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I just bought a well used 96 EX coupe with 1.6 engine. For $1300, it has 321k on the car. It came with a salvage yard motor already installed with approximately 125k on it. I don’t know anything else about it other than it got new plug wires and starts up readily and runs smoothly in a Honda-like fashion. I can hear a little racket under the hood which sounds like an elderly water pump crying out in pain.
I am going to replace the timing belt and water pump with a parts kit and wondered:
Would you use anything other than genuine Honda parts for that job, on this particular car? There is quite a difference in price between genuine and other brand parts! If I had bought the car new, or was fixing it for someone else, I would not even consider anything except genuine Honda parts especially the timing belt...but, on a car with this much wear, I can’t help wondering if maybe the cheaper parts kit would get this car though what life it has left, just fine.
Please opine

 
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Use the Honda stuff, anything else is a gamble. People have reported on here that non Honda timing belts didn't even make it til the next oil change. However it's your car and your money

 
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There is a huge difference in price for the belt/water pump/tensioner kit. I would not trust the one that costs $30, but the Gates ‘racing’ belt/pump/gasket kit for about 100 looks similarly well made as the genuine Honda belt kit.
Which is what I will end buying; just wondered if anybody had good results with aftermarket kits.

 
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I can't remember where I read it, but IIRC, gates makes the OEM timing belt.

 
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I wonder if the tensioner and water pump which come in the belt kit are also OEM quality

I found the genuine Honda belt for $53, but the water pump and tensioner add a couple hundred bucks to the parts cost for this project...ouch

Versus the Gates kit which has all 3 parts for $80...hmm...I wonder if it would be worth buying the genuine belt AND the kit, and just not use the kit belt....Hmmm

Opinions/experience with Gates water pump and tensioner?

 
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Quick research says the belt is good, but the rest of the kit is garbage. This is all 3rd party anecdotal, however.

 
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I kept

looking until I found a good enough deal on the genuine Honda stuff.