timing belt?

Ok, Im at 122 K on my 04 Taco 3.4 L V 6. I know the the timing belt needs replaced along w/ the water pump. Dealer wants to do it for 600..good price or not? also, I really do not have the funds to do it immediately but im working on it so my question to you is...are there any signs that I should be looking for in the mean time that should let me know to get the thing in there now or can I wait another 5 to 10 K miles before getting it in there.
thanks
Rob

 

Dude I just went in today and they said they wanted $900 for timing belt and water pump :/

 

The only sign I know of is when the timing breaks and you're stuck on the side of the road.

 

$600 is pretty damn cheap. I'd call them and verify the price - make sure they quoted you everything (TB, WP).

I'd also recommend changing the thermostat and all your accessory belts too.

My husband and I changed the water pump on my 96...wasn't too bad of a job. http://www.lieblweb.com/waterpump.html

With timing belts...you don't know WHEN they could break. Those types of belts don't usually show any type of external visual signs of disrepair. At work (on machinery), I've seen similar belts break and they still look new. While, I've also seen dried out & cracked belts continue to function. It's like rolling the dice....

 

Just curious... do any seals need to be changed while doing the TB or water pump?

 

Yes, make sure they change both cam seals and the crank seal even if it shows no sign of leakage. If you don't change them and they leak after the timing belt work is done, goes what you'll have to pay double labor for them to tear down to get to the seals.

Where I work, we do timing belt jobs COMPLETE, so we don't have to do anything twice. What we do(all parts are OE Toyota):
-Timing belt
-Timing belt hydraulic tensioner
-Idler pulleys (for timing belt)
-Water pump and flush cooling system
-Thermostat and gasket
-Radiator hoses (if they are old)
-Cam seals and crank seal
-External drive belts (if they're no good or old since there is no addt'l labor)

 

I did 143k before I changed mine out.

Didn't have extra cash lying around then so I didn't replace the water pump, now it is leaking and I know what I am doing this spring. If you are mechanically inclined and have a place to work and tools, you can do the whole thing your self for a lot less. Afford yourself two days to work on it and you should be just fine. (it is only about a 4-6 hr job, but being your first one and the ability for problems to occur I would allot two days for this job.)

Auto hobby shop comes to mind.

 

I hate timing belts, thats why I stick with 2.7 4 cyl. You get better mpg and costs less for maintenance.

 

The 4 Cyl would have been fine for me, but it didn't meet my criteria for the truck i needed. And it has more HP.

 

When my husband and I did the TB/WP on the 96, we didn't do any seals.
We did the TB/WP, thermostat, and drive belts.

 

I did the crank seal, didn't look bad at all, but I know how that goes. Spend 15-20 bucks on the seals so you don't have to tear it all down later on.

 

x2..... We do this also

 

Thanks for the posts. Fortunately I am mech inclined which is good..the bad news is my ex wife sold all of my tools 14k worth during the divorce. so I think I will let Toyota do my work for me..thanks again