So just been to the garage to ask about getting my cam belt changed along with the tensioner and idlers.

I have a MY00 Turbo 2000 so there are 4 idlers i think, 1 belt and 1 tensioner.

They guy told me the idlers are about £100 each for OEM parts (£400), about £100 for the belt and that they don't necessarily need to change the tensioner so didn't quote me for this. He also said idlers may not need to be changed but they only know this once the belts are off which is understandable. So that's £500 total at the moment with no tensioner.

On top of labour he said i would be looking at around £900? So £400 labour.

What confused me was that i can get a 90000 mile service done there for £650ish, a 30000 mile service which doesn't include the cam belt for £200 cheaper, which means the cam belt costs £200 as a basic job, but if tensioners were needed then it would be an extra £400 on top. But that works out at £600 for the lot as a belt would be included in the service price. So why is that price with out a service £300 more?!

What's your views on this, do the part prices sound correct? Labour prices? How much do Subaru charge for a cam belt kit?

I'm had a look at cam belt kits online and you can pick them up for £200, not OEM though?

I am not saying anything about bad about this garage i'm just getting views on the prices i've been quoted.
They had a look at a problem i wanted an opinion on and helped me which i am very grateful about.



Thanks a lot

 

Sam,

Everthing you have written in your post is about right apart from the amount of money that the garage want to charge for the labour involved!!

£400 is absolutely criminal!... The book time is 2hrs which is a reasonable amount for the job, so this means that your garage is either pulling your pants down or it has a labour rate of around £200 per hr!

With regard to the cost of the parts you could always save some money and buy a gates belt which is who supplies Subaru with theirs & if you need the idlers or tensioner then Blue Print offer a cheaper alternative at manufacture levels of quality.

 

Thanks man.

I can't understand the labour prices either, it seems it's cheaper to get it done within the service than on it's own?!

 

It seems to be the best bet to get it done with Dave at API mate. Either that or order the bits from him (knowing they are correct and good) and then take them to someone nearer to you for the work but not at that labour rate though

 

It's possible of course the the person you spoke to has made a mistake & quoted £400 for cam belt service which should include more than just the belt (engine oil, filter etc) which would be about right... It may be worth your while phoning again to double check

If they say that their figures are correct then imho you are being unashamedly ripped off!!

 

Eurocarparts do a kit which includes the idlers and the tensioner and the belt, for 300 quid

 

Buy Parts By
how come these ones are only £190? cheap crap?

 

Asked the garage to explain to me the costs, this is the costings:

Labour to change timing belt £240.00
Timing belt £110.76
Tensioners aprox £400.00
Antifreeze aprox £ 15.00

£765.76
VAT £134.01

Total £899.77


60,000 cambelt service £638.29
+Tensioners aprox £400.00
(if needed)

£1038.29
VAT £ 181.70

Total £ 1219.99

Still pricey i think!

One of the previous emails said:

"90,000 mile cambelt service is £638.29 + vat
or 30,000 mile service if the belt has been done, is £443.94 + vat"

I thought + VAT meant included, my mistake, makes sense now.

 

sounds expensive mate. Ive just been looking around myself and booked myself in at thwaites developments next month for cambelt change and intrim service for less than half that price. Most reputable garages quoted around £200 for cambelt change including belt and labour. Idlers and tensioners extra if required again at a much cheeper price.

Try subaru4u in newbury. They have a website and thier servicing costs dont seem 2 bad.

 

£111 for a timing belt you can near enough get a kevlar one for that.

 

I'll have a look, thanks.

Looks like it's just expensive!

Thanks i'll have a look.

 

Link doesn't work dude!

Thanks, i'll have a look how far from me they are.

Do they exist!?

 

they are having a laugh mate, they probably don't want to do the job that's why they have priced so high

found this complete kit including tensioner Subaru Impreza Turbo V5 & V6 Dayco Timing Belt Kit 6 Piece

then add your labour on top, from a "sensible" garage, you would save you self a arm and leg, and not have to sell a kidney to pay for all.

 

Are these parts reliable though or are OEM parts better?

Thanks dude.

 

the belt is made by the same company that supplies Subaru, probably the same for idler pulleys, its the tensioner that needs to be spot on, as they have been know to fail in the past, so you could use the belt and pulleys from import car parts and a tensioner from subaru or rcm for peace of mind, what company was dick turnip using to supply the parts?

 

useful thread here:

https://www.scoobynet.com/general-te...-pump-etc.html

 

the oem idlers where made by nsk in japan for subaru , they are available for a fraction of oem price from camskill in a blueprint box . and guess what when you open the box its a nsk unit . i know this cos i have bought em 59.95 for the main one and 20something for the others . as for the belt 39.95 from local motorfactors made by gates so not a cheep crappy copy . just to add i work for a bearing distributer and cant get them cheeper than this through work and we deal with nsk/europe and are also a gates distributer , oh and 2.5hours tops on a classic without the proper tools

 

Christ,£1200 for a 60k service !!!! fecking hell

i paid £800 all in from a very good business thats praised on here all the time for

clutch/lightened flywheel supplied/fitted
cambelt supplied/fitted
modifed oil pump supplied fitted

glad i do my own servicing,only didnt do the clutch/flywheel/cambelt as i didnt have the option of a ramp for the box out etc

 

Thanks man, RCM seem really good, i'm on their site now.
As far as i was aware the tensioners/idlers were OEM so from Subaru and no idea about the belt.

Thanks man i'll have a read.

Thanks dude.