tominator19

I took a good amount of pictures in my replacement process, including the breaking and replacement of the driver's side lower cam sprocket. Check them out if you want: http://s1297.beta.photobucket.com/user/tomsanity/library/Subaru%20Legacy%20GT%20timing%20belt%20replacement%20project

No, you definitely do not need to remove any of the cam sprockets to remove the water pump on the DOHC turbo engine. This is a picture I took with the timing belt, water pump, and all of the idlers removed. You can see where the water pump was over on the center-right because there's still some green coolant left there. The cam sprockets are not in the way at all. http://i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag28/tomsanity/DSCN0656_zps0eff6054.jpg Here's a close up of where the water pump was: http://i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag28/tomsanity/DSCN0652_zps6c67809a.jpg

I tried using everything with the old timing belt as a wrench to hold the cam sprocket, but the bolt was really stuck on there. For how stuck my bolt was, I don't think I would have been able to do it without the Subaru cam sprocket wrench. I'm so thankful for that dealership.

sorry, posted the same thing twice

I saw this and gave it a shot on my '08 Legacy GT 5MT at 104k miles, and it didn't go that well. I don't recommend trying it after my experience, but if you are going to it's DEFINITELY important to not put the vise grips on too tightly. I clamped vise grips onto the driver's side cam sprockets and they stayed there. However, I must have put them on just barely too tight, because about three minutes later, I hear a loud BANG followed by a splash. I found the vise grips in the drain pan full of coolant that was under the car plus a few pieces of the lower (exhaust) cam sprocket which had broken off: http://i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag28/tomsanity/Subaru%20Legacy%20GT%20timing%20belt%20replacement%20project/2012-12-26234258_zps62d8d649.jpg I was then faced with the challenge of removing that cam sprocket. I tried a lot of things, most of which failed. This craftsman 10mm hex key is one of two that broke like this just on a breaker bar: http://i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag28/tomsanity/Subaru%20Legacy%20GT%20timing%20belt%20replacement%20project/2012-12-28103318_zps23839feb.jpg Eventually, I ordered an impact driver-rated 10mm hex socket and worked a deal out with my local Subaru dealer where they let me borrow their cam sprocket wrench for the weekend! Thank god for those guys. So this setup finally worked to get the cam sprocket off: http://i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag28/tomsanity/Subaru%20Legacy%20GT%20timing%20belt%20replacement%20project/DSCN0671_zps624813f8.jpg http://i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag28/tomsanity/Subaru%20Legacy%20GT%20timing%20belt%20replacement%20project/2012-12-29170633_zpsf64cfc6e.jpg The cam sprocket was a $90 mistake, but I hope you guys don't make this same mistake. All said and done, I did eventually manage to successfully replace my own timing belt as basically my first work on my own cars. Feel on top of the world, man.