Not sure about that. Honda dealers list Mitsoboshi belts in their catalogs as the current oe replacement belt. You did say the replacement mitsoboshi is not as well made as the original mitsoboshi and you offer up the unita as the answer.. Cornfused
Gates timing belt kit, opinions?
- Thread starter jhs914
- Start date
That is not correct. Honda specs part# 14400-RCA-A01 for almost all of the J-Series V6 (with the exception of the last few model years with DI). This belt has always been made by Gates Unitta.
I have done quite a few J35 in the past, I used OE stuff inc bolts from the dealer in town, 25% off and he drops it on my door at 9am the next day.
Subaru I have done with Aisin but the dealer here is cheaper and also same day on the door so now OE only. I really like using OE stuff, the quality is hard to match at the same price, there are a few exceptions eg Moog parts are generally total junk but they do sell the occasional off beat part like an adjustable lateral link that is made by Pro Forge in Taiwan that is good quality and the OE does not make an adjustable lateral link.
Subaru I have done with Aisin but the dealer here is cheaper and also same day on the door so now OE only. I really like using OE stuff, the quality is hard to match at the same price, there are a few exceptions eg Moog parts are generally total junk but they do sell the occasional off beat part like an adjustable lateral link that is made by Pro Forge in Taiwan that is good quality and the OE does not make an adjustable lateral link.
I will not argue this since it is an incidental side issue to your original comment/response. So once more: how is a replacement Mitsuboshi belt inferior to an OE Misuboshi TB factory installed belt as you originally stated? Not being argumentative but trying to find out from a knowledgeable pro tech
I don't think anyone here is concerned about the belts in the kits. It's literally everything else in the kit that people are questioning the quality of.
When my ASE Toyota mechanic friend recommended the DAYCO kit from PEP BOYS for my sons 96 Corolla I did a bit of head scratching. The w/p was an AISIN brand WITH the cover (those that have done the 1.8 Yota w/p know what this is). The tensioner had Timken bearings, so that was a plus. And all of the seals and grommets were made by VICTOR REINZ. The only parts that were DAYCO were the tension pulley wheel, bypass hose, and belt. Go figure.
Show me where I said the original timing belt is a Mitsuboshi? I stand by my comment that the belt included in the Aisin kit is subjectively inferior to the ones sold by Honda. Hold both in your hand and you’ll see. With that said, the included belt seems to work fine for the full service interval.
My mistake. I inferred from your comment where you said the Aisin supplied TB (Mitsuboshi) is inferior to the Honda OE replacement TB (Yamata)
The kicker is that all this parts sourcing can change with the wind. In a way, it's galling.
I used Gates hoses as my go to and a Gates timing kit years ago which were made in Canada. I do not know anything about Canadian manufacturing but it made me feel good. The last time I ordered a Gates serpentine refreshment kit from RockAuto it came in an odd tray which had been opened and consisted of nameless parts the tensioner of which didn't actuate. Note: RA refunded quickly and without guff....but who needs this nonsense.
Last edited:
I think my OE HiondaTB was Mitsoboshi since it’s an ‘08. Looks identical in every way to the new one I put in about a month ago. The serp belt is Mitsoboshi from Honda and it looks very robust compared to aftermarket
The Continental Pro kits use Aisin pumps and look like Koyo bearings, based on the pics on Rockauto. Basically an Aisin kit except with a Contitech belt instead of Mitsuboshi. But they are about $50 more expensive than the Aisin kits.
Just for anyone who enjoys the market research: I happened to install an Aisin TKH-002 kit in a Pilot this afternoon and can report the following:
Box label stated "Assembled in USA"
Idler and Tensioner pulleys were Koyo from Japan
Hydraulic tensioner was ink stamped "Aisin"
Water pump had Aisin Japan cast in
Belt was a Mitsuboshi from Thailand
I also came across this poll from a Pilot owners forum: The Best Timing Belt Water Pump Kit
The Aisin won handily.
Box label stated "Assembled in USA"
Idler and Tensioner pulleys were Koyo from Japan
Hydraulic tensioner was ink stamped "Aisin"
Water pump had Aisin Japan cast in
Belt was a Mitsuboshi from Thailand
I also came across this poll from a Pilot owners forum: The Best Timing Belt Water Pump Kit
The Aisin won handily.
Last edited:
Did you also reuse the idler pulley bolt?
I see it available at Napa (in stock at my nearby store too) and a regional chain of auto parts stores but neither Autozone nor AAP have them. Can't even order them to be shipped. This is for a Honda 3.5L too, so a very common application.
I never knew they were available like that. It seems like most shops install Gates kits.
No way I'd use aftermarket on something like that, unless I just could not afford oem. I mean if you are 100% sure the aftermarket is in fact the oem part then ok, but I've seen too many times those type claims were not accurate. No offense to those that do in fact know for sure.
Similar threads
