Need to set timing on a 88 subaru 1.8 liter - 1984 Subaru Gl

Tip After the new belts have been fitted, turn the engine over 2 complete turns by hand in a clock wise rotation, and recheck all marks. Sure beats pulling all the covers again because one cam is a tooth out.

The crank shaft pully will need removal and the water pump pully as well, also the 2 inspection covers and the center housing cover that they conect with, when removed all of the timing belts will be exposed as well as crank shaft end. I used a screw driver angled wedged and held in on the teeth of the fly-wheel to lock it in position so I could remove the crank shaft pully bolt, (standard lefty-loosey threaded). This would have been easier with the fly-wheel locking tool from subaru, or even just a budy to hold the fly-wheel while i turned the bolt loose at the crank pully. I unbolted the fan and slid it out of the way, I did not even need to unplug it. just be sure battery is not conected. The oil dip-stick tube has one 12 mm bolt at the end of a brace at top of engine. loosen and pull up and forward to remove. the crank shaft bolt-you will need to put back in the bolt only! on the end of the crank shaft so you can rotate the engine manualy with a socket on the crank shaft pully nut, while looking through the hole on the top of rear engine area just above fly wheel. wach fly wheel as it turns, look for 3 lines side by side these are not the timing degree marks they are seperate from them, align them to the little arow on the houseing in front of the 3 little marks. be sure the e-brake is set, trany in nutral so engine can turn freely. inspect the cam shaft pullies, on the surface there are 4 evenly spaced holes, there is one tiny hole that lays between the other holes, this little hole that is the pully mark, it needs to be at the twelve oclock position, there is a small groove on the housing at the twelve oclock position as well. align the two with each other, the little hole with the little notch directly above. do the same for the other side cam pully, same way. loosen the idler pulies for each belt, 2 bolts, move it to its full retracted position, pushing on it with fngers against spring tention, titen one of the nuts so the pully stays retracted/pushed. remove old belts, being carefull not to move the place marks of either of the 2 cam shafts or the engine crank placement. put in the new belts check to see if belt has a direction of dravel and match with engine, mine it did not matter but was told that it may with other belt makers? i don't know about that? but thought it was worth the warning?
once belts are on be sure again that marks all mate with marks on all 3 points crank and fly-wheel, both cam shaft pullies with notchs, now release the tnsion on the idler pullies, and retighten where they fell. check again on the 3 timing points be sure they have not moved again... tireing but worth it. if the have moved off of any mark you must realign it by moveing the pully to the rite spot and putting the belt back on. one tooth off on the drivers side of engine cam can meen up to 16 degrees of timing lose either way of perfect. once aligned, put the center cover back over the crank shaft, bolt on. put on the oil dip stick, put on the water pump pully and crank shaft pully, put on belts. leave the fans out untill all is done, just be sure they are free of obstacles so if they come on later it does no harm to it, you, or anything else. leave off the inspection covers at each cam pully. be sure to un block the fly-wheel. re asemble engine and componants to the installed normal positions as best as posible. re conect battery, be sure all tools are clear, start engine, if it will not run smoothly re set the distributer for timing, if still runs bad, you may have one or both cams off by plus or minus 1-2 teeth one the belts. this was hell... you have to move one side one tooth and start the engine and time it again, if that was not it then you move one tooth in in the oposite direction from the oiginal spot, now 2 teeth the oposite way. if not better put back on the original tooth, and do the same to the other cam one step and start at a time untill you find it to work the best, it may even be off by 1 tooth on the rite and 1- tooth on the left. This was a nite-mare but i finaly found the rite placements.
take 2 aspirin, advil, etc. pre-medicate for the manditory headache. and best of luck..
if you are wondering if the valves and the pistons may have struck, forget it subaru made this 1.8l engine as a none contacting engine, this meens that they can never touch piston to valves even in a cam belt failure.