Timing Belt job

[deejay1272]

Hi everyone,

I'm preparing to replace the timing belt, water pump, thermostat, valve guide seals, and front main seal/cam seal soon. I'm planning on buying all the parts I need from Rock Auto, but I wanted to run my shopping cart contents by all of you to help me spot any potential problems with crappy parts (Chinese or otherwise).

Here is my list so far:

Crankshaft Seal: FEL-PRO Part # TCS45624 Crankshaft Front Seal Set - $5.26

Camshaft Seal: NATIONAL Part # 1987 Polyacrylate Seal, Shaft Size=1.378", Housing Bore=1.937, Outer Diameter=1.954, Width=0.236in $3.74

Water Pump: CARDONE SELECT Part # 5543123 {#PWP616} Includes Gasket without California Emissions; New $23.79

OE Type Thermostat: - 180° Bottom By-Pass (1 57/64" x 11/16" x 1 25/64" x 1 7/64") w/Jiggle Pin OE Type Thermostat $11.16

Timing Belt Component Kit: GOODYEAR Part # GTK0070 $31.79 (this includes the tensioner pulley) $31.79

Valve Stem Seal: ROCK PRODUCTS Part # VSS915 SOHC $9.05

---> Total for parts: $85, Total for parts PLUS shipping: $114 (damn!)


Any red-flags popping up for those of you who have been down this road before?

[Petros]

the fel pro front seal kit comes with an oil pump gasket you will likely never use. it seems a rip off to sell the front seal as a "kit" when you can not remove the oil pump without also replacing the pan gasket (which means the kit is useless). the front seal quality is fine, just questioning the stupid way they sell it. Other brands only sell you the seal without the necessary gasket. Reason why other brands front seal costs less, it does not come with a useless oil pump gasket.

I would not buy an unknown quality Thermostat, it might be okay but too much trouble if it fails. Get a quality one from NAPA or Toyota (Butler Toyota), does not cost much more and worth it, unknown ones are made in china and do not last, some are junk out of the box. Consider that Rockauto does not even list the brand of T-stat, that is a red flag for me.

You might also check local prices, I have found that local price plus sales tax can be less costly than Rockauto plus shipping (consider that is $29 for shipping, for all parts that would fit in a shoe box and weigh about 3 lbs).

Goodyear makes a good product, but I have been running on my original timing belt tensioner (almost 300k miles), often the so-called OE replacement parts are not. I put in a new one once, had it start rattling in six months, so put back the factory one and still running on it. I would feel and spin the one in the car, if it is smooth and quite, I would just reuse it. Though a word of warning, if the bearing in the tensioner fails, it will usually seize up and damage the belt and leave you stranded. Never happened in any Toyota I have owned, but it has happened in other cars. So buy the kit and take your chances with the OE tensioner, or just buy a belt for about $20, and take your chances with the old tensioner.

You might consider replacing the fan belts if you need to, you will have them off anyway. And the upper radiator hose as well. Only if you need it. And the water pump is easy to access any time, I would not replace it unless it is leaking or questionable (like if it is a remanufactured one rather than a new one). I have found new water pumps last about 100k miles, the remans are lucky to go 20-30k, not worth it.

[ARCHINSTL]

For grins - check out Butler for OE stuff. I (like Petros) KNOW the shipping would be less than $29 [that is nothing but a RIP-OFF (caps used intentionally!)].
Call Butler at 1-800-921-2851 or 1-888-890-6942 or www.toyotaoemparts.com and navigate.
I usually talk to Dan Egan - be sure to mention the Club and moi (although my name won't get anything).
As an example of shipping - my last order in September 2010 weighed WAY more than yours and the shipping amount, next-day, was $12, Indy to StL.
Tom M.

[takza]

---> Total for parts: $85, Total for parts PLUS shipping: $114 (damn!)

$30 to ship mostly rubber/paper gaskets and seals? I could ship it USPS 1st class for $5-6? RED FLAG!

[deejay1272]

Thanks, everyone. I needed a reality check. I'm going to pick up the phone and give our boy Dan a call at Butler. It only strengthens our ability to get good quality parts if we develop a relationship with a single point of contact.

As for Rock Auto - they may be okay for some things, but I have serious concerns about the quality of the parts they're selling.

[xirdneh]

I'm going to pick up the phone and give our boy Dan a call at Butler.

what is that number?

[deejay1272]

Call Butler at 1-800-921-2851 or 1-888-890-6942 or http://www.toyotaoemparts.com and navigate.

[xirdneh]

I ordered the stabilizer bar cushions from this outfit a year ago
at the time it was cheaper than Butler Toyota because orders over 100 were shipped free vs 200 for Butler
my order was 102.00

http://www.conicelliautoplex.com/service/partznet.htm

their website format looks just like Butlers's http://www.toyotaoemparts.com
i compare the two before i order

[deejay1272]

I was going over the timing belt job in my head whilst walking the dog yesterday and I have another question for y'all:

I understand that I will have to remove the crank pulley (using the "Keith" method of attaching a breaker bar to the nut and blipping the starter for a microsecond -- http://www.tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtop ... iming+belt). Will I need to remove any other pulley using this similar method (such as water pump pulley)?

[8liter]

Goodyear makes a good product, but I have been running on my original timing belt tensioner (almost 300k miles), often the so-called OE replacement parts are not. I put in a new one once, had it start rattling in six months, so put back the factory one and still running on it. I would feel and spin the one in the car, if it is smooth and quite, I would just reuse it. Though a word of warning, if the bearing in the tensioner fails, it will usually seize up and damage the belt and leave you stranded. Never happened in any Toyota I have owned, but it has happened in other cars. So buy the kit and take your chances with the OE tensioner, or just buy a belt for about $20, and take your chances with the old tensioner.

Petros, Im having the same issue with tensioners. I replaced the original at 225,000 miles thinking that I was being proactive. That was a little over a year ago and Im fixing to have to put a third tensioner on in 25K miles....WTF! There was nothing really wrong with the orginal but I messed up and threw it away when I moved.

Is the one available from Toyota any beter then the chain stores? The ones Ive been getting are NSK bearings.

[Petros]

Is the one available from Toyota any better then the chain stores? The ones Ive been getting are NSK bearings.

I have no idea what is different about the dealer part and the AM parts, one would think the factory uses the same supplier since there can not be that large of a market for them. But maybe even the factory supplier has changed their quality.

BTW, if I replace a factory part for some reason, and it is still good, I ALWAYS save it as a spare. Sooner or later I end up using it either to do a late sunday night repair, or fix someone else's Tercel who is in a pinch. Now if I only had an efficient way to inventory all the "spares" I have kicking around in boxes, in tool boxes, coffee cans, and piles of junk, than they would be even more useful.

[deejay1272]

Goddamn parts came today. Water pump, timing belt, thermostat and...."valve stem seals" - as in the plural - arrived today. Well, the valve stem seals are just one seal and the $8.69 I paid for them? That's only one eighth of what it takes apparently to get get OEM seals from Toyota. WTF??

I'm going to Napa today to get the other 7 stem seals.

[ARCHINSTL]

What was your sourcing - and pricing on the other parts?
Butler shows the seals at $8.17. If you go to its "check-out page," the quantity shown per $8.17 is one (1), so...
The source xirdneh mentioned, Conicelli, has them for an identical amount.
Tom M.

[Petros]

is that one set, or one seal? I bought one seal from NAPA for about $1.80, and I seem to remember the set was about $9.

At about $8 each it would make them as expensive than the exhaust valves.

[deejay1272]

Yep - that's $8.19 each for Toyota stem seals. Like I said, WTF? I thought it was $8.19 for the SET of 'em. Petros - I did end up making a Napa order & found them for $1.19 each *phew*.

I'm all set for things now. Can't wait to dive into this project and get greasy once again.