Genuine versus aftermarket parts

[Chester]

Hey,
I have read through most of the forums on the 1984-1989 Toyota Vans and was wondering if anyone has made a list of what to buy Genuine versus what is OK aftermarket? Also if there is a better brand of aftermarket that would be great to know.

[kestrel]

That's a great idea. I'd use it, for sure.

[timsrv]

Generally speaking, I like to use Genuine Toyota gaskets. I try to always have a full Toyota gasket kit around. Occasionally I'll rob one or two, then replace them later. I will cheat though when the good sales come up or if I need something while on the road. Most aftermarket gaskets are okay but some aren't so good. The only gasket I wouldn't take a chance with is the head gasket. I also try to always use Toyota brake pads as these are the one place that matter. I don't have a problem using aftermarket calipers, rotors, wheel cylinders, master cylinders, slaves, or anything else brake related. I recently tried an aftermarket fuel pressure regulator & regretted it. If still available I'd pay Toyota's price and only use OEM on that. I used to only use Toyota belts, but have used Gates belts (their premium grade) for the last 5 years and actually think they might be better than Toyota belts. Gates makes good hoses too, but unfortunately the large formed radiator hoses are the only formed hoses they make for the van. For anything that's not formed, or doesn't need to be, use Gates bulk hoses. Of course there's lots of formed hoses that are only available through Toyota, so in those cases your only choice is to pay for Toyota hoses. I've purchased a lot of these hoses over the years, and so far every one is still available. As you may have read in my blog, about a year ago I purchased 4 different brands of piston rings to compare and the results were surprising. Here's links to those entries: http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/e...Rebuild-part-4 , http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/e...Rebuild-part-5.

I still buy Toyota oil filters, but I think Wix filters are just as good. FWIW, Napa Gold is Wix, just rebranded for Napa marketing. I buy Fram transmission filter kits and cannot tell the difference between them and Toyota (except price). There are also differences between aftermarket companies. Toyota doesn't build everything. A good portion of the van is built using Aisin and NipponDenso (Denso) parts. Aisin & Denso parts purchased from www.rockauto.com or other outlets are typically the same thing you will get from Toyota. This is particularly true for things like Denso o2 sensors and spark plugs. I tried Denso plug wires once though and these were inferior. Everything else I've tried from Denso has been top notch. Companies like Beck Arnley, Cardone, etc will get parts from many different sources and it's a roll of the dice as to what you may get. I'm sure I'm forgetting to mention lots of stuff, but if you have questions about any specific parts & where to get, let me know and I'll happily share my experience . Tim

PS: This has also been talked about before. Here's a quote from another thread:

One of the problems with aftermarket is consistency. You could order one and get a new OEM or you could get a rebuilt POS......it's a roll of the dice. That being said, I purchased 5 or 6 Beck Arnley water pumps for $12 each during one of those www.rockauto.com "close-out" sales. Every one of them was a new OEM pump. Other times I haven't been so lucky. Sometimes Toyota or their OEM manufacturer will dump a bunch of extra stock and Beck Arnley or other aftermarket competitors will snatch them up. Sometimes when I order larger volumes of aftermarket parts I'll get several variations on the exact same part number (all in the same order). These variations have included new, rebuilt, painted, unpainted, gaskets/extra hardware, no gaskets/extra hardware, good quality, poor quality, etc. Often times they will be packed in boxes of different shapes and colors. As a general rule I've had better luck with Beck Arnley than many of the others. Tim

[skibum]

I think that the OEM thermostat should be added to the list. I definitely saw better results when I finally popped for the OEM thermostat.

[timsrv]

Most definitely. That's an important one. Also, buy your rebuilt alternators from Denso (actually rebuilt by Denso). www.rockauto.com has them for a reasonable price. Tim

[TLett]

Just finished a timing case gasket replacement. Since I was mucking about in there anyway, I swapped out the timing set. I used a Fel-Pro gasket kit and a Cloyes timing kit. Both available @ rockauto, both brands that have a healthy following in the American market (Cloyes is the go-to for the Ford Inline 6 crowd). I'll update this post if something unexpectedly fails, but quality seemed good, installation was smooth, and my van is running fine without dumping any coolant.

I'm doing a van refresh over the course of the summer, and my plan is to go aftermarket as much as possible, particularly when I can find a brand that specializes in the part being made (like Melling for oil pumps, Fel-Pro for gaskets, etc.) I'll try to update this post with feedback if there are others interested in solid A/M options.

[windsurfvan]

How about the fuel filter? I am seeing a wide aftermarket price range. Or is it best to go with Toyota?