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Smart - just like you said, you don't really want to cut corners here on an interference engine, they usually bend lots of valves, over 50% of the valves are bent on every one i've seen. 1. Replace the timing belt and lower sprocket (toothed idler) at a bare minimum. Those two parts fail the most by a long shot. 2. Assess the remaining pulleys and replace if noisy or free wheeling too easily (no grease inside). Look for wetness on the tensioner hydraulic seal. 3. Use Subaru parts only - belt is Mitsubishi and you can research the cheap $35 pulley...it's koyo or NTN or NSK I think. 4. Dealer prices on these parts are not bad at all - you can buy them online at discounted prices and there are a number of inexpensive sellers on ebay. Yes they're not as cheap as the cheapest belts - but like you said you don't want those on an interference engine anyway. The best recommendation is to replace the belt, all 3 pulleys, tensioner, and water pump. AISIN sells kits, usually they're OEM but there's becoming some confusing providers now too if you're shopping around and not getting a totally aisin kit. The tensioner isn't prone to fail if properly remove and installed. the cam and crank seals for your year are very robust materials and rarely leak. Your 2003 baja may have the 7mm oil pump though which is known low grade bottom of the barrel, most EJ25's have 9mm except for a few around 2003-2006. If yours has a 7mm pump it's best to install a 9mm, in which case you'll need a crank seal and oil pump oring - get them from Subaru.

Yes it's bad. Technically it depends on what vehicle you have and it's corresponding fuel/evap/emissions configuration.

Finally gotten the cylinder heads back from the machine shop, everything brand new and looking good! Split the case, pulled everything out, rods and pistons are coming new soon! Decided while i wait on other parts, i'll sand blast, clean and paint some others! I chose this color because it's what i had at the shop, it looked cool, so i sprayed it and ran out and bought a few more cans, plan is to paint quite a few engine parts with this color I think it turned out great, here's the oil pan in this color, Detroit diesel forest green going to strip down the interior of the pan, but just sprayed it all for now

Look at your new pump and double check all the bolts. It's sealed on with RTV or the Subaru sealant and you have to pop it off. Look at the bottom of the pump. The 2 round extensions on the casting extended below the block. You can take a large pry bar or wood board and put it between those and the oil pan and pop the pump forward. Again check all the bolts first! Make sure you check and lock tight the oil pump rear cover screws if you are reusing the pump. Change the seal, Subaru recommended and get the oring seal. The one between the block and pump. I use Gray RTV to seal the pump on. Subaru does have a specific sealant to use.

Engine is out and on the stand, did not use a cherry picker, unbolted and picked it up out of there, little thing is heavier than it looks.. now starts the cleaning and teardown process! also i ordered some magazine "swag" for the brat, the article clipping when it was released, i also thought it was neat the article was released april,1978..the month my brat was built.