98 V70 T5 Anyone tried this timing belt kit?

[850n00b]

I used the Beck Arnley Kit last year, I purchased from Rock Auto for about the same price. 15K and no issues so far.

I got the same BA kit from Rock Auto for my 850. I've got about 30k on it. Mine game with the gates timing belt and AISIN tensioners/pulleys. Love when they have the dealer closeouts as well. I got the kit for under $40.

Wow, that's the deal of the decade! I thought I scored with an "open box" unit from an Amazon reseller for $94. Glad to hear yours is doing well. I'm on my first long trip with the new belt and water pump and so far everything is working out great. Knock on wood.

I've already done two trips to Reno from Seattle since my TBelt change, and numerous trips to Eastern Oregon. I've learned from my old Mazda days that Beck Arnley routinely rebox OEM items. I also picked up some reboxed Brembo Rotors and Axxis Metal Master pads for the 850 for the price of one regularly priced brembo rotor. You can filter so you only see closeout/sale priced items for your cars. Click on the RSS feed icon, follow the instructions

[Redneck]

Here someone used an Amazon kit for their timing belt job and how it worked out:

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... 1&p=359388

Water pump failed, timing belt loose. Car stranded on a highway with possibly bent valves. That car is probably totalled because it won't be economical to fix the valves.

Saving $100-200 on OEM parts may cost the entire car plus cost of another car to replace it not to mention being stranded somewhere paying for towing and all the headache and trouble.

Im so happy I overpaid for all my OEM parts for timing belt components, evaporator, suspension, axle boots, radiator etc.. At least I know I'm driving a Volvo, not Hepu:)

[DragosGD]

Im so happy I overpaid for all my OEM parts for timing belt components, evaporator, suspension, axle boots, radiator etc.. At least I know I'm driving a Volvo, not Hepu:)

Some healthy thinking right here !!!

[precopster]

@Redneck actually you're driving an Aisin. 8-)8-)

I just bought a GMB water pump for my wife's 2002 XC70 because of what I've read on this forum about unbranded water pumps. Made in Thailand the GMBs look good and the company making them has a solid reputation.

[clifford06]

Greetings. Well , being the person mentioned about that "stalled on freeway " here's my opinion. I used the Gates kits because that's the belt brand the city bus company I drive for uses. It was a familiar brand I trusted. So yes, check all components of kits. The big brand name is often used to get your attention. Inferior parts are added to complete kit. I had it installed shortly after my purchase of car. 20K miles ago. Please use my "rookie Volvo " knowledge at that time to avoid headache for yourself.

[precopster]

@clifford06 look on the bright side; your noted experience here may help hundreds or even thousands of other Volvo owners to avoid the same fate.

Often we only hear of unbranded pumps causing these problems but we don't know the brand of kit involved because it was fitted by a previous owner.

I saw an unbranded pump at an indie repairer whose impeller was scraping the internal water passage (of course belt had skipped teeth and engine was damaged) and it was an unbranded one without manufacturer stamp.

The Aisins seem to be the only pump that will outlast the timing kit and go on to the next cycle. Sure they may develop a coolant leak after 180+k miles however their failure is never catastrophic.

[Carboncopy]

The Gates timing belt kit I got through Napa was mostly OEM parts. Both the tensioner and idler pulleys in the kit were Ina. Only thing not OEM was the belt (my kit did not come with a water pump however).

[songzunhuang]

My timing belt kit had INA parts as well. I got an Aisin pump separately. The hydraulic tensioner was the only thing in question. It didn't really have any markings on it to suggest a manufacturer. It did come in a box marked "Made in Taiwan". Well, I'm from Taiwan, so I'll give it a pass for now. LOL. So far it's been several months and thousands of miles. Everything is still looking good. I check it often.

[Redneck]

@precopster, as you know AISIN has been chosen by Volvo as a supplier.

INA parts are good too. INA is a German company. They make many alternator and starter components that go into Bosch alternator and starter motor. I used them to rebuild my starter and alternator. I only buy the best. I wouldn't be surprised if INA was Bosch supplier for subcomponents. Made in Germany is better than made in USA and just as good as made in Japan:)

[precopster]

Actually there are no German made water pumps for Volvo other than Hepu because all other brands of kit use unbranded water pumps including Bosch timing kits. Gates timing kits have been reported in this thread as using INA tensioners and idlers which are OEM