Timing belt AISIN or Gates
Get a Gates belt. They are the best and timing belt is no place to cheap out.
Gates is the only aftermarket brand I'd trust; certainly don't go store-brand (autozone, etc).
The pump and belt are good. All else in the kit is chinese parts. Been working fine for a year plus for me. I upgraded to the race belt for extra longevity.
I just completed this on my '13 a few weeks back at 68,000. Belt was still in good condition but as others noted, thats not the only point of failure and my roller bearings had some excessive play so I am glad I did it given the risk of letting it go.
I used a Gates timing belt and some other parts from an ECC kit (new water pump, tensioner, etc.) The timing belt looks tight and normal still
I don't have a problem with Gates. I install lots of those without problem so I went with one on my Z32
I would just buy the Aisin timing belt kit TKT-031 and then seals from the dealership (or an online Lexus/Toyota OE website)
The Aisin kit will have OE parts, where as other brands probably won't (Dayco definitely not, Continental is a mixed bag)
Nothing is really hard at all to work on with the UZ series V8s. They're not even that expensive either - a complete Aisin timing belt kit with a new Aisin water pump, Japanese idler pulleys, new tensioner and Japanese belt costs less than the Dayco kit from Autozone.
i got the gates racing timing belt. have had no complaints about the belt. other than it squeaking at first and making me think something was wrong.
Bumping this necro-thread to add my review for anyone searching the archives. Bought the ultimate plus with Gates belt kit. Car started rattling like a diesel last night. Quick inspection shows a loose timing belt, hydraulic fluid everywhere and a dead tensioner. Total mileage since install 28,225 and less than two years (21 months). I was lucky to have caught it before it jumped teeth and pistons met valve train. Just wanted to caution people to pay attention to the warning signs. If your car sounds like a diesel or a spray bomb being shaken, take a quick look under the timing belt cover and replace what you need to before driving any further...
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