Happens a lot??? Okay, I'll grant that it can happen, but a lot?. You guys just stay in bed, pull the covers up over your head and shake with fear. And by all means, stay off the roads I drive. I don't want you slamming on your brakes when I come up behind you because you think I "MIGHT' hit you.
Timing belt change is really not a complicated procedure. Anybody who claims to be a professional mechanic should be able to do the job competently especially if they have access to the service data and they all do.
If you do it yourself, most likely you will find service data at your local library.
I've changed more than a few, want hear some stories about jobs that have been done by others that had to be done over? A crankshaft bolt that came loose, a motor mount bolt that was stripped, missing bolts and nuts, parts that got replaced that didn't need replacing, and parts that should have been replaced that didn't get replaced? Book allows 2 1/2 hours shouldn't take me more than 2 1/2 days. And one that comes to mind, that was my doing, I changed the timing belt on one of my Toyotas and didn't change the water pump at the time, 30K later I was back in there, replacing the water pump. Right now the crisis of the moment is a flat on the lawnmower, first things first.
Your mechanic is right. In fact, you're overdue based on time. Mileage wise you can go to 90K miles. However, some people drove their timing belts to > 200K miles. But I wouldn't want to do that.
A complete job for the 4 cyl should be about $500-700, including the following:
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prices for 3/5SFE) GATES TCK199 (kit of timing belt with two pulleys and instruction) $84.79 GATES Part # K030295 PS belt $4.32 GATES Part # K050435 Alt/AC $12.12 FEL-PRO TCS45641 Cam seal $4.11 FEL-PRO TCS45920 Crank seal $6.04 BCA Part # 221820 Oil pump seal $2.71 AISIN (Toyota #16110-79185) water pump $58.79 FEL-PRO VS50304R valve cover gasket set $13.94
No need to change the tensioner if it's still free, spinning and not making noise. Belts can be found cheaper on the internet, including Gates. Why change the water pump if it's not leaking?
What really gets my goat is the shops that that tell you to change the WP and tensioner at the same time you change the timer belt then charge you the same labor that they charge if they were ONLY doing the WP OR the tensioner. That of course drives up the price of timing belt change. Don't do it. Tell the suckers to change the TB and if the WP is not leaking or the tensioner is free and not making noise to forget it. When they do make noise or leak then go back and have it done. The only reason to change out a good WP or tensioner is for the shop to suck up more money out of the unaware customer. Honest shops Will tell you the same as I'm telling you.
Usually you change the water pump if it's being driven by the timing belt because at the mileage the timing belt is replaced (90-105K) there's a good probability the water pump will go out not too long afterward. It the water pump seizes, then the timing belt will break and the engine will be destroyed (if it's an interference engine). It doesn't cost a lot to change the water pump once you've got the old belt off. It's not about leaks, it's about the danger of a seized water pump.
Do you have any specific examples of a water pump being driven by the timing belt? I have never seen a waterpump driven that way, they have always been driven by a fan belt or the serpentine belt. It is far easier to drive a water pump from outside the motor than from inside, this would make it very rare to drive a water pump by using the timing belt.
Hogwash!! I've never had a WP seize up, they all leak when they need replacement then have it done. $500 to $700 is waaaaaayyyy too much to pay for TB change.
Timing belt only contacts the camshaft, main and the tensioner. Assy belts are usually changed when changing the timing belt, that is a good procedure and fairly inexpensive, belt costs only, because they have to take off the old belt anyway and .... replace with the new one, should not be any extra labor involved, IF you are using a honest professional mechanic. WP is driven by assy belts.
Hach says ALL the same steps are required to change the water pump as are required to do the timing belt. This is probably why it's usually recommended to change the water pump as long as you're in there doing the timing belt. Why pay the labor twice?
My 1991 Camry 4 cylinder has the water pump driven by the timing chain. I assume that is why the talk about changing the pump at the same time. I took my camry to a mechanic I trust and he hapened to have one on the lift with the covers off and showed me the pump. He said he would only charge me what the pump cost as the labor was almost nothing while changing the belt. I agree that if they want to charge you the same for the pump and again for the belt, I would just wait a week and take it back to have the pump changed.
Someone said why change the pump if it is not leaking, to that I say why change the belt if it is not broken... Just spend big bucks later.
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