PERRYinLA

Well, until someone gets specific and states what has to be modded and how (a pic might help, too), we won't know if a "backyard DIYer" can handle it or not.

But it certainly may be in the realm of possibility, such as the mod to make a 9005 bulb fit a 9006 socket.

Nomis

Glad to see my post helped someone. I have been running the part for over 12,000 miles with absolutely no problems fromt he Dayco unit. As for the gap in the coil cover, there is a rubber gasket that seals the small gap anyhow, so excess dust entering the timing chamber shouldn't be an issue. I would recommend using this part to anyone. The original Toyota OEM part will be just as easy/difficult to install depending on your skill level. I rate the job 2 out of 5 bananas. Also get yourself a new OEM serpentine belt from your dealer - they're felt covered and are extra quiet. Now when I pull up to a light with the A/C off and windows open - you literally cannot tell the engine is running apart from the tach. Good luck.

EUROJulian

I do not advocate using aftermarket parts at any of your cars. It is an individual decision.
I state my expirience to date with the part. It has been positive. I wasn`t to happy I had to modify cover, but WTH.
I personaly belive serpentine tensioner should be changed everytime drive belt is changed and I intended to do so on my Lex. For that wear and tear simple part I belive OEM part price is rediculous.

Now, I do not think use of non OEM parts is "cutting corners". OEM use them all the time .
Right now we have bunch of problems with Toyotas using German serpentine tensioners from factory.
Dayco belts are also used by Toyota as OEM for some aplications.

In conclusion, for those skilled enough to work on their own cars, quality aftermarket is definitly an option. For those paying labor rates I would think twice.

GliTCH

Actually, he wasn't referring to modding the tensioner, only the cover so it fits over it. And, I had never done any kind of mechanical work before I took up the tensioner install, but I am an IT guy so I dove into it without hesitation. Ultimately, even though one stupid mistake cost me $500 it was worth it for me in the end.. because I learned a lot through the process, enough to say, go deeper into the car next time. What I did learn is that you can't rush through anything in cars, because if I build a computer really quick and plug the chassis power LED wire in upside down, I can fix it without any damage to the system. But dropping screws in engine belt trains is pretty serious and not to mention expensive... now, I might not have messed up if I got the stock tensioner from Lexus... and the $150 I saved on the tensioner is now gone as I spent $500 getting a new timing belt installed. But believe me its a lesson learned

I say have a little more faith in the DIY people. Everyone sucks their first few tries but in the end if you want a job done right you're gonna have to do it yourself. No one cares about your car as much as you do.

Juzscy

Tips for tensioner replacement: (Sorry, no pics, camera’s busted, had to draw them)

1) You have three choices of replacement parts: (there are more, but they’re tough to find)
a. OEM (Lexus will know the part #)
b. Dayco (# 89255)
c. Gates (# 38173)

Prices (approximate, as of DEC/07):
Locally - OEM $160, Dayco $100, Gates $100
Online – Dayco $46, Gates $50

2) The OEM is a direct bolt in, no mods necessary. The Dayco and Gates appear similar, although the Dayco has a slightly smaller pulley (meaning it turns faster to pass the same length of belt – might wear the bearing out sooner). Both aftermarket tensioners have a design flaw: the lip where the cover fits at the far left (pass. side (henceforth PS), looking to the rear of car) is offset 3/16” (wider) meaning it wants to stretch the cover more than it should. I have fired off emails to both Dayco and Gates to request a change (dumb asses!). Therefore, modifications to the tensioner OR the cover are necessary. It is super easy to mod the tensioner, it's soft aluminum, and I am hesitant to mod the cover in case an OEM tensioner is ever reinstalled. I recommend the Gates part due to pulley size matching OEM, and the fact that it can be had for so cheap.

3) If you have limited confidence in your ability to mod an aftermarket part, buy OEM, fitment is perfect. Otherwise, all you have to do is grind or file the forward lip of the tensioner at the corner about 3/8”, allowing the cover to fit INSIDE the PS lip. You'll have the cover and the tensioner in front of you - grind a little, test fit, grind more if you need to.Cover now bolts in easily. I recommend a little automotive silicone (black hides well) along the now exposed lip (spread it up onto the cover) and around the hole through where the cover now fits.

4) Sealing the timing belt area IS important. Leaving a gap in the cover from an improper installation where water, dust, and Dog-forbid ATF from a leaking power steering pump could get in would promote early failure of the timing parts.

Hope this helps, and here are the (crude!) drawings

over40driv

I first repl. my top idle pulley because of squeek and thought that got it, came back, repl.bearing in the tensioner thought that had it, squeek came back. I am repl. the tensioner ***. thurs. night from Oreily, we will see how it fits.

PERRYinLA

If you are talking about the squeek during idle that disappears when you shift to neutral, I sure hope replacing the tensioner fixes it- there's quite a few threads that discuss that squeak, but no definitive answer as to its cause.

Lextreme

Hey Perry.... How goes it...? possible bearings are bad...

PERRYinLA

Hi David! Going well- those rims you sold me worked great, thanks!

Yeah, you would think it is one of those tensioner or idler bearings along the serpentine belt path, but in the threads I've participated in, the "quiet-when-in-neutral squeek" either comes back or is not fixed no matter what bearing is replaced.

I'm hoping over40 has better luck this Thursday.

over40driv

okay, I meant today. I have just spent 4 hours on changing out my belt tensioner. OK Im slow but thourogh. I bought mine from Oreilys for $60.00 and compared it to my O.E. and they both said made in canada on the back, but were my o.e. said Toyota it was milled off of the Gates one. Also there was a number on the front that was in the same location but milled off of the Gates.So I thought I was in good shape, not really. I ended up taking the 3 bolts out of the left coil, the 5 bolts on the coil cover and the 4 bolts out of the spark plug wire cover. The radiator resivoir the altrnator and air intake complete. Once I got the old tensioner off you need to watch for the tab at the right end of the black coil cover. The Gates looked to the eye to be the same exact part but I could not get the front black coil cover bolts back in. The 2 coil cover halves are lined with rubber gaskets that have to stay in place. I ended up filing the lip on the tensioner like the pic. of the prev. guy shows. Very dissapointing. I removed the top idler pulley for more room to work, and the pulley from the new tensioer to check the brushes in my alt, still good at 127,000. Do not remove top radiator hose from block for more room, or youll be cleaning the floor and pulling the plastic bottom engine cover. The marks on the old tensioner that show the amount of wear went to the same place on the new one. I started it up and it is not sqeeking so far. Mine did not stop sqeeking when put in neutral.

over40driv

Edit The main fitment issue part that I refered to as the coil cover not mating properly to the tensioner is the black bottom half of the cam/dist. cap cover. The tensioner has to be slid behind the bottom edge of the cover. Thats were the fitment issue is. Also be aware when pulling the dist. cover away from the engine there is a small wire loom attached.

Nomis

Haven't been on the site in a while. . . the Dayco tensioner is going on 3 years without any problems.

bamaflyer

I finally got around to addressing the squeak squeaking in our's today. I had ordered the Gates tensioner, I had all the same difficulties as the previous posters, did make the notch as prescribed and siliconed the leftover gap best I could.

In between ordering this on-line a month or 2 ago (found it for ~$40 ordered from Amazon seller I believe) and getting to it today I had pretty much determined ours was squeaking at the idler pulley. Since I had the tensioner I did it while I was in there.

Just FYI, I was told by a mechanic I asked about doing it that to change the tensioner and replace the idler's bearing he would charge me $110. When I got this all apart this Sunday morning I realized that replacing a bearing requires a bearing press (which I don't have) or maybe taking it to a shop (which I now didn't have time for with a non-operational car that needed to be back on the road Monday). So I resorted to having to buy an Idler Pulley from Orielly for $60 (instead of probably the $10 bearing and ? to have a mechanic replace it for me).

So, was it worth it? Only on the note that I now have a smiling wife with a blissfully silent car and I got to wrench on a car for 4-5 hours (something I've missed out on since selling off my last toy a couple years ago/pre-small human). Take this input for what it's worth but the Idler Pulley may be the source of your own angst and is far and away easier to replace than the tensioner, could be much cheaper too with some proper planning.

daweeze02

Well crap I got the tensioner install and everything back together but when I went to put the belt on I noticed that plastic box that surrounds the coil pack thing had dropped too low and was touch the belt. So I had to take everything apart and in doing so I snapped off the small thin nipple on the intake air connector so now I have 2 issues. One I need to either go to a junk yard and get the air connector and 2 figure out a way to raise that plastic casing.

Will I just throw a cell if I do not connect the tubing to the small nipple? Also did I get the part description "intake air connector"

2JZ_SC300

Just an FYI for fellow '93 SC 300 owners....

i did some calling around to my local lexus and toyota dealerships to cross reference some part numbers for the serpt. belt tensioner.

the lexus newest/superseded part # is 16-620-owo26 Price $246.91
&
toyota's newest/superseded part # is also 16-620-owo26 Price $185.65

i asked for my car which is a '93 sc300 automatic.

So i'll be buying the toyota part since its cheapest of the two and an oem toyota part.