Take the camshaft out. It's a lot easier than you may think it is. I once had a set of cheap gears that didn't mesh properly so I replaced them, along with everything else that wasn't, with OEM. I think the whole job was 45min without removing big items like rad and such.
So before you do the job have gasket removers ready along with your gaskets. You should need timing cover (front) gasket and a new oil seal for that cover too. A gasket for the lifter cover on the side of the engine for when you get your lifters out (for the ones you can't lift out because they're in the engine try using a small rag wrapped magnet). I also hope you are using good quality gears (OEM) and you are replacing both gears on the camshaft and crankshaft at the same time.
You really don't need anything too special for tools. I think I made a lot of mine out of wood, plastic materials, a vise, and a BFH. In order take off the covers, take out rockers, then the pushrods, all twelve of the lifters, unbolt that plate that holds in camshaft (have calipers to measure thickness of this plate), slide out camshaft with gear and presto! To remove the gear I used a hammer, a vise not closed all the way, some soft things like rags and oh yes...a little finesse. Remember, just worry about the camshaft as the old gear is getting recycled anyways. You will need a puller for the gear on the crankshaft. It has two M10 threaded holes on opposite sides from one another to thread in two long bolts and using a puller for disk brakes or steering wheel you can pull it off. You will need the same tool and thread to remove the crankshaft pulley too. If you need a pic of what the gears look like I still got my old ones along with the tools I've made or used for the job. If long M10 bolts are too hard to find you can do what I did and use ready-rod. The camshaft assembly is held in with two bolts. On the disassembly something to note is on that timing cover. Two bolts will be longer than one another, remember where these go as these holes go straight into the engine so on assembly you will need an oil proof thread sealant, not lock, on these.
To assemble without a nice special shop with everything at your disposal like I often find myself in, you can once again make your tools to press in the gears, I did. A BFH is a must along with a vise. For the gear on the crank I can't remember how I got it on, probably a pipe, but for the crankshaft pulley a 3/4" drive extension with a big socket was enough for me to bash it in. Similar tools can be made with a steel pipe or something. Please use something to cushion those blows between socket and gear so it doesn't get marked up, and that the timing marks line up too on the gears. As for the camshaft gear do a similar method of getting the old one off as the new one on. Close vise slightly under end of camshaft holding it in place, using something to keep it aligned at the beginning and to cushion the blows from the hammer press it on. Have a feeler gauge ready too as you must be a certain distance from that plate thing that holds in the camshaft to the gear I remember too. When you assemble this be sure the oiler on the timing plate is pointing in correct direction into the gears and have a manual as it really shows the steps and specs for this job. Try using a FSM instead of a haynes.
Lets see off the top of my head trying to remember a little tip that came to mind is when you put the timing cover back on with the new oil seal for the crankshaft pulley leave all the bolts for the cover loose. when you press in the pulley it will self align the cover and then you can tighten all the bolts to prevent uneven wear on that new oil seal. Also have a hefty torque wrench as that nut on the pulley if I remember correctly is to be torqued to 145 ft/lbs. The nut on that thing can also cause grief. To remove it use the correct sized socket (try a search it'll say was imperial equivalent works) and then what I do is use a pair of Vise Grips, the ones with instead of jaws has a long chain so it can clamp to irregular shapes, on the pulley to hold it still. It's much like the same concept as a oil filter wrench is but you can select the diameter and it's a lot beefier.
Thats all I can remember right now. Ask or PM me if you need a picture of a tool I made or need anything else.
