timing belt

LOL! We're expecting a warm spell this weekend so I'll change the oil and rotate the tires on the Avalon.

Speaking of the Avalon, I didn't follow my own advice and put aftermarket calipers on the front in the fall. It hasn't even been a full winter and the calipers are coated with surface rust. I may pull it to check how the inside by the piston looks. They seem to work OK but the rust looks pretty cheesy since it is visible through the openings in the wheels.

Reply to
Ray O
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What's all the silvery gunk on your springs?

Every single one of the spring compressors that I've ever used always gave me problems. It's as if these tools have to be made specific for each car model. That sucks!

Reply to
dsi1

******* I respect your experience and knowledge, but I would like to know if you have some actual data on that last sentence, or what makes you think this is true. How is their formula different from others?
Reply to
hls

My understanding is the Toyota coolant does not contain silicates. I am not entirely sure but have been told silicates tend to cause buildups and/or deteriote seals.

Reply to
badgolferman

Neither do the usual aftermarket brands though. I'm using green prestone at the moment, and it has no silicates, etc, ad nausium.. I've been running it for 20-25k miles and see no problems at all. But.. I would prefer the OEM red stuff. The only reason I'm using the prestone is because they were out of the red when I went to buy it at a local carquest. I plan to go back to the red on the next flush. But I'm not going to use the pre-mixed. I'm going to use the older red concentrate and add my own distilled water. I'd never ever use dexcool in a yota... It's a way different formula compared to yota red, or even the prestone green for that matter. The prestone is a lot closer to the yota red, except for the color. I also never mix coolants. One or the other after doing a flush. But saying all that, I'd have to agree with him. I'd rather use the OEM red if it's available. Not that I know it's really any better, but it was designed for Toyota's, so I would prefer it simply due to that fact.

Reply to
nm5k

The Toyota long life coolants are 2-EH free, silicate free, phosphate free. They utilize molybdates for cavitation protection and since their products are sold world wide, their coolants are designed to be/are very tolerant of the various water supplies found.

From an anecdotal experience perspective, I can't remember a single instance of opening a Toyota cooling system and finding the trash that I do on other brands that have had comparable maintenance.

Reply to
aarcuda69062

I saw it on mine, but I don't know if it was still pure red coolant. I bought the car used. But it was a mess. Lots of "precipitation". Was coating everything with a yucky sludge looking stuff. Almost to the point of gelling, but not quite there at the point I noticed it. That's why I flushed and replaced mine. But it is quite possible some space cadet mixed another brand coolant with the original red. I'm kind of thinking someone mixed coolants because instead of the usual red color, it was more of a yucky brown color. I checked it not too long ago to see how the Prestone was holding up, and it looked quite good. So while I'd prefer the yota red, I see no signs that the Prestone has any real problems being used in a Toyota. It's been about two years, and it's still clean and green. But I plan to go back to red the next flush.

Reply to
nm5k

Someone probably used Dexcool in it thinking that all reddish colored coolants are the same.

Some years ago I queried the local Chevy dealer parts department about what coolant they were using in the Prizms in hopes that I wouldn't have to chase to the Toyota dealer for my stock. They were using Dexcool to service all NUMMI vehicles.

I cringed.

Reply to
aarcuda69062

dsi1 wrote in news:93v6n.3952$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe08.iad:

The lumpy, cruddy stuff? That's almost 20 years of dust and sand and the "drippy" oil rustproofing. It builds up and keeps rust at bay, so I never clean it off.

Notice how the springs still have their indentifying paint marks on them? You ordinarily never see that up here after almost 20 years.

The Honda shop manual had a line-drawing diagram of the tool in use, with the notation "commercially available". Well I couldn't find one ANYWHERE near me.

Reply to
Tegger

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