I know, I know, this won't have Toyota genuine parts on the box, but has anybody used this place? I can't imagine driving my 1998 90K more miles. The kit has a water pump and the oil seals and gaskets and all the parts and oh yeah, the belt. Seems like the way to go.
I've got about 700 miles left to read up on all this. I've done a few timing belts but it's been a while. I need the exercise more than the money I'll save, and the neighbors will probably know I'm working on it when I drop a wrench or bolt. Here's a good picture story of a guy that documented his belt change, he didn't change the water pump and further down in the forum he says he had to change it at 1,000 miles later.
That guy did a nice job documenting the t-belt change.
The kit looks fine, it has the Aisin (OEM Toyota) pump. Bando belts are really cheap at rockauto.com however Toyota uses them these days. GMB are common in aftermarket kits. It doesn't tell you who makes the thermostat. This is one item I'd want OEM, although the later Stants seem to be reboxed OEM stats (Kozeh or something like that).
Overall pretty good deal.
The eBay ad says the timing belt is by Contitech. The seller's 100% positive rating is a definite plus.
Contitech - Continental is a European OEM supplier - you shouldn't have any problems with their stuff.
On Aug 2, 7:40=A0pm, Fat Moe wrote:
Yea, I'd never go to all the trouble involved in changing the belt, and ignore the water pump while you are in there. Not worth the aggravation. Overall, changing the belt and pump is pretty easy. The PIA part is getting the crankshaft bolt off and on, if you don't have a impact wrench. But... There is a trick, at least for most Toyotas, although I'd triple check the rotation just to make sure it's right. You can usually use the starter motor to loosen the bolt. You need a heavy duty bar/socket, and whatever size to fit the crankshaft bolt. Then you crank it up tight against the frame , or the ground, etc.. Then give the starter a real quick blip. Usually the bolt will come loose like butter. Then you are off to the races. The last time I did one, when I got through, I got it as tight as I could manually, and then drove around the block to a guy who had an impact wrench, and snugged it on up. Most need at least 85 foot pounds, and it's hard to do manually as the car rocks and moves, even with someone sitting on the brakes. :/ The aluminum water pumps they use go out real fast when they do go out. You can go from normal to squealing and gushing water in 5 minutes time or less. I've had one flake out while I was working on the car. One minute it's fine, the next minute it's gushing. So chinching out on a pump change while you are in the area is dumb, not only from the labor standpoint, but also the risk of engine damage if the pump does flake out on down the line. You never, ever want to overheat one of those engines if you like it. :/ Like nada ever... Kiss of death.. :( Once majorly fried, they ain't never the same again. Changing the pump is good insurance as long as you don't replace it with rebuilt junk. If not OEM, at least always use a *new* pump. In general they are ok. "many are made in Italy, France, etc.." I've used them before and didn't have trouble. But the parts guys said to stay clear of the rebuilts. They had problems with those. Course, you seem to have already found decent parts.
I've wondered why the vehicles have only a temp gauge? How often does a person look at that gauge while driving? The engine will be toast before the heat gauge catches one's attention. I'd think an idiot light in conjunction with a temp gauge could prevent serious engine problems from overheating. Reading the comments from the forum seems some of them had trouble getting the front pulley off after they got the crankshaft bolt out, mainly finding the right size bolts for the puller. Tightening up that bolt has always been a concern of mine. I used to know where to drill a hole in the bell housing of the old Mazda/courier pickups so I could jam the flywheel. Some said to remove the starter on the Toyota and jam the flywheel. I'll probably do that, if I can't hold the front pulley with a strap wrench. I've got a impact but I don't trust them going back together. I like to use a torque wrench on that bolt and know it's going to stay and the threads won't be screwed up. Book time allows
3.5 to 4 hours so my time will be 3.5 - 4 days.MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.