2.3L ('83-'97) Can I split the timing belt and slip on the new one and then remove the last bit?

[ccaissie]

I'm about to change the timing belt on my 2.3 l while it's out of the vehicle.
Somewhere i read of a method to cut the existing timing belt slipt down the middle leaving half of it.
then the new belt is slipped on , and the remnant removed.

this preserves the timing and eliminates all the timing marks etc. Of course recheck is smart...

Anyone ever tried this?

 

[Curious Hound]

Why not just line up all the marks before removing the old one? Then, old off/new on. All done.