I finally bit the bullet and got the timing belt replaced on my '90 Camry (67K miles). The Toyota dealer had a special, so it cost 199.95. When I called the dealer beforehand and asked about doing the water pump, they said they'd inspect it then make a recommendation based on its condition. While in the shop, they called and recommending replacing it, the thermostat, and the oil seals. When I asked if they'd tested the water pump, they said they really couldn't. This gave the whole thing a kind of bait-and-switch feel, but from my research it seemed like a good idea to replace the pump. Everything I'd read indicated that, when they're doing the timing belt, the incremental labor cost to do the pump isn't high. Actually, this turned out not to be true. During the phone call, the labor cost vs. the part cost wasn't clear from the Toyota service guy, but here are the numbers from my invoice. This is from a Toyota dealership in northern New Jersey: Job #1: Timing belt 38.00; Labor 161.95. The 199.95 price also included the drive belt. This was a monthly special. Cost is 81% labor. (By the way, when I asked about the condition of the timing belt, the guy said, "Well, [hem haw] it's worn. It's stretched somewhat.") Job #2: Water pump 115.48; Thermostat 17.00; Gasket 5.26; Labor
130.50. Cost is 49% labor. Job #3: Seal 8.80; Seal 8.66; Seal 10.00; Labor 87.00. Cost is 76% labor. Anyway, I'm suffering from sticker shock. And either the conventional wisdom about the incremental labor costs being low is false, or the dealer transferred some of the savings from the timing belt replacement price to the other work. BK