GMB vs Koyo timing belt tensioners

[bamx2]

I ham shopping for a timing belt kit for a Honda (Acura). Is there any signficant difference in quality between the GMB Japan and Koyo Japan tensioners/roller ? -Than

 

[SpatiallyAware]

I believe they're both suppliers to OEM honda, but koyo is in my opinion a stronger brand. That doesn't mean it's better for your application.

Year/make/model??? Tough to even start to answer this or any other garage question without that info.

 

[bamx2]

Acura TL 3.2 V6

I believe they're both suppliers to OEM honda, but koyo is in my opinion a stronger brand. That doesn't mean it's better for your application.

Year/make/model??? Tough to even start to answer this or any other garage question without that info.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Year????

The 3.2 was used from ~98 to ~08 across three different engine platforms.

 

[Meghan54]

Koyo. Having had first-hand experience with that company, I'd much more trust what comes out of their factories than GMB's factories.

Wife worked in one of the original Torrington Bearing factories....Torrington being the company that invented the drawn cup tapered needle roller bearing. Torrington got bought by Ingersoll Rand years upon years ago. The Torrington group was then purchased by Timken, once IR got what it wanted from Torrington, a transfer of some of its tech. Once Timken got the manufacturing technology it wanted from the Torrington group, it then sold it to Koyo.

Quality control varied by ownership...Torrington was fairly well obsessed with it, IR less so, Timken was at least as obsessed as Torrington, and Koyo is even more so than Timken. But given Koyo is a subsidary of the group/family that owns Toyota, kinda makes sense.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Hm, interesting info meghan.


OP: Most car people use gates timing belt kits. I've read before that gates uses the exact OEM parts that honda uses. I know that there are 5 or 6 parts total that you need... belt, tensioners(s), water pump, possibly idler pulley so research what's involved and make sure the kit comes with everything.

Also read on forums... A lot of the time it's a huge pain to change your PCV, but you have to pull it off when changing timing belt. It's a $10 part, so well worth it to change it while you have everything apart.

 

[IHAVEAQUESTION]

I am actually considering about doing the timing belt myself on my Accord. However, after watching a few videos of it...i decided maybe hiring someone else to do the job isn't so bad an idea.

 

[Jimzz]

I've used Gates, GMB, goodyear, and many others and never had any problem with any of their timing belt kits. Only returned 1 kit as 1 bearing did not feel right when I spun it. Might have been ok but did not chance it. Never had any others go bad.

Biggest issues I have seen from other techs is not putting sealant on bolts that go through oil lines or over tightening the bolts on the tensioner or if its not a auto tensioned then over tightening the belt.