Timing Belt Question

Supra725

Supra725

New member
Hey guys,

got a question here,

I'm going to take the runner out to Vegas and Grand Canyon next month..

My question is, should I replace the timing belt and water pump prior to the trip? or should I hold back till I come back from the trip?

Last time I had the belt and pump done was around 120k and now is stands at 231k.

I did do the 90k service early last year (except the pump and belt), the car has been regularly maintained through out the last 12 years.

What would be a reasonable quote for the timing belt and water pump?

or should I go rent a highlander or something from the dealership? maybe try hertz and rent a Mustang lol :tongue:

thanks..
 
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bootown said:
I was in a situation similar to yours last summer. Bought a 4Runner with 146k and my mechanic said he was fairly certain it was the original timing belt. I only owned the 4Runner for 1 week before my 2,000 mile trip. His opinion was don't worry about it and replace it when I get back. Looking back, I agree.

My rationale is everything is working perfectly now. I have yet to read about anyone having a timing belt failure. If you do do the work before the trip just do it well enough in advance that you drive it around for a while and make sure you don't have a leak at the pump. Really I don't think it matters when, but I would just wait until after. Before you decide take a look at all your belts to make sure they look good.
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Thats pretty good advice.

OP: These are non-interference engines so if the belt does fail the worse you have to worry about is a tow and the cost of the job.
 
newb but work in service dept at toyota you are saying you have 110000 miles on your current belt and pump? the pump is recommended every 120 or when it leaks the t-belt is usually 90k?? advice being its a chance?
 
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No advice here, but just for point of reference on price..

To do the complete job.. pump, all belts, t-stat, pulley, idler, tensioner, seals.. dealer quoted me $895 in labor.

I'm sure just doing the pump & timing belt would probably knock it in half..
 
That's outrageously high. To do the same thing (timing belt, water pump, thermostat, drive belts, seals, etc.), a local reputable mechanic quoted me about 600 bucks including parts. Dealerships = fail.
 
fenrisx said:
No advice here, but just for point of reference on price..

To do the complete job.. pump, all belts, t-stat, pulley, idler, tensioner, seals.. dealer quoted me $895 in labor.

I'm sure just doing the pump & timing belt would probably knock it in half..
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durrell said:
That's outrageously high. To do the same thing (timing belt, water pump, thermostat, drive belts, seals, etc.), a local reputable mechanic quoted me about 600 bucks including parts. Dealerships = fail.
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That dealer price is about right, You should price the parts alone from the dealer...you'll sh!t yourself! I do reccomend using dealer parts for the t-belt and water pump though, I just don't trust aftermarket parts for those items. Check out ebay for the parts, I got factory t-belt, w/p, idler and serp belts for around $300. I went aftermarket for the t-stat and rad hoses. Its a pretty easy job if you're a little mechanically inclined, you don't need any of the special tools that are reccomended, I did mine in my driveway in about 4 hours with regular hand tools but that was my first ever t-belt service so there was a little learning curve.
 
durrell said:
That's outrageously high. To do the same thing (timing belt, water pump, thermostat, drive belts, seals, etc.), a local reputable mechanic quoted me about 600 bucks including parts. Dealerships = fail.
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Yeah, I was asking on MNToyx4 (local offroad club) for a good shop to take mine too, and they recommended a semi-local place that generally works on Land Cruisers, but they will do whatever.. So I'll be going there to have the work done.
 
I found a kit on eBay (or Amazon) that a lot of people have had good luck with, so I am probably going to go that route when I do mine. OEM parts are incredibly expensive. I still haven't decided whether I want to attempt it on my own or not. I'm sure my dad could help, and finding out that it's a non-interference engine makes me feel a bit better, but I'm still not sure. Haha.
 
dealer also gives you a 1 year parts and labor wty that could be helpful if something goes wrong?at the dealer you pay over head that a shade tree guy does not and sure you pay a premium but the guy who fixes your car has done 1000 jobs on trucks just like yours. the shade tree may see 2 or 3 maybe a year if he & you are lucky. knowledge comes at price that could save you money in the long run. i bought my 98 runner w/almost 195k on it.t- belt wpump first thing i did. the truck is stronger than ever
 
2runnersnyynyg said:
dealer also gives you a 1 year parts and labor wty that could be helpful if something goes wrong?at the dealer you pay over head that a shade tree guy does not and sure you pay a premium but the guy who fixes your car has done 1000 jobs on trucks just like yours. the shade tree may see 2 or 3 maybe a year if he & you are lucky. knowledge comes at price that could save you money in the long run. i bought my 98 runner w/almost 195k on it.t- belt wpump first thing i did. the truck is stronger than ever
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You highly overrate the dealer staff and underrate everybody else. I did my own--first TB on any car, and it's not that hard for an experienced mechanic who has never seen a 4Runner. The dealers overcharge because they can--don't drink the Kool-Aid just because you work there. I haven't been back since the truck was in warranty, but I was not impressed by my dealer's service dept. A lot of BS handed out. In fact, it is fair to say I really dislike them.
 
I've never heard of or dealt with an honest dealer. Always an attempted rip-off. I will always choose a shadetree mechanic or my own backyard over a stealership.
 
the overhead is what cost the most. wty is given on top of that. you want to do it yourself thats great im gonna do my 99 myself (im not a mechanic) is that recommended for everyone? probably not. am i gonna use factory parts? absofreakinglutley. the shadetree makes $20 less an hour? maybe.? and uses aftermarket parts costing 50% less(their cost) than the dealer parts.their are somethings i want done at the dealer some i do on my own. the question is"if something goes wrong who can i yell at or resolve with"
with that said i am not biased there are benifits to the outside guy and i have one of those to. these trucks will be handed down from me one day. maintenence is key do it when your supposed to and fix it when or b4 it becomes a problem and cars will last a long time especially these runners.
 
Thanks for the replies guys.

as of now, the runner is doing fine, no leaks or anything..

I will hold it off after i come back from Vegas next month..

thanks. :cheers:
 
durrell said:
I found a kit on eBay (or Amazon) that a lot of people have had good luck with, so I am probably going to go that route when I do mine. OEM parts are incredibly expensive. I still haven't decided whether I want to attempt it on my own or not. I'm sure my dad could help, and finding out that it's a non-interference engine makes me feel a bit better, but I'm still not sure. Haha.
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There's a kit on eBay that is entirely OEM for $288 shipped. The seller is 'aircabinman'. That's the kit I bought... will have it installed in a few weeks.
 
fenrisx said:
There's a kit on eBay that is entirely OEM for $288 shipped. The seller is 'aircabinman'. That's the kit I bought... will have it installed in a few weeks.
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That sounds like the kit I bought, its not Toyota but its Aisin? If so, its a damn good kit...
 
fenrisx said:
There's a kit on eBay that is entirely OEM for $288 shipped. The seller is 'aircabinman'. That's the kit I bought... will have it installed in a few weeks.
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Yep, that was the one I found other than the Amazon one. Will probably buy the eBay one since people have had good experiences with it and it's a few bucks cheaper.
 
Tempting, very tempting.

got a question,

after changing out the timing belt + water pump, did anyone notice a better response from the engine?

thanks.
 
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