Both cam pulleys line up

Crank doesnt!

it runs fine and I don't think I've moved the crank that much undoing the outer pulley, is this normal?

 

Line the crank marks up, then check the cam pulleys, especially the l/h, as it will be half the error of the crank.

 

Sorry I should have said, this is how I'm finding it before I've taken the belt off.

What I wanna know is, should I refit it as it is or put the marks where they normally go? Is it possible that the crank pulley has been put on at that angle by accident or something?

 

Sorry I don't think I understand that

 

Line up your timing marks on the crank gear, not line up the cams & look at the crank marks, you will get any errors show up on the l/h cams, its very rare they line up perfectly.

 

Right, well I already messed that up and removed the belt with the cam at about 11o'clock

When I fit the new belt should I line it all up like it's supposed to be? I feel like that's a stupid question but I don't know enough to know whether this is something that people do as part of tuning it.

 

Line all the marks up, should all line up with the marks on the belt, fit as per std Subaru procedure, there are guides on here to help.

 

Yeah sorry I've been all over the guides, just wasn't sure if the 3 tooth difference was intentional, guessing not! It's on now and all lined up. It looks so perfect and lined up with all the belt lines that I don't want to turn it, sad I know!

 

Turn it over slowly by hand. Feel for any sudden stop. Bending valves takes quite a lot of force. Dont push hard.

 

Thanks John, that's pretty much what I ended up doing, lined it all up as it should be, turned it a few times, put it all back together, crossed my fingers and started it.

If anything it seems happier at low revs, which makes sense if it was out, it was the fact that all the cams lined up perfectly that was throwing me out!

 

Glad its all done and i agree it was probably out of timing, the crank gear was way out from your original picture, mine was similair, not as drastic but crank pulley was about 1 tooth out when old belt was on. i timed it up as it should be and it runs better at low revs also.