Timing belt and water pump parts confusion - so many choices

karen weaver · Post by **karen weaver** » 06 Jul 2016, 10:51

I have a 2003 V70 2.4T wagon. I need to provide a timing belt and apparently a water pump.I this quest I have been assured OEM is identical to genuine Volvo parts. The more I research the more confused I become. What is the difference btwn OE and OEM? Which should I buy?
1) Volvo parts dealer said I didn't need to change the pump. Was told they rarely go bad. Others disagree

2) re parts:

Timing Belt Kit: Pease correct me if I am wrong-

the kit contains parts from different manufacturers (belt, pully etc). I also have heard certain manufacturers are better at making certain parts. Does this mean I need to piecemeal the parts to CREATE a good kit or can I trust just buying a pre fab kit that is OEM. For example, the Genuine Volvo belt is marked "Sweden". Who makes this belt? There is also something that is made in france. WHat is it and who makes it? Etc, etc.

here are the OEM timing kits I have heard of:

AISIN
CONTINENTAL
HEPU
GRAS
MOOG (?)

Have heard criticisms abt HEPU pumps. Does this mean I shold avoid whatever part the stick in the TB kit? If so it seems like I am back to piece mealing the entire kit.

Water pumps -

Thus far the only information I have re OEM ia abt GRAS. Any feedback out there on this co's water pump? Any recommendations? Also, have heard that only the Genuine parts come with replacement screws/bolts and that they are packed w/silicone. Is it important to heve this or can I just use the old one's? Do they need the silicone?

Also - re antifreeze - do I need to use Volvo or can I buy generic? I have been told this is important for some car manufacturers.

So, the crux is I need someone to tell me what they would do if they had to buy a timing belt kit. Also, do I need a pum. If so, from who?

Thanks a ton.

Post by **oragex** » 06 Jul 2016, 13:13

karen weaver wrote:I have a 2003 V70 2.4T wagon. I need to provide a timing belt and apparently a water pump.I this quest I have been assured OEM is identical to genuine Volvo parts. The more I research the more confused I become. What is the difference btwn OE and OEM? Which should I buy?
1) Volvo parts dealer said I didn't need to change the pump. Was told they rarely go bad. Others disagree

.

You forgot to tell us an important information: the miles on the car

Volvo dealer is one of the few who are eager to make money on parts/repairs they sell. When they say we usually don't replace this part, take it as it comes like from the US Constitution

I'd suggest, take a look and search on this forum. This kind of questioning is perhaps the most common, the answer has been given countless times with plenty of details, you will have to write down all suggestions and see which one makes more sense.

Also, welcome to the forum, and keep coming back. You will be surprised how much money you,d be saving at the end of the day with the help provided here.

Post by **F250** » 06 Jul 2016, 17:03

I just went through these same issues and am just now coming out from the efforts. My situation, though included a complete PCV system replacement and dropping the oil pan to unplug the PCV oil drain port, new plugs & filters, new radiator hoses, etc.

FCP has an "OEM Timing Belt Kit which includes an Volvo stamped water pump, but the Aisin water pump is the exact same as the Volvo pump without the Volvo casting label. You can reuse the old bolts, but I personally do nt like to do that. If you DO use the old bolts, get a die to clean up the bolt threads and give them a light film of blue loctite when re-installing.

If you don't use Volvo coolant, use the Zerex-G05 which is the exact same specification.

The OEM timing belt is a Continental. Recommended.

While you're in there, consider a close examination of your cam seals, crank seal, VVT cam hubs (if yours is VVT), your serpentine belt, serpentine tensioner, and look over your radiator hoses carefully.

If you notice oil pooled on top of your cam cover (in the small pockets around your plug coils), it is most likely from either the PCV hose leaking (to the left of the oil filler tube) or the rubber seal in the oil fill cap being hardened from long term heat exposure. These two oil leak potentials can look like cam seal leaks because they pool and drift over to the front of the engine (where timing components are located) and then drizzle down an open slot in the cam cover ridge right above your exhaust cam. Get a new seal anyway because they are only about $6 and do need periodic replacement. That PCV vent hose is a bugger to remove and replace unless you pull the intake manifold, and then you might as well do a thorough job of cleaning your throttle body!

Depending on your mileage, new plugs may be a good thing to do as well Again, I will stick with Volvo plugs even though some seem to have had decent experience with some of the non-OEM plugs -- I err on the side of caution!

I would also consider changing the fuel filter, oil & filter and intake air filter, and if your flushing the coolant, might just be a good proactive step to replace the radiator hoses anyway.

Almost forgot... TASCA parts is a great place to get reduced prices on genuine OEM parts (if you have time to wait for shipping).

As you can see, I'm REALLY big on proactive repairs as a HUGE step towards avoiding being stranded somewhere. After all, things only break while they are being used!

Post by **jonesg** » 06 Jul 2016, 17:56

I did mine a few weeks ago, 2004 v70 was new to me so i did the lot.
Aisin is the mfger for OEM volvo water pump, get the continental timing belt kit with tensioner, I ordered it from fCP.
Pump came with new bolts, torque was very low i recall something like 10 foot lbs,
Also... get a service book , I think mine came from IPD.
Watch some youtube vids to get familiar, its not too bad a project.
if you're near boston can help.

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 06 Jul 2016, 22:58

I agree on all that is stated here...sort of heavy on the PCV issue but that's to be expected. We've had many members post lately that this system was clogged up causing them significant headaches including a rear main seal leak (that's the expensive one that requires the engine and the transmission being pulled apart). However, no one said how to test it- so here it goes...take the oil filler cap off and put a latex glove on it...start your car and let it warm up...hit the gas pedal a bit (not too hard)...see if the glove inflates or gets sucked down. You want it to suck the glove in- if it gets blown up, then you have a PCV system that's clogged and it needs attention. Anyway, the timing belt interval is a great time to check the PCV...while you have your belt off, check the cam seals...if they are weeping with oil, I'd change them while the belt is off. In regards to the kit- I agree that the Continental kit is a good one to get from FCP. You can price everything separately but we just did this on my son's '07 S60 and the kit was cheaper than the parts separately. INA is the OEM brand for the Volvo roller (and tensioner I believe) and Continental makes the belt. Otherwise Aisin (as mentioned) makes the Volvo water pump- the only difference is that because of trade mark/marketing issues, Aisin has to scrape of their name when Volvo sells it as their own. If you do the water pump make sure to get all the old gasket off but be careful not to scratch the surface...I reused the bolts, but many kits come with new bolts with a silicone covering so that they seal up around the bolts too... Other than this, just take your time- don't rush the timing belt replacement- better to be sure than sorry- post back if you have any questions, even while doing the job! An afterthought, Zerex coolant is best if you don't use Volvo's but really, any of the fluorescent green coolant (none of that orange or pink yuk) is fine- main thing is use distilled water and not tap water to mix with it unless you buy it already mixed. The bottle should tell you if it's okay with aluminum engines- if it is, then it is...

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 06 Jul 2016, 22:59

Answering your first question- OE is Original Equipment (the real thing), OEM is Original Equipment Manufacturer (doesn't mean that the particular part you're going to buy is OE from them- just that they have supplied OE parts to the manufacturer)...at least that's my take on these terms.

Post by **F250** » 07 Jul 2016, 09:51

MadeInJapan wrote:Answering your first question- OE is Original Equipment (the real thing), OEM is Original Equipment Manufacturer (doesn't mean that the particular part you're going to buy is OE from them- just that they have supplied OE parts to the manufacturer)...at least that's my take on these terms.

Just add a tad bit more info to the nomenclature issue...

OE "Equivalent" is DEFINITELY not the same as OE, and that's where you can end up in a dicey situation with inferior parts when you get "equivalent" components... not always, but certainly a lot of times.

RE the PCV "glove test", it's so simple it's scary. I got pulled into the complete PCV system replacement due to the fact that our local shop tried to tell me that my daughter's oil loss was due to needing a new turbocharger, and they obviously either did not know or did not bother with the glove test to properly diagnose the car's problem. The turbo is fine.

FCPEURO · Post by **FCPEURO** » 08 Jul 2016, 11:20

Hi Karen,

We have the OE Continental kit with INA (Also original supplier) tensioner and idler.
You can find it here: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... it331a-oem

As far as the water pump, AISIN is the original supplier.
You can find it on our site here: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... -engines-1

If you have any additional questions please feel free to reach out to me personally at [email protected]