King vs Taiho vs Toyota OEM Engine Bearings - Toyota worth the cost? (1 Viewer)

[badman9]

Hi everyone,

So what was supposed to be changing a head gasket and having a look around my 1kz-te (2000 Hilux Surf) has turned into a full on engine rebuild involving bearings, HG, resleeve, rings, valve seals, valve guides, water pump, machining the crank etc. etc.

I have been going OEM toyota on certain parts such as the rings, seals etc. but I would love some help when it comes to the crankshaft and con ron (big end) bearings.

I can get King Bearings for about half the cost of the "genuine" toyota (saving at least $110USD). From all of your vast experience, would I be ok with the King bearings or is it worth spending the extra?

My only hesitation re the "genuine" in this case is that it is sold by a local parts store here in Jamaica that people always anecdotally say sells counterfiet genuine toyota parts, but I haven't seen concrete evidence to back it up.

Thanks for all of the help!

PS. ACL is completely out of stock and I can't even find clevite for my application

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

When I put new bearings in my 2LTE, I bought Taiho. The original bearings that came out were made by Taiho too. I wonder if the Toyota OEM bearings are made by Taiho? Can you source Taiho for a good price for your 1KZ?

 

[badman9]

When I put new bearings in my 2LTE, I bought Taiho. The original bearings that came out were made by Taiho too. I wonder if the Toyota OEM bearings are made by Taiho? Can you source Taiho for a good price for your 1KZ?

I can find the taiho bearings in the US, but they cost a decent amount more than what the equivalent King bearings would cost (but less than OEM toyota)

Does anyone here know who makes the OEM bearings for toyota generally speaking, or does anyone here have a comparison of Taiho and King?

Thanks

 

[Dilspec]

Taiho or OEM Toyota if you can. In the grand scheme of things it would be beneficial, prob not a place you'd want to save some money either.

 

[FJBen]

Taiho does make cam/crank Bearings for Toyota.

I had that belief when i was rebuilding my 13BT, and @Onur confirmed.


Don't skimp on a rebuild.

 

[badman9]

Taiho or OEM Toyota if you can. In the grand scheme of things it would be beneficial, prob not a place you'd want to save some money either.

Appreciate the advice. Any experience with Taiho yourself?

Taiho does make cam/crank Bearings for Toyota.

I had that belief when i was rebuilding my 13BT, and @Onur confirmed.


Don't skimp on a rebuild.

Trying my best, but you know these times are really rough financially, and I don't know how long this COVID-19 situation is going to affect my income. Not trying to skimp by any means, but also trying not to throw money into the wind, if that makes sense.

Basically trying to spend on OEM where it is needed, but save a little where it isn't (eg. I got a japanese GMB water pump for 1/5 what the genuine toyota was selling for and less than half what the thai GMB was selling for locally)

 

[John in Utah]

I just put BEB in my 3L and the ones that came out as well as the new OEMs from Toyota were Taiho. I honestly wasn’t that impressed - I ordered 6 bearing pairs total because two were marred out of the box. Old ones looked great for having 400k on them though.

Ive found that aftermarket bearings will have one “standard” size while Toyota typically has different ranges (1-3) matched to the rods. Not sure that couple of thou matters much on an already worn crank.

 

[badman9]

I just put BEB in my 3L and the ones that came out as well as the new OEMs from Toyota were Taiho. I honestly wasn’t that impressed - I ordered 6 bearing pairs total because two were marred out of the box.

Ive found that aftermarket bearings will have one “standard” size while Toyota typically has different ranges (1-3) matched to the rods. Not sure that couple of thou matters much on an already worn crank.

Quality control is a big deal for me, especially since I have to ship parts across the world to Jamaica and any bad products (marred in box or mislabelled or wrong part sent etc) can hold back my project by 2+ weeks, and I often can't return the item based on my location.

It makes ordering parts online a much more daunting experience, but at the same time. the local suppliers of parts really tend to offer junk or crazy prices for "genuine"

 

[John in Utah]

Quality control is a big deal for me, especially since I have to ship parts across the world to Jamaica and any bad products (marred in box or mislabelled or wrong part sent etc) can hold back my project by 2+ weeks, and I often can't return the item based on my location.

It makes ordering parts online a much more daunting experience, but at the same time. the local suppliers of parts really tend to offer junk or crazy prices for "genuine"

I wouldn’t put too much thought into, bearings are easy to damage and when they come a pair to a box (vs a set of 8) I think they are more prone.

Get a standard set of taiho and call it a day. I’m just weird about having everything come in that red teq box... some sort of illness I think.

 

[FJBen]

Appreciate the advice. Any experience with Taiho yourself?




Trying my best, but you know these times are really rough financially, and I don't know how long this COVID-19 situation is going to affect my income. Not trying to skimp by any means, but also trying not to throw money into the wind, if that makes sense.

Basically trying to spend on OEM where it is needed, but save a little where it isn't (eg. I got a japanese GMB water pump for 1/5 what the genuine toyota was selling for and less than half what the thai GMB was selling for locally)

I totally get it. My cam bearings that I ordered OEM toyota are Taiho. My waterpump is an AISIN ordered from RockAuto which is OEM for Toyota. It even has the TEQ ground off of it and I got it for WAY cheaper.

Sometimes it just takes time finding out who actually makes the OEM part for them and then you can spend lots of time looking for that part. If you have time thats great! Sometimes I found it way easier to just pay a little more and get it done and no guess work. In your case, I would however spring for Taiho.

 

[badman9]

I totally get it. My cam bearings that I ordered OEM toyota are Taiho. My waterpump is an AISIN ordered from RockAuto which is OEM for Toyota. It even has the TEQ ground off of it and I got it for WAY cheaper.

Sometimes it just takes time finding out who actually makes the OEM part for them and then you can spend lots of time looking for that part. If you have time thats great! Sometimes I found it way easier to just pay a little more and get it done and no guess work. In your case, I would however spring for Taiho.

Yep. Maybe if you own the same vehicle for decades you can finally figure out who is the OEM manufacturer for just about every part. Until then, just have to rely on the lived experience of others inc people here on Mud.

I'm a big rockauto fan, but sadly these toyota diesels were not sold in the US so I don't have the option to get engine parts there, which very often works out to be one of the most affordable places to shop.

 

[FJBen]

Oh yeah I know, I’m in the US as well.

have you usedWww.partsouq.com

put your VIN in and search away. They also sometimes have substitutes that aren’t oem.

here is still the best place for info.

 

[badman9]

Oh yeah I know, I’m in the US as well.

have you usedWww.partsouq.com

put your VIN in and search away. They also sometimes have substitutes that aren’t oem.

here is still the best place for info.

Yeah man, been heavily relying on partsouq. Can get lost in there for hours lol

Actually HAD to order the valve guides from them because nowhere in the country including Toyota Jamaica had any in stock, so I'm going to be waiting a while without the vehicle.

I actually tracked down the Taiho much cheaper from https://magengines.com/ . The site isn't quite as intuitive as partsouq but i've seen them around on ebay etc for a few years, plus they ship directly to jamaica via fedex unlike partsouq (I have to send to Miami and then a forwarding company sends it on to Jamaica).

So many different shipments to get everything together into one place. Crazy times.

 

[TurboDennis]

Im not sure if this applies to 1KZ, but Toyota bearings are superior to anything else out there for engines that came in the 80 series. The reason is that the "stock" size actually comes in 5 different sizes. Meaning that you can dial in the clearances to be just PERFECT. As far as i know, all aftermarket options like ACL, Taiho, etc, come in "one size fits all".

This only applies to "stock" sized bearings. When you go to undersized bearings, then the bearing set is all the same size, even Toyota ones.

 

[badman9]

Well just to update you all, I thought it all through (overthought no doubt) and ended up going with the Taiho bearings. I will have to have them shipped from UAE to Jamaica, so that will be at least a week and a half, but i'm waiting on other parts to be shipped in anyway.
I figured I have gotten so far, so I may as well change the thrust washers, but I had to order those elsewhere, so that is another shipment along with some other goodies (random seals, gaskets etc and a 71 degree thermostat which I've wanted to try for years).

All of this extra work on the vehicle means i'll be carless for a few weeks, but I guess it has to be done.

Thanks for all the help as always

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

Well just to update you all, I thought it all through (overthought no doubt) and ended up going with the Taiho bearings. I will have to have them shipped from UAE to Jamaica, so that will be at least a week and a half, but i'm waiting on other parts to be shipped in anyway.
I figured I have gotten so far, so I may as well change the thrust washers, but I had to order those elsewhere, so that is another shipment along with some other goodies (random seals, gaskets etc and a 71 degree thermostat which I've wanted to try for years).

All of this extra work on the vehicle means i'll be carless for a few weeks, but I guess it has to be done.

Thanks for all the help as always

I've bought a number of things from magengines over the years also. Good luck with everything!

 

[badman9]

Just an update,

So my conrod and main bearings shipped and are on the way to me, but my thrust washers and valve guides are now stuck in Dubai until the end of april because of a government mandated national shutdown..... I can find the thrust washers in the US or locally if I have to, but the valve guides are nowhere to be found in either. Toyota Jamaica said 4 weeks minimum to special order the valve guides as well. Ugh

I think i am going to be vehicle-less for a long time.......

 

[badman9]

Just to update you all, I'm still knee deep in this rebuild..... Every time I think i'm done, there is something else I need and somehow nowhere seems to have the parts in stock locally.

After we put the engine back together, I was getting bad fuel knock. We changed the injector nozzles/tips (which were in a bad way) but same problem. We noticed a small crack on the injector overflow/return line, but none were in stock anywhere in Jamaica...... Had to order that from UAE as well, so that was another 3 weeks of waiting to get that, and STILL fuel knock. We went through all of the pump/injection electronics/electricals and all of those seem fine.

A friend of mine with a 90 Prado 1KZ just dropped his to the same mechanic to rebuild, and we decided to try his injectors in mine to see if it made a difference, but still knock....
We did discover something alarming in mine though, which was that the tops (as in the injector side) of the pre-combustion chambers seem excessively worn in mine, almost like a gaping hole, likely from the low quality diesel that is sold here and the relatively high mileage. So, the search began for these pre-combustion chambers, and as usual, no one had them in stock.

Eventually found one place with the precups in stock... at $130US each x 4, which is the same cost of an aftermarket head which has them already installed. I decided to just get the aftermarket head, since I won't have to worry about the removal and reinstallation of the chambers going wrong at the machine shop. It still means that we need to pull my head and move the valvetrain over though, and that means more time.... and more money......

After all of this is done, presumably i'll have a spare head lying around, but this rebuild has been MUCH harder than I anticipated it to be, and I thought I had planned out all of the details. I guess my biggest issue has been the lack of parts availability locally, which is becoming more of a problem as the 1kz gets older. I was able to find precups for 1hz/1hd no problem, but no love for the 1kz despite many vehicles being sold here both new and import with that engine in the 90s and early 00s.

I'll let you know when it is all done, but I think I might cry if the new head doesn't solve my problems after all of this. I've been without the vehicle since March, and my wife's Subaru Forester has seen some bad roads and trails based on my need to get out and about on the weekend, so I may well find myself doing suspension work on that when it is all done.

Thanks again for all of the help offered so far!