Timing belt/water pump consequences

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J

JackStraw

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Hello all, first post here... I've been lurking here for awhile and learned a ton just by reading! Now I have noob question
In the market for a 05/06 GX and I have come to realize from the sage advice here that having the TB/WP done prior to purchase is a big plus, which makes a lot of sense - let the previous owner pay the $800-1k...
The question is if I buy one without the TB/WP done - what happens if one or the other/both fail after having bought it? Will I just need have the repair done at that time, or will a failure cause other damage to the vehicle, potentially causing it to explode and kill my entire family? While I'm certainly exaggerating here some here do make it seem life or death that this maintenance must be done... I've seen many on the market with 130k-190k miles with no mention/proof that it has been done - so is a failure while I own it catastrophic or does it just put me out of commission while the repair is done?
Thanks in advance!
 
I believe the GX has an interference engine. Which means valves hit the pistons if the belt breaks. So no, it might not blow up and kill your family but it will probably be the end of your motor and an expensive fix.
 
If the water pump fails, it'll likely start by leaking through the weep hole. As long as you catch it before the motor overheats, it should be fine.

If you have a catastrophic timing belt failure, the engine may be gone. The 2UZ-FE is an interference motor so you will probably have piston/valve contact. I have yet to see a case of a timing belt failing (mine was done 15k+ miles past the 90k interval), but I'm pretty cautious when it comes to that sort of thing so I would want to replace it as soon as possible.

I generally DIY; when my timing belt was done, I also bought a new water pump, idler pulleys, tensioner, alternator, and radiator. The alternators have a habit of failing somewhere past 110k and it sits inside the 'V' of the engine, so it is much easier to get to when you have the timing covers off for the timing belt. Radiators have a tendency to start leaking around that same timeframe, so I preemptively bought a Koyo to prevent that.

You can use the Lexus drivers service history tool to check on dealer-reported services, btw.
 
JLee said:
If the water pump fails, it'll likely start by leaking through the weep hole. As long as you catch it before the motor overheats, it should be fine.

If you have a catastrophic timing belt failure, the engine may be gone. The 2UZ-FE is an interference motor so you will probably have piston/valve contact. I have yet to see a case of a timing belt failing (mine was done 15k+ miles past the 90k interval), but I'm pretty cautious when it comes to that sort of thing so I would want to replace it as soon as possible.

I generally DIY; when my timing belt was done, I also bought a new water pump, idler pulleys, tensioner, alternator, and radiator. The alternators have a habit of failing somewhere past 110k and it sits inside the 'V' of the engine, so it is much easier to get to when you have the timing covers off for the timing belt. Radiators have a tendency to start leaking around that same timeframe, so I preemptively bought a Koyo to prevent that.

You can use the Lexus drivers service history tool to check on dealer-reported services, btw.
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on the bolded part don't you mean the starter? pretty sure the alternator is in the normal position
 
wrmathis said:
on the bolded part don't you mean the starter? pretty sure the alternator is in the normal position
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I could be mistaken - I was out of town and my buddy installed it for me since he was borrowing the truck. I remember reading on mud about how the alternator is a PITA, so I bought a new one while everything was apart.
 
My brother went 230K on the stock timing belt on his 2000 Tundra 4.7 and then finally replaced everything(belt didn't break). I'm planning on doing mine every 120K with the spark plugs and do the Water pump, pulleys/idler, tensioner, and at 240K do the starter as preventative maintenance, which is the hard one to get to(not the alternator).

So cal truck.
 
Alternator is a little tough to get at, but the starter is the real PIA as it is in the "V". Quite a bit has to come off to access it / replace it.
 
Ok a couple things here, not all 2uz motors are interference motors, pre vvti motors are non-interference, and vvti motors are very close to being interference and not advised to gamble but still technically classified as a non-interference. Your water pump will almost always go out before the belt will wear out, I have never heard of a belt breaking before a water pump failure(stock for stock) so 03/04 models are good to gamble if you so choose(I do) and 05-09 how lucky do you really feel...

As far as the alternator, it's down low on the right side up front, and yes it's kinda tricky to get out, but can be done if your good at Tetris. The starter is the one that's down in the valley up top at the back, it's really not that bad though. It's just a lot of little steps, remove the intake and fuel rails... It's really not hard just a lot longer and greater number of steps or sequences to get to it. If you an do one, you can do the other.

Back to the timing belt, I have 160+ on mine and it's still on the stock belt and pump. I have no plans of changing until the pump starts leaking and leaving me puddles in the driveway.
 
I had my TB and WP done at 101k. Mechanic said it was still in good condition but it was good preventative maintenance to do it within the recommended intervals.
 
The Great Him said:
Ok a couple things here, not all 2uz motors are interference motors, pre vvti motors are non-interference, and vvti motors are very close to being interference and not advised to gamble but still technically classified as a non-interference. Your water pump will almost always go out before the belt will wear out, I have never heard of a belt breaking before a water pump failure(stock for stock) so 03/04 models are good to gamble if you so choose(I do) and 05-09 how lucky do you really feel...

As far as the alternator, it's down low on the right side up front, and yes it's kinda tricky to get out, but can be done if your good at Tetris. The starter is the one that's down in the valley up top at the back, it's really not that bad though. It's just a lot of little steps, remove the intake and fuel rails... It's really not hard just a lot longer and greater number of steps or sequences to get to it. If you an do one, you can do the other.

Back to the timing belt, I have 160+ on mine and it's still on the stock belt and pump. I have no plans of changing until the pump starts leaking and leaving me puddles in the driveway.
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Mine was done at 90k, but I'm in the the same mindset as you. I'm not replacing it until the water pump leaks. I'll also probably replace it before I sell it if that happens. It's still not due time or mileage wise for quite some time though.
 
I am going to do my WP, TB, starter, and manifolds next year. Ounce of prevention > pound of cure.
 
If you plan to wheel your rig and not just in an OHV park where you could get help easily and tow it then fine gamble.
But for me I like to enjoy my vacations and offroad adventures so I don't want to be fixing a belt on the trail because it decided to go out I'd rather change it on my terms and not be stranded or ruin a vacation. Things don't break when it's convenient.
 
When I was looking for a GX, finding one with the timing belt done was non existent. There were plenty out there though. I looked for one that was in the best condition and bought that one, knowing that I had to shell out the dough. Getting mine done next week. $1300 and change at my local Toyota dealer but that includes timing belt, water pump, tensioner and seals. Best part, done in 4 hours. Having it done gives me peace of mind. By the way, I have 144,000 miles on mine. Again, I haven't heard of one breaking but I don't want to be the first.
I had a Lexus ES300 that had 240,000 miles, original timing belt and water pump. Still ran like a top. kind of miss that car....
 
kbahus said:
For anyone interested the full Aisin timing belt kit with water pump is on Amazon Prime for $172. Seems like a good deal on quality parts.
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Yep. That's your best bet. TKT-021 (Aisin pump, Mitsuboshi belt - yes, that's spelled correctly-, Koyo bearings, NTN tensioner, and a metal/rubber pump gasket....all just like you'd buy at the dealership.) And, although I, too, am unaware of a 100 series or GX 2UZ t-belt failure, it has happened many times on the Sequoia/Tundra 2UZ. I've still been able to find out how the two engines are different, but they are, however slightly.

Like was said above, on a vvti engine, I wouldn't roll the dice. For that matter, on a non-vvti engine, I still wouldn't roll the dice. Plenty of people still say BOTH are interference engines, and having to do this only every 90k isn't really that big of a hassle......
 
I am buying parts to do the gaskets (including oil pan), starter, timing belt, water pump, and exhaust manifolds in 2017. Plan ahead get parts, then you are only in for labor (or can save up for that too). Makes it a lot easier.
 
This is definitely an interference engine. I just installed the TKT-021 a week ago. Good quality kit. If your belt breaks at lows RPMs you stand a chance of no damage. If it breaks at high RPMs your engine is toast. My truck has 251K miles and the belt was last done at 104K miles. Changed for peace of mind. Sure the belt "looked" good. Looks are deceiving. I also used super long life coolant and got all of the green stuff out that the PO had installed. Also bought the Schley 64600 crank pulley holding tool. Best $60 I've spent lately. You can save $900 doing the belt yourself. So the money for the tool doesn't sound too bad.
 
Okay, it didn't cost that much...saved some money.....only cost me $1149. And it took a day and a half but it's done!
 
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