Timing Belt Suggestions

Hey, all. I just bought my first Tacoma a couple of weeks ago and would like to do the timing belt and all the other "while you're in there" stuff. I have three questions, as I would be tackling this project by myself.

1. What kit should I buy? I'm a stickler for oem parts. Will the one attached work?

2. Do I need any special tools?

3. What are some tricks that you have learned to make the job easier/things to watch out for?

 

I would stay away from any FleaBay seller with a Chinese username and blurred out part numbers.

This is what an OEM kit looks like.
https://www.yotashop.com/timing-kit...m-timing-belt-master-kit-1995-2004-kit-1116g/

Now look at your price from FleaBay.......Sounds too good to be true.

Or save some money with this kit.
It the "minimum" timing belt kit.
https://www.yotashop.com/timing-kit...4-tkt-025/?searchid=0&search_query=3.4+timing

 

Shooter, that's a nice kit you linked, but why would one need valve cover gaskets, plenum gaskets etc for a timing belt change?

La_Mere, there are definitely some specality tools you'll need to get if you wanna make life easy and don't wanna damage stuff, for reference, here is a good link for you....

https://adventuretaco.com/guide/ste...r-3-4l-v6-5vzfe-also-4runner-tundra-and-t100/

I'm getting ready to do all this at the end of the month, the only part that I'm reveling over is whether to replace the harmonic balancer, which isn't cheap.

 

Yea, there's a method to get to the timing belt without removing the top end, I would get everything besides the valve cover related things

 

Before I set a wrench to it, I would watch Timmy the Toolman's excellent video that shows exactly how he replaced those parts.

 

Aisin TKT-005 (025 w/tensioner) kit is reasonably priced on Amazon.

 

Get the Aisin kit + thermostat. It's literally the Toyota kit without the Toyota logo (That is, Aisin makes the timing belt + water pump kit for the 5VZFE). I can send you pictures of the parts I put on my truck. Rockauto carries it as well.

Doing the crank seal & cam seals while you're in there is usually a good idea.

The Adventuretaco guide lists all the tools you need. Get all the SSTs, they make your life a thousand times easier, and two of them are 100% necessary.

 

Thank you for all the replies! There is another eBay kit from a different seller. It looks to be about the same and the part numbers are all visible. I dont get the low price...

 

Look, man. That's about the price of an Aisin kit on Rockauto - which is the OE manufacturer for Toyota. Something's sketchy, (That said, the Aisin kit does not include the crank pulley bolt, the cam and crank seals, or the auxiliary drive belts for the AC, Power Steering, & alternator).

The full kit I'd trust if I was heart-set on paying for the Toyota logo is this one.

Alternatively, plug all the part numbers from the kit into partsouq or oempartsonline & see where that gets you on price.

You'll still need to pick up the crank pulley bolt (90119-16006), around 3 gallons of coolant (or two gallons of concentrate + two gallons of distilled water), and at the very minimum a cam pulley holder + a harmonic damper holding tool. A puller of some sort to get the harmonic damper off + two long M8X1.25 bolts with big washers is also a good idea, since the damper can get pretty stuck on there.

If something's wrong with your harmonic balancer, I would say do it while you're in there. Just be damned sure something's actually wrong with it.

 

However comprehensive you decide to make this job, at the very least, be absolutely sure to confirm that the timing belt itself in the kit is Genuine Toyota OEM.

There are "Aisin" parts made by "Aisin", and then there are "Aisin" parts made specifically for Toyota to their stringent specifications and requirements. Just because their name is stamped or embossed on it, doesn't mean it's the same quality as Toyota OEM. Don't take a chance on the timing belt especially if it's an interference engine you're dealing with.

Me? I would buy the OEM kit from the local dealer or Toyota's parts website, or at the very least the timing belt itself. If you can wait for a little bit, watch the website for 15% off and free-shipping sales, or opt for free pick-up of the parts from the local dealer. They compete with each other and run their own sales, so check several in your area for the best prices.

 

Awesome. Thank you all so much. I feel like I'm headed in the right direction now. I will check out Tim's video. I was able to pull that top cover off far enough to take a picture of the belt, so here's what it looks like...

 

Wouldn't they have the same part numbers?

 

Yyyeah, that belt is cooked.

 

No, they won't. The Aisin-sold-as-Toyota part will have a Toyota part #, the Aisin-sold-as-Aisin will have an Aisin part#. However, at least in the case of the water pump, they're from the same production line and they grind the Toyota logo off if they're going to sell it as Aisin. For the belt... this is a non-interference engine. The absolute worst case scenario is you get stranded - which would suck, but a tow home and a new timing belt, and you're back on the road as if nothing happened.

If you keep up on maintenance, including regular belt changes at 90,000 , it's a question of if: A) there is a meaningful quality difference, and B) That quality difference means anything over the belt's service life. I have my doubts if it's worth keeping a separate, lower-quality production line running just because a lower-quality line would have cheaper operating costs, especially given how relatively few 5VZ engines are on the road anymore.

Ultimately, your money, your priorities.

 

The entire video is very good but 17:00 - to the end, explains OEM Toyota parts vs. aftermarket OE "name-brand"parts made by the same manufacturer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyZ7YGzP3h8

 

I respect Ahmed a lot. Really.

But I think he's badly oversimplifying here. Think about this - each production line costs money to run - the unit savings from running the second line at lower quality standards for the pump + belt would have to exceed the fixed cost of having a whole extra line running. Now, maybe for a newer car, that makes sense. But our trucks are getting older, the engines are aging off the road, which means demand for pumps + belts is drying up, and these weren't exactly high-demand items in the first place. I would be extremely skeptical that the unit savings from running line #2 to lower standards are more than the cost of grinding off the Toyota logo real quick on the water pumps to be sold as aftermarket. (I will add that in the video he notes that Aisin-brand is almost always 100% the exact same quality as Toyota-brand)

Now, when it comes to suspension components, he has a stronger argument (mostly when arguing against Quickstruts), but most of us on these forums have a different performance envelope in mind than Toyota did when they designed these trucks, and very few people seriously suggest that a Bilstein/OME/King/FOX shock setup is a bad idea because of "quality". So unless all of the damping & spring rates are the same as OEM, yeah, you're going to change how the car/truck rides.

And you need to ask - how long am I asking this part to work? If an Aisin belt will run 100,000 miles, the Aisin-as-Toyota belt will run 150,000 miles, and you're going to change the belt at 90,000 miles, who cares about the improved quality of the Toyota-branded belt? You're not going to use the extra quality, assuming it actually exists.

Similarly, I bet a lot of us buy NGK spark plugs. I always have for all my cars that needed them, never had a problem within service life.

Again, end of the day, your money. But there's nothing magical about a Toyota logo on a box/bag.

 

Price is low because it's fake Chinese parts.

 

If you’re not walking out of the dealer with the parts there is no way to guarantee you have OE parts. Make a Toyota account and buy them online from a dealer and save some money and get OE parts.

 

^^^This^^^
Two weeks ago I caught 15% off sale on their parts website, and purchased a pair of the Toyota OEM full metal frame wiper blades for $18.00 each before taxes and including a dealer-discount as well. Free pick-up option next day at the local dealer. For comparison, just the refills are going for over $20 each for Bosch OE or Icon refills at the various parts stores in this area. Walking into the dealer parts counter cold, they quoted $28 each for the same part number(s). Some dealers will match their on-line price if you ask and are also an online customer there.

 

So I just plugged every part number from aircabinman's ebay kit into the Alexander Toyota web store, and the total is


**DRUMROLL**




seems like aircabinman's ebay kit is the way to go after all! Thank you for all the replies!