Tried to save $50 on a timing belt kit for a Honda Accord and it cost me a whole Saturday

Got a cheap kit online, not the OEM or even a known brand like Gates. The tensioner failed after about 200 miles, skipped timing, and bent a valve. Had to pull the head again on my day off. Anyone know a reliable supplier for Japanese parts that won't wreck a weekend?

3 comments

3 Comments

uma_webb288d ago

Honestly, that's just bad luck and not the part's fault. Plenty of people run those budget kits for years without a single hiccup. You probably just got a one-off dud from a batch that slipped past quality control. Sometimes you gotta risk it for the biscuit, and most of the time it works out fine.

betty_white397d ago

Hate to see that happen... timing components are one area where the gamble really isn't worth it. Those cheap tensioners often have weak springs or poor bearings from the start. It's not just bad luck, it's a known weak spot in the budget kits.

mark_cooper8d ago

Man, that's a brutal way to lose a Saturday. I've been there, staring at a project that should be done, knowing you have to start over because a cheap part let go. It's the worst kind of feeling, especially when it's on your own time. That gamble on the fifty bucks just never seems to pay off when it comes to critical engine parts. Solidarity, it's a hard lesson a lot of us learn the hard way.