I'm gonna start on a 95 1.5l protege. Timing belt and water pump. I'm sure I've been in something like this before but I want to be sure. Am I correct, the hardest problems are keeping the timing gears on their marks and the tensioner pulleys in their proper places. Everything else looks normal. If I'm on the wrong path please please put me right. I am not ashamed of this for it was my own fault, I cannot READ VERY WELL or I'd get a Chiltons book. Those Haynes books aren't to helpful and everyone tells me this. I am a self tought mechanic, I take so much pride in my work, that most of my costumers think I'm charging them an arm and a leg. When they get the bill they freak. I charge forty bucks an hour and I go by the book. For me it's not so much the money but the adventure and the knowledge. I get a real high when I finish and it's better than factory. I hear that often and from my friends that work for dealerships. That is not no lie. I am so honest that my conscience won't allow me to lie. So if I am right about this ok. If not please set me straight wait never straight always forward or go a head. This is for the guys sorry ladies no harm. Feb 14 is the ladies day. March 14 is the guys and we want STEAK and B.J'S. THANK YOU EVERYONE AND HAVE A MOST WONDERFUL DAY. GOD BLESS.

 

As far a s the timing gears you are correct. I withhold my opinion for the rest of your post.
If the the timing is off by only 1 tooth it will run really bad with lots of misfires. The cogs on the cam shafts have timing marks that supposed to be directly opposite. When I did this I could not get the belt on. I had to decide to take the exhaust cog either one tooth forward or back ward. If I remember correctly I took it counter clockwise for the belt to slip on. There are flats on the camshafts that you can hold with an adjustable wrench.

By the way, my timing belt came with instructions. But they did not include this bit of info.

Good luck!