300000 miles

2005 Tundra. Going into the Toyota shop for water pump. Estimate high is $2000. Other auto mechanics can't replace pump. Must go to dealer. Put $5000 into it the past year. Still a great truck.

 

That sounds excessive for cost. Did the other mechanics say why they couldn’t do it?

 

It's a lot of work... $2000 sounds fair, are they including parts? Or is that just labor? I think we're in uncharted territory where it may be cheaper at a stealership...

 

Sounds less than the $3400 (small local shop) and the $4200 (stealer) prices I received last fall.

Ended up DIY. Replaced everything with OEM. Check my build page for what I did. Had those shops price the same job. Roughly $1k in parts iirc.

 

Aisin kit with waterpump from rock auto is cheap. DIY over the weekend, it’s not a bad job and there is lots of YouTube videos on it.

 

Ye, but on the second round (second TB Replace) all the other Mojo around it needs love. Trust me on this.

 

Wow! I must be living in the past since I had my timing belt and water pump replaced back in 2009-2010 for around $700-$800 on paper IIRC. I know for a fact it was under $1k. I should look for that receipt. I really only paid for the belt since the pump was covered under warranty and that was under $300.

 

I lamed out and let someone else do mine. But my guy did it on my 03 for $600 labor. That included Timing belt, cam and crank seals as well as the water pump. I supplied the parts, so all in I was about $970 with fluids and a new serpentine.

so don’t just do the water pump, do it all. Your timing belt has an approximate lifespan of the water pump. Do them both at the same time.

 

Yeah. I’m reading others still say $600 or $900, but the math don’t add up when the parts are over $1k with the best internet pricing available on all OEM Parts. Alternator, Fan Bracket Pulley, New Tensioner, Radiator, Rad/Throttle Body Hoses, Fluids, TB Parts, Cam/Crank Seals, Serp Belt, etc.

Both Shops wanted my truck for 2 days. Took me 3 days with Feather Duster breaks.

 

Do you recall how much the water pump was by itself? I didn’t get the pulleys, seals, alternator or radiator replaced. That’ll be my next task when I do it myself.

 

Paid $165 for the TB Kit which included the WP. Have no idea on that stand alone cost.

Seeing the same kit going for $266 now. Woooooooo!!!

 

Well let's be more clean here, the parts that need replacement is the timing belt (why not), the serpentine belt (why not), the water pump, and the oil and coolant. That's a ballpark of under $500 for parts. On labor its under 8 hours. I can't see this being more than $1500, when I had Toyota do mine it was just over $1,100 and they did the cam seals as well.

For $2,000 I would keep looking for estimates. Thats high unless there is a lot more to the story than a water pump.

 

I lucked out and bought the parts before all this shit went crazy. My mechanic threw in the cam seals, crank seal, fluid and serp belt at cost. I’m telling you, he gained a customer for life being as honest as he was.

 

I lucked out on my guy, I saw his sign said master tech, Toyota, Honda etc. hit him up and it all just fell into place. If I was the OP, I would look around for a Japanese car mechanic.Makes more sense than just a general mechanic to me. It called for six hours which is exactly how long it took.

 

I don't go to mechanics often but I love when they say "if you want new parts just pay for the parts, labor is the same".

I argued with a Toyota near me because they were trying to say that they have to charge book price for the water pump separately from the timing belt job, essentially charging me labor for getting to the pump twice. I'll never go there again.

 

Yeah. Its regional too I believe. The other BS part of my cost is the ‘Book Cost’. Say for instance, I wanted the Alternator Replaced. Labor only they wanted $250 for three bolts and a plug. Remember its already opened up for TB and not a tear down just to get to the Alternator. This was why I decided DIY. Also both shops wouldn’t allow me to provide parts.

Stuff here is High Dolla.

 

Haha. I see you touched on the same thought I just typed.

 

I know island life has me beat but it doesn't get much more expensive than sunny Southern California.

 

Ye. My Local Shop Price was from a Japanese Specialist. 2 day job! $3400 parts and labor.

 

I’ve been the same way about using a mechanic for a long time. But things happened and I just needed it done. The water pump should be thrown in with the timing belt labor. It literally has to come off to change the belt! That would be a stupid as charging extra to rotate tires during a brake job.

 

I’d argue otherwise based on the prices I see you’ve done on your truck. Maybe your RE has the Island beat, but the labor you guys have is cheap.

 

I thought you were in Washington.

 

Rona prices...

 

This is usually the case too. I luckily found a good and honest mechanic last year who worked on my wifes Honda. He's cool with me bringing in parts and him installing, he actually seems to prefer it but he's picky about parts. He almost refuses to install crap from vatozone or o'really's.

When I had him do the motor swap for me he sent me running around to get a new water pump, some trans seals, get the flywheel resurfaced and a few other little things. I didn't mind a bit since he was cool to work with. I took 3 hours off work to chase some parts, I'm salary anyhow so its like I got paid for it.

 

Ventura County these days. Originally from the IE, then moved to SFV, now happy in Moorpark. Nobody knows where Moorpark is lol.

 

Paid $1200 for timing belt, water pump and serpentine at dealer in December.

 

Sounds like some Frisco bay la-la land.

 

Might as well do the thermostat as well if you’re draining coolant or do those last much longer?

 

Right near Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley area. Actually kind of nice out there.

 

Poking a little fun at him, but did have to look it up the first time he mentioned it .