Timing belt replacement 2003 Protege5

I am about to replace the timing belt and water pump on my daughter's car. Has anyone else here ever done the job, and can give me any tips on things to look out for, or tricks?

I have done about 10 timing belt replacement over the years on different vehicles. Isuzu Trooper, Pathfinder, Camry and Miata. I have all of the usual tools. I have had trouble finding a regular DIY type (not factory) shop manual for this car, which might give me some good reference.

Does anyone know of a web forum post anywhere (like a sticky), with step-by-step instructions?

Here's a link to the how-to for a T-belt change.

https://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123796676-How-To-Protege-Timing-Belt-Change

pcb said:

Here's a link to the how-to for a T-belt change.

https://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123796676-How-To-Protege-Timing-Belt-Change

Click to expand...

Aha - thank you very much. That should be really helpful.

I'm back again, with more questions. I started the job yesterday, expecting to finish yesterday. Now, it is going to be several more days, while I wait for replacement parts for the defective parts that I discovered during removal to arrive. Both timing covers, and the motor mount that must be removed. It's a wonder the timing belt didn't fail because of water that got in there because of the broken covers, and I think the broken motor mount was the cause of what seemed like a rough idle.

Now, to my timing belt question: Despite having the cams locked in place with the crossed wrenches method, they jumped. Since I am replacing the cam seals, and with me firmly holding each wrench as I removed the cam pulley bolt, they moved. So, my timing is gone, and I have to re-time it now.

I did a search for images, and as usual with Google, got about 47,564 hits of uselessness. Some of it contradictory. Some show tick marks lined up across from one another, and some show dots doing the same. And none of it jives with what I really have. My cam pulleys have both tick marks and dots on the face. And when the dots are aligned, both the I and E marks cannot both be upward. Same with the tick marks.

Utter confusion here. Can anyone help with a link to a picture with the correct image of what I need? This is for a 2003 Protege5.

Use the tick marks not the dots.



The ticks are also on the backside of the cam gears... They line up really nice with the top of the cylinder head.
It's easier to look across from the back.



Don't forget to rotate your engine over twice then recheck the timing marks.

^^ Thanks for that info. I had also posted my question on another forum, and got the same answer. I will go with the majority rule, especially since that jives with what I had before I removed the belt (which I marked - to transfer the marks to the new belt, for confirmation - I have learned to check thrice, not twice, before cutting once, as the saying goes). And especially since this is an interference engine (which is an incredibly stupid design). I miss my Miata and love my 4Runner, which had/have non-interference engines.