first boxer engine I've done at timing belt on so I just assumed the crankshaft aligned with the mark it was #1 piston at TDC.

OK, got my parts the other day. It always takes forever to get stuff from Washington State or the west coast for that matter.  But I took you guys advice and bought the good parts.

I've been waiting for my long weekend (seven days off) to roll around before jumping into this. And not having my 7 year old daughter around to distract me while she is in school. Not that it will actually take me seven days to do this, but since this is my first Subaru timing belt, I won't be as fast at it like someone who has done this several times. I just want to take my time and not screw it up.

I bought the Mitsoboshi belt but haven't really looked at it closely. I didn't realize it until I watched this video that there are marks on the belt that align with the crankshaft sprocket and the cam pulleys. So I guess that makes aligning these pulleys more fool proof. I was concerned trying to see these pulleys with the engine on the car might be a challenge. This guy uses a side view mirror in one of his other videos.

Thank God my Baja has the SOHC engine and not the DOHC!

 

 

No tool necessary for the crank. I’ve done hundreds without a tool.  A socket, long pipe over the handle for clearance and a solid whack with a heavy hammer is a great make shift impact socket.  Lock the flex plate or clutch/flywheel.  

Yes you can probably get away with just a belt change next time. Personally I’d just replace the lower idler every time - it’s $30 and by far the most failure prone and the belt can’t slide over it if it seizes like it can all the other pulleys. I’ve seen seized smooth idlers with the belt sliding over it and the pulley not turning.  One was driven well over a thousand miles until parts/costs were doable and it was fine. In retrospect that’s hard to believe!  The toothed idler would fail immediately.  

install the lower passenger side idler after the belt is hung. It’s outside the belt and under light tension, easily installed afterwards.  

Alignment is easy, no need to make marks or count teeth. The engine doesn’t use paint marks or tooth counts which have no benefit. Too many cooks in the kitchen and learned helplessness IMO.  The engine uses data on the cams so I use those too and cover notches/cam seam if applicable. 

If the car is a hacked up or wrecked POS demolition derby queen with belt covers hanging crooked then maybe belt installation needs some tweaking. 

Align the cam and crank sprocket. Install belt.  Check. Done. 

Thats it. No need to add steps or complicate.