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Don't buy cheap crap.

 

Gates belts kits were good , but I hear people saying they've gone to including lesser quality bearings , so do check. Bearings should be NTN or another well made brand.

 

Take some time and read archived posts.

It's the best policy to replace all seals and other items like the water pump. You can typically reseal the oil pump and you're good.

 

Also the small elbow shaped hose coming off the water pump - bypass hose - spend the $8 and get that along with good hose clamps. Thermostat and gasket there too.

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The Gates kit I bought for my wife's XT had a Chinese water pump. I was very disappointed and did not install it. I think, may be wrong, Aisin is a factory water pump. All the components in the Aisin kit were made in Japan if my memory is correct, this was a few months ago. I used an Aisin kit on my daughter's 2010 Impreza. Will install an Aisin kit on the EJ22 I am putting in my Brat. I'll probably get it from Rockauto also along with seals and gaskets. 

Edited by bratman2
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thank you guys for suggestions. Not sure if the kit also includes drive belt or I need to order it separately. Mine is in really bad shape and ot one place I see holes in it so need to replace it ASAP (which brand you recommend of so?)

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The Gates kit I bought for my wife's XT had a Chinese water pump. I was very disappointed and did not install it. 

 

Yeah, I just bough a 2001 Outback limited for $400 because the gates belt failed and bent all 16 valves.

 

Cheap waterpump was leaking from the paper gaskets, but all the idlers where still spinning.  Belt just plain broke for no reason.

 

Of course the car has 240k miles, so who knows how long it's been on there.  Couldn't be TOO many miles as the marks and "gates" label are all still visible.

 

DO NOT use Gates kits.

 

FWIW, I don't ussually replace the tensioner unless it shows signs of roughness in the roller, or the hydraulic fails.  If I do replace it, I use NTN oem as well.

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We stopped using Gates stuff about three years ago due to quality and country of origin concerns. They tried to "redesign" the tensioner and made a completely new unit (made in Canada they claimed), but it knocked like a rod bearing on startup and after my video of it knocking got plastered all over Facebook they pulled it from the market.

 

I've seen at least two of their timing belts break before 100k.

 

We use exclusively Mitsuboshi timing belts. Aisin water pumps, NTN, KOYO, NSK rollers and tensioner.

 

GD

Edited by GeneralDisorder
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