The recommended interval for timing belt replacement is 96k miles, or 6 years.

I am at 9 years, 35k miles. Just replaced the serpentine belt on my own.

Any thoughts on whether I should spend the $ to replace the timing belt on a truck that is working just fine?

How much would the average shop ask to do this (including replacing the water pump and various pulleys and seals)?

I watched a video on how to do it on my own, and it scared me, so I doubt I could do it on my own in a timely manner that did not completely screw up the truck.

Buy you're shifty and quick...

The local toyota dealer quoted me 599.99 without the water pump.

Strangely enough, I have always been under the impression that time overrides mileage, but Road and Track had a Tech correspondence that a guy had a Millenia with low miles, and they said to do it on Miles, not time. I tend to not agree.

I think the time vs. mileage is a topic that will never get settled. Belts are rubber, and they deteriorate a bit with age. Supposedly heat is the biggest age related issue.

I think though that a big consideration is if the engine is an interference design. I don't know if this particular Toyota engine is interference or not.

I had the TB replaced on my 1997 NSX at 31K miles and 10 years. I had only owned the car a bit over one year. The spec is 7 years, 90K miles. It is an interference engine, and a TB failure would have been massively expensive to repair. The old belt looked nearly new. No rounded edges on the teeth, no fraying, etc. I think it would have been good for years. But I wasn't willing to take a chance with it.

My Ridgeline is at 99K miles now. And Honda says 105K miles (I don't know the age spec). I'll replace it sometime next year. Not in a hurry nor worried about it.

[This message has been edited by SpicewoodAg (edited 10/29/2012 8:51a).]

It is an interference engine.

So you guys think my Sienna with 183k miles (2002) needs its timing belt changed too for the first time?

[we bought the sienna with 130k miles, no idea if the timing belt had ever been changed, probably not]

Got a quote from the local shop I use. For OEM parts, timing belt, water pump, and three pulleys, he gave me a quote of $923.

Subtract 180 if after-market parts.

But given my mileage, he recommended not changing the pulleys, and if the water pump looks okay, not changing the water pump.

Opinions?

On the 2002 minivan, we are probably only wanting to keep it for one more year. It's worth about $4000 right now. Take a $1000 charge for a $4000 vehicle that I don't plan to keep much longer?

Hmmm....that's expensive insurance.

roll the dice on both

If the belt breaks on the Sienna, you are looking at $$$thousands of repairs, possibly more than it it is worth. A mechanic might be able to tell you if it had been replaced before you bought it. Seems possible if the van had been well maintained.

On the truck - might be worth the risk of going a while longer just because of the very low mileage.

If you haven't already, double check it is in fact a timing belt. I just took in my mid-2000s Toyota thinking I needed to have it done, but they told me I had a timing chain, which is supposed to last forever.

But I'm sure you know what you're doing, unlike me.

definitely a timing belt on both.

If the timing belt failed on the Sienna, and the engine was ruined, it would be off to the junkyard for a tax writeoff.

The low-mileage Tundra is much more valuable to me than the Sienna.

Watch your local toyota dealer's mailing or website for timing belt replacement specials. I would do the Tundra within the next 12 months. If you do the belt do the water pump, the labor to do it is not much more. If you live in a metro area you can call around and find the best deal, they will compete with each other.

Your Tundra sounds like a keeper, once you change it you are good for another decade.

toyota of plano



Shop supplies extra?

looks like a good deal to me, hopefully you have a V6, notice it is to 'inspect' the WP.
Check other Metroplex offers, I'm sure they'd match or beat.

the tundra is 8cyl.

But the sienna is 6cyl. I might bite on that price for the Sienna. I'll continue to check around. Thanks for the heads up aggiepaintrain.

called Toyota of Plano.

For V8, just timing belt, is $544 out the door. However, if you want the water pump changed as well, tack on another $375 (!!!!!).

So for example, for my v6 sienna, with timing belt, water pump and serpentine belt, the $299 special increases to $808.

Maybe they will let me pop into the shop and tack on my own water pump in the middle of the repair??!!! I told him the water pump replacement seemed to be priced way too high.

Toyota of Dallas adds on $349 for the water pump as well. He says $175 of that is labor. (?!) I've watched the video. It's only a few bolts, removing the seal, and replacing the thing.

So I guess that's pretty standard.

It's now 2018 on this 2003 Tundra. More than 50k miles.

Still haven't replaced the timing belt.

Thinking hard about it. I just looked to see if any local specials on timing belt replacement, didn't see any.

shiftyandquick said:

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It's now 2018 on this 2003 Tundra. More than 50k miles.

Still haven't replaced the timing belt.

Thinking hard about it. I just looked to see if any local specials on timing belt replacement, didn't see any.

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You realize they dry rot? Do it!

We did our 2005 Tundra at 10 years and 58k miles.Changed out the tensioners, thermostat and water pump at the same time as preventative maintenance.

I found a Toyota dealer in Austin who would sell discounted OEM parts.

Thanks Agmechanic!

did you do it yourself or pay to have it done? at a dealership? about how much was it?

shiftyandquick said:

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did you do it yourself or pay to have it done? at a dealership? about how much was it?

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Agmechanic was living in BCS at the time and we paid him a few hundred dollars. He was working in a shop with a lift so it was an easy weekend job for him. It would have taken Mr Dubi all day to do it at home. Agmechanic did remove the radiator to make it easier to get to the water pump/timing belt.

The parts alone were almost $500 but we did "future proof" the timing belts by replacing the tensionsers.

He also found another problem where rats had chewed some wires (cam or crank sensor) and fixed that also.

/it was our first time to pay for a timing belt. Previously Mr Dubi did them all himself.

Find a good independent mechanic; it will be cheaper than the dealer.

can anyone recommend a good toyota mechanic in the dallas/richardson/plano area?

shiftyandquick said:

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can anyone recommend a good toyota mechanic in the dallas/richardson/plano area?

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Davenport Motor. Go to the Plano location. I've used them many times...twice for 4.7 yota timing belts.

SUPER EASY

https://texags.com/forums/46/topics/2770709/1#discussion

KY AG said:

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SUPER EASY

https://texags.com/forums/46/topics/2770709/1#discussion

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The OP will certainly pay after reading your thread!

I watched a YT video on how the change the timing belt. That was enough to convince me to not even try.

Davenport wants $1400 for the entire package (replace everything including tensioners, water pump etc). Does that seem a little bit pricey?

Toyota Plano $995 for timing belt, water pump, serpentine belt, coolant (but no idlers, tensioners). He said something about $100 extra for a tensioner. How many idlers and tensioners are there?

I'm just trying to figure out what is reasonable here. Am I likely to need to new idlers and tensioners with 15 years and 55k miles?

shiftyandquick said:

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Toyota Plano $995 for timing belt, water pump, serpentine belt, coolant (but no idlers, tensioners). He said something about $100 extra for a tensioner. How many idlers and tensioners are there?

I'm just trying to figure out what is reasonable here. Am I likely to need to new idlers and tensioners with 15 years and 55k miles?

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We hope to keep this truck until it dies, so Mr Dubi decided to replace extra parts. Surely the odds of them failing were low.

1 tensioner
2 idlers


Parts list I had in an email to Agmechanic in 2014:

Buy the Aisin 2UZ kit. Lots of places sell it. I would also buy the pulleys. Total expense for that is about $200.

Here: https://www.amazon.com/Evergreen-TBK298MHWPA-98-07-Toyota-Timing/dp/B00NAK9F3K

All you need is labor. Local dealership quoted me $550 for the entire replacement if I already had the parts.

Shifty - it's been 6 years & you're still cheaping out. Have you not had a raise in 6 years??

The dealerships are asking $1400-1600 for the entire package.

Mastertech in Plano is asking $972 including everything. My friend recommends them. I think I may go with them.

JSKolache said:

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Shifty - it's been 6 years & you're still cheaping out. Have you not had a raise in 6 years??

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I guess I've gotten a slight raise since then.

I sold my minivan to my brother for cheap. Just last month the transmission went out and he doesn't want to fix it. But he can't afford a vehicle to replace it either.

We are on our 2nd sienna now, via aggiepaintrain. Is he still on here?

We picked up an 04 Gx470 last fall with 68K on the odo. In November or December the starter went out. I called around to get quotes and had it towed to Atkinson. They went ahead and did the timing belt and water pump too. Out there door $1200 for everything, I was blown away by.

TSJ said:

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We picked up an 04 Gx470 last fall with 68K on the odo. In November or December the starter went out. I called around to get quotes and had it towed to Atkinson. They went ahead and did the timing belt and water pump too. Out there door $1200 for everything, I was blown away by.

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by what?