Timing belt kit advice. Ebay or ECS

[tonyloban]

Going to do my timing belt. I'm also going to be doing a valve adjustment, so any and all advice is welcome. Any advice on what kit to buy?

The ebay kit doesn't come with a tensioner bolt, only spring. No idea what that's for or if it's even necessary to replace. The ECS kit doesn't come with a crankshaft seal or a valve cover gasket.

EBAY $102:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/8pc-Timing-Belt-Kit-w-Water-Pump-Tensioner-Thermostat-Seals-for-BMW-325i-is-/281632217665?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4192969a41&vxp=mtr

ESC Tuning $136:

http://www.ecstuning.com/News/BMW_E30_325E_M20_TIMING_BELT_KITS/ES260767/

[Hooffenstein HD]

I'd go with the eBay kit but if it comes with the pictured tensioner I would file a claim and get some money back. The listing says INA tensioner but the one in the picture is garbage and should be avoided at all costs.

[tonyloban]

.

[tonyloban]

I'd go with the eBay kit but if it comes with the pictured tensioner I would file a claim and get some money back. The listing says INA tensioner but the one in the picture is garbage and should be avoided at all costs.

Well I wouldn't want to put that on if it's garbage. On pelican parts, their INA tensioner looks the same. What is the one in the picture? What's the difference?

[Hooffenstein HD]

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showpost.php?p=3897456&postcount=15

[tonyloban]

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...6&postcount=15

I see now. Thanks! What about the missing tensioner bolt. Is that a problem?

[Klug]

You should replace the bolt and spring while you are in there. I always feel that when replacing a timing belt- to replace everything with new parts.

You don't want anything to fail.

[digger]

i would not use a cheap tensioner, i go for the genuine one.

[tonyloban]

Oh definitely. I didn't even know they have different ones until now. I ordered the parts off ecs and built my own kit.

[digger]

i also build my own kits especially when there are critical parts involved otherwise it can be a false economy

[estoguy]

Get a Conti belt/tensioner kit.

[AndrewBird]

Whatever water pump you get, make sure it doesn't have either a plastic impeller or a stamped steel one. You want a cast one. The others are know to fail.

[agent]

IIRC the Geba branded WPs have cast impellers and the Graf branded ones have tack-welded stamped steel.