i just did mine........i used a kit off ebay (had no problems with it) that came with the water pump,idler pulley, idler pulley assy, and a timing belt! dealer claims this to be a lifetime part but just like the lifetime fuel filter im skeptical! plus while your doing the timing belt its cheaper on labor to do it then whereas pulling it apart and doin it AGAIN!

same guy i bought my kit from

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/01-07...mZ260204697240

 

I did my 90k service and had them replace the waterpump as well. I asked for it and wasn't pressured by my dealership to do it.

However, I do have a VVT-i V8 in my 02 GS - so its extra insurance.

 

I replaced mine at the 90K service. The tech showed me the old pump and the seal that was just starting to leak. I had a previous car and replaced the timing belt but not the water pump. Within two weeks the pump started leaking.

Considering the cost of replacing the pump, it's cheap insurance.

 

Did your mechanic have any comment on the quality of the parts when they were installed?

 

Damn...I too have a VVTi V8 and only did the timing belt at 80K...I have 102K on her now and I am wondering if I should do the waterpump. How much should this run me? Should I go to my dealership for this work?

 

so i just looked up what exactly a cars water pump does i mean i know the basics but i wanted to know more,,, i found this site water pump
it basically says that if you can hear anything out of the ordinary coming from your air vents, if you notice your ac is not blowing as cold of air as it used to, or if your coolant is leaking (mine all went away recently but i caught it before it was to late, not sure where it went though, i didn't see any on the ground or in my engine bay) then these are all signs that your pump is getting old and needs to be replaced... i guess this means that i need to replace mine then cuz unless its just paranoia, i have a little of all 3 of these symptoms at times...

i had my 60k done at lexus, 90k done by a non-lexus but still reputable mechanic and when i had my timing belt done i can't recall or not if i paid for the water pump to get replaced as well, but knowing how much of a cheap bastard i am, i'm guessing that it didn't get replaced. what do you guys think joe blow mechanic will charge for this since i have moved from my old place of residence?? i am at 101k miles right now, and think its getting close to time to change it, what do you guys think??

 

Also, who has had their radiator flushed??? every time i get my oil changed they try to get me to flush the radiator. unless this gets done at the 60k service by lexus then mine hasn't been done.

Is this recommended as well?? When and why?? and could this be why 98% of my coolant reservoir was gone when i checked it the other day???

 

this is my experience with ebay timing belt kits.

belt: i would not use. Get at least an OEM belt. A good belt is the same as buying insurance on your valves. Someone had a failure at 30k miles on a STi forum, but it could have been improper installation.

tensioner: same as the OEM tensioner (made by Koyo).

water pump: i would use this part as well. It is made by GmB (Prestone), and haven't heard of any premature failures.

the toyota red coolant should last 100k miles w/ no problems. Just run 50/50. Make sure you use distilled water, and not tap water.

 

Hey Sojah,

I recently bought a 1999 400 with 79,000 miles. Radiator fluid was almost brown/black with about 1/4 inch of stuff that looked like tar on the bottom of the pan. Took me 2 complete flushes (one pan dropping) to finally get it to normal. Don't think the PO (prevoius owner) was very good about fliud changes so if you've never had yours cahnged I would do it!

 

cool thanks, i shall look into it the next oil change, i know the previous owner of mine was a rich old bastard who always took it in to lexus whenever they told him he should (courtesy reminder)...

 

I owned a Toyota where the WP lasted 149,000 miles. Obviously when it went, it tore everything up including the timing belt and the water pump housing. Best to replace the timing belt, pump, tensioner and other piece parts all at once.

I have an SC430 with 86k on it and I plan to do the whole thing myself around 95k.

 

A friend and I did the 90k service and decided not to do the water pump, not at 107k the pump is starting to leak I would have saved myself a lot of hassle if I had just done it with the 90k

 

on the 300, keep an eye on the temp and how many miles on the car, and i guess just keep an ear on the waterpump as well. but looks fairly easy to do since its on the accessories belt and not part of the timing belt (shudders at my old honda)

 

When I did my 90k servicxe at 85 k I had the whole ball of wax done and the Toyota tech said it was a good thing I had the water pump done too cuz it was just starting to leak and showed me the old part etc. So bottom line if you're in there do it now or do it later at like twice the cost if doing just the pump alone

 

You won't be able to find a that in service booklet at all..It's just a recommendation that when you've change your t-belt it best to change the water pump as well..b/c they it's located in the same area..This is just to avoid labor rate when you've decide to have it change. It's doesn't hurt to get a new water pump..As matter of fact I'm getting ready to do mine also..I have have 85k. My technician also said you can either do it 90k or 130k..I just want to get it done over with. So, I don't have to have a bad conscious on my shoulders...