How do I get the motor to drop out so i can change the timing belt

Make sure motor is at TDC. Belts, hoses and radiator need to come out. Pulleys too. Drop front of oil pan, then remove front timing cover.
Install new belt, button 'er back up and check timing. About a six hour job, twice as long the first time.

It depends on which type of motor you have; if it is an interference motor, it should be changed every 60,000 to 70,000 miles. You can write down your vin # and call the dealer to find out. You may also consider changing the water pump if it's driven by the timing belt, as the belt has to be removed for the changeover.

You should change your timing belt at the factory scheduled intervals (unless you feel like dropping $1600 on a head and valve job). Timing belts are made of rubber and synthetic material and fatigue over time due to heat and stress.They play a very crucial part because they open and close the valves in time with the compression and exhaust stroke of the motor.If your timing belt is not changed in due time then eventually it will grenade, and there is a very good possibility that it could cause internal engine damage.A $600 timing belt job is much cheaper than a top-end motor build.I hope that I could be of some worthy assistance.........rate me accordingly and thanks for using Fixya!!

I have changed the crankshaft position sensor a few times and I tell you it is no easy task. It requires almost damn near pulling the motor out of the car. The sensor is located under the timing belt behind the underdrive pulley. This will require you to pull everything off the car on that side of the motor including the motor mount so have a jack with a piece of wood ready to support the motor.(First take off your battery cables) Once you remove all components the remove the timing cover, loosen the timing tension pully (be careful of the spring) try not to remove the timing belt or be ready to re-time it. you will see the crankshaft sensor down at the bottom behind the underdrive pulley. Its just two 10mm bolts that are not very easy to remove (be prepared to drop one and retrieve it). Unscrew the bolts and re-assemble everything (the hardest thing for me was tightining the timing pulley) This is the easiest way to do it short of pulling the motor completely out and removing the underdrive pulley which would require re-timing and special tools. I hope this helps.

It may help unbolting the front motor mount and lowering the motor to get to the tensioner thru the wheel well. If it's the DOHC engine. Should be a 15mm bolt holding it to the timing cover.

I believe by 2000 interference motors are no longer, but anytime you drop a timing belt when the engine is running at 2,500 RPM's that is hard on the valve train.
I would replace the belt and try it out.
Let me know if you need the procedure, and how it goes.

yes they bend valves
head needs to come off and valves will need replacing
this can be repaired
timming belts on these should be replaced every 60,000km

All of your fan belts needs to be taken off because the timing belt is located beneath the crankshaft pulley. There is a possibility that you may need to lift the motor off its motor mounts to gain access to the timing belt. Remember, the timing belt can't be seen from the outside.

Trans needs to be rebuilt. Or just not use 5th

No, you can do it in the car, it just makes it a lot easier to do if you drop the motor out.
Space is at a premium in the motor bay, so you have to go through some pretty tight gymnastics if you do leave it in there.