tester

Hi guys,
My first post here

My car is Civic 2001 LX

Based on my car's inspection report, I need to replace my timing belt and water pump as well (after doing some reading).
The mileage of my car is 80,000 miles/130,000 km . I was told that Civics need to get their timing belt replaced every 60,000 miles/100,000 km.
I am kind of strapped for cash, especially after the holiday season, but I do want to fix it properly.
My question is the following: to get the timing belt+water pump replaced, can I just basically go with any garage, even the cheapest one? Or is it one of those jobs where it is better to overpay a bit but go with a reputable garage?
Also, just to reaffirm, is it better to not wait and get the job done asap? I mean is 60,000 miles without timing belt replacement too risky to drive and can cause engine damage?

Thanks for anyone replying.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

100k MILES, not km.

lazlong

Service manual says 110,000 miles or 7 years. Even for severe conditions (extreme heat or cold, or lots of stop and go traffic) it says 110, 000 miles or 5 years. Just get it done in the next year, don't wait until 110, 000 miles. *Make sure to replace the belt tensioner also.

tester

Oh, it is actually 100k miles and not 100k km?
My car is exactly 130,00 km/80,000 miles and is 11yrs old.
It would be great if I could delay the timing belt change for another year. It is just that when I got the car inspected, the mechanic told me that the car's timing belt was never replaced and that it would be the first thing that he would do with the car as soon as possible, even before changing the rear brakes which have 30% left in them.
I would really like to avoid the "I told you so" scenario, becausemany websites said that if the timing belt breaks, the engine's valves and pistons might be damaged which willl be very costly to repair. I'm really not sure If I should take the risk if my car is 10+ yrs old and was driven in cold below freezing weather.

I fI were to do it today, can I basically go with any garage that will charge me the least? Or is it worthwile to go with a reputable garage but which charges more?

Thanks

lazlong

How does the inspector know the belt was never changed? Did he actually take the timing cover off? Because that's the only way to check the timing belt. Or do you have complete records (original owner)?

Regardless of all that: yes, replace the belt, tensioner, and pump ASAP. Your years overdue, it's a ticking time bomb.

Unfortunately, this is a critical item. You need to go to someone reputable. It should cost $300-500.

jonnyl888

I've been reading a lot into this because I just bought my car with no service history or anything and with 85,000 miles on it.

The best thing to do would be to actually inspect the timing belt and not just count the miles. If you have a Haynes manual or alike, and some simple tools it's quite easy to do yourself, just remove the top cover and compare the belt with some photos on Google images.

If you're worried about it, get it checked professionally, shouldn't cost too much.

Belts can last 100,000 miles if it is in good condition, but i have heard stories of oil leaks and contamination onto the belt which has caused it to break earlier than it should.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

^ I agree, that sounds better than changing the belt without inspecting it first. I changed mine last year and it was still looking good, but then i have the car for years, so i know what has been done and whatnot.
as for "investing" and "upgrade", i have no idea what yeh mean by that
this is simply... replacing old parts.

tester

Thanks for replying guys.

I called some mechanics todays and got different prices. I found one that quoted me a cheap price and said he will change: timing belt, wate rpump, tensioner, cramk shafts and will perform an oil change+antifreeze injection if necessary as well for only $450. He said however that the parts will be new, but can come from Taiwan, but said that its normal and does not mean they are bad quality. Others said their parts come from Germany/Japan. I can't believe that the actual timing belt kit from Gates can be had for roughly $100 from Amazon.

It is just that I would rather be safe than sorry and been told by the mechanic who inspected the car before I purchased it that I should do it asap. I think I will end up going for the $450 price, since he is the only one who said he will install all the kit and will perform an oil change, unlike others who simply gave a higher price a mere timing belt+water pump+tensioner installation.

Hope I'm doing the right thing.

lazlong

Just an opinion, do what you want. If it was me I would go with OEM as the timing belt and water pump are the heart of the car.

pjb3

I would ask him to price it both ways, with the Taiwan parts and with OEM parts and see how much difference there is. From his standpoint the labor is the same and the only reason to push cheaper parts is to get a lower overall price and greater chance of a sale.

As far as saying that because they are from Taiwan does not mean they are bad is true, but the odds are the quality isn't the same. There are a lot of ways to cut costs and corners when manufacturing a part and in most cases the difference is not visisble. I can't speak about the difference between the Taiwan belt he is suggesting and an OEM one, but I have seen the difference in the cords inside no-name and name brand belts and the difference can be significant. The bottom line is a name brand company has a reputation to protect and they spend money on materials and QC.

Given that labor is the most expensive part of the job and a belt failure will cause engine damage, I would spend the extra money for an OEM belt or at least a name brand. Everything about the belt holds true for the water pump as well.

04 Honda Civic

iTrader: (2)

I believe the timing belt and tensioner should be 100% OEM quality parts. If either of the two fail you will be sorry. Otherwise in terms of damage, waterpump and everything else dont matter as much. I use OEM parts anyway, they are only slightly more expensive if you buy them from a reputable spot online.

boyd117

You can get a Gates timing belt on ebay for as little as 30 dollars or the whole kit for 160 (gmb WP)

tester

Thanks for the answers guys.

I have called another place which was recommended by a friend. The guy gave me a reasonable price but it is only for: timing belt, water pump, tensioner. He said there is no need to replace the crak/cam shafts if the car's mileage is only 80,000 miles. I asked him if the timing belt/water pump comes from Gates. He said that he uses Continental (I assume it is Contitech after googling, it sounded like he said Continental tho). He said that this brand is just as good as Gates and that this brand actually manufactures parts for Gates. Also said that the parts can come from: Japan/Germany/India. Was not able to say exactly.

Can anyone confirm the reliability of this brand please?

Thanks!

04 Honda Civic

iTrader: (2)

I think you mean to say cam and crank shaft SEALS. In that case he should replace them as it only takes 20-30 minutes more once everything is apart.

tester

UPDATE:

Ok, so today I finally got my timing belt replaced.
I did it in one garage that was recommended.
The mechanic used a $30 Mitsuboshi timing belt (never heard of that brand I was not successful at convincing him to use a Gates timing belt, which I know are reputable).
The water pump he replaced is Aisin, so thats good.
He also changed the roller and tensioner as well.

The price was $490.
The only thing is that I wish the timing belt was from a more reputable company (i.e. Gates, Contitech).

Thanks for all the input guys.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

thanks fer the feedback

BlueEM2

iTrader: (1)

Mitsubishi are good belts, no need to fret there.... OEM is best however Glad you got it done before you had a severe failure.

Casey Shovey

Hello just wondering how this kit worked out? I just got the same kit

xRiCeBoYx

iTrader: (22)

As much as I appreciate your searching capability, unfortunately the OP hasn't logged on for over 3 years, so you're not very likely to get a response.

However, if you wish to try a timing belt change yourself, we can point you to Honda OEM components for relatively cheap.

ezone

FYI Mitsuboshi is an OEM Honda timing belt brand, one of several Honda OEM brands such as Gates and Unitta.

Dealer only on the tensioner pulley and spring for 1.7 'D' engines. Aftermarket cheapo may cost you dearly when it lets go.

dsm482

I ran my original timing belt to 160,000 miles.. I checked every 10,000 after 90,000..

it didnt show cracks till 160,000.. i still have original tensioner and water pump on it..

So there is proof.. OEM water pump is freaking awesome to this day... no play and no leak.. when it leaks i will put a new one on there..

I use duralast timing belt now, that one i get it done at 90,000 for sure. ..

but i do my own work so i can risk more. i guess.

not saying do what I did.. but it gives you a reference how long the OEM original parts can last.

Casey Shovey

Yea i got an aisin pump and mitsubishi belt but ill upgrade the tensioner cause a cheesy taiwan one and the seals are idk by who but there just seals so