What's in a Timing Belt Kit
A proper timing belt kit bundles the belt itself with the tensioner and idler pulleys, and very often the water pump too, since all of it wears out around the same interval and most of the labour to reach one part is the labour to reach the rest. Buying a timing belt and water pump kit as a single unit, rather than piecing parts together separately, is the approach most workshops take, and it usually costs less than three individual orders anyway. Whichever timing belt kit with water pump combination your engine calls for, Tinkr lists exactly what's included against each listing, so nobody's left holding an empty box wondering where the tensioner went.
Timing Belt Kits by Engine and Vehicle
Performance and Import Applications
For NZ's sizeable import scene, an EJ205 timing belt kit for the turbocharged Subaru Impreza WRX is one of the most searched-for fitments Tinkr carries, alongside the broader Subaru Impreza timing belt kit range covering non-turbo models too. Mitsubishi's 4G63T timing belt kit, fitted to the Lancer Evolution and turbo Galant VR-4, sits in the same high-stakes bracket, where an interference layout means a snapped belt ends an engine rather than just stopping the car. Nissan's RB25 timing belt kit, for the Skyline and Stagea, rounds out the platform most requested by the performance crowd, and a Subaru timing belt kit more broadly covers the rest of the marque's line-up beyond the WRX specifically. A tuned engine under extra load makes a tired belt even less forgiving than usual, so this is not the corner to cut on a project car.
Everyday and Workhorse Applications
Toyota's 5VZFE timing belt kit, fitted to the V6 Hilux and 4Runner, covers one of the hardest-working engines on NZ roads, and a Hilux timing belt kit more broadly is one of the most requested listings Tinkr carries, given how many utes are still clocking on well past 200,000km. A Ford Fiesta timing belt kit, an MX5 timing belt kit, a Volkswagen timing belt kit and a Toyota timing belt kit cover the rest of the everyday and weekend spread, from the school-run hatch to the Sunday-drive roadster that still needs its cambelt done on schedule no matter how few kilometres it's racked up this year.
Gates Timing Belt Kits at Tinkr
Alongside OE-equivalent options, Tinkr stocks a Gates timing belt kit for a lot of the platforms above. Gates has supplied timing belts as original equipment to manufacturers for over a century, so choosing a Gates timing belt kit as a replacement usually means matching exactly what left the factory, not a generic substitute picked mainly because it was cheapest on the shelf.
Find the Right Timing Belt Kit for Your Car
A timing belt kit is not the part to buy on vibes. Search your rego, or your vehicle's year, make and model, and Tinkr's rego checker will confirm the exact kit your engine needs, right down to whether the water pump is bundled in. Getting this one wrong is a genuinely expensive mistake, since fixing it usually means pulling the whole front of the engine back apart to do the job twice. If your vehicle isn't listed, or you're not sure which kit variant your specific engine uses, contact us and our team will help track down the right part before you order.
Why Buy Timing Belt Kits from Tinkr
Whichever engine you're working on, buying a timing belt kit from Tinkr means genuine stock matched to your exact vehicle, not a boxed part that's close enough and hoping. We carry 150,000+ parts, ship NZ-wide in 1 to 3 business days (same-day dispatch before 2pm), and back it with 0800 support from a real NZ team if your engine's a less common fitment. Afterpay is available for a job that usually involves paying a workshop labour bill too, and Club Tinkr members pick up ongoing perks on repeat servicing orders. If you're comparing timing belt kits NZ-wide, that combination of fitment accuracy and shipping speed is usually what settles it, and it's a lot less dramatic than finding out the hard way why manufacturers set a replacement interval in the first place.
Popular timing belt kit applications at Tinkr
- EJ205 (Subaru Impreza WRX): turbocharged interference engine. Replace by 100,000km or per manufacturer schedule.
- 4G63T (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution / Galant VR-4): turbocharged interference engine. High consequence if it lets go.
- RB25 (Nissan Skyline / Stagea): interference engine, a common platform for tuned builds.
- 5VZFE (Toyota Hilux / 4Runner V6): workhorse engine, usually done as a timing belt and water pump kit together.
- Ford Fiesta, Mazda MX5, Volkswagen and other Toyota models: everyday and weekend-car applications, matched by rego on Tinkr.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's included in a timing belt kit? A timing belt kit typically includes the belt, tensioner and idler pulleys, and most modern kits also bundle in the water pump. Tinkr lists exactly what's in each timing belt and water pump kit against the specific listing, so there's no guessing what else needs buying separately.
How often should a timing belt be replaced? Most manufacturers set a fixed interval, commonly somewhere between 90,000km and 150,000km, since a timing belt rarely gives much warning before it fails. Whichever of the timing belt kits NZ drivers search for matches your vehicle, Tinkr's rego checker will confirm the exact interval and kit contents for your specific engine.
Do you stock a timing belt kit for the Subaru Impreza? Yes. Tinkr carries both an EJ205 timing belt kit for the turbo WRX and the broader Subaru Impreza timing belt kit range for non-turbo models, alongside kits for other Subaru engines. A Subaru timing belt kit is one of the more frequently ordered fitments here, given how many are still on NZ roads.
Is a Gates timing belt kit worth paying more for? Often, yes. A Gates timing belt kit is built to original-equipment specification by a manufacturer that supplies belts directly to carmakers, so it typically costs a little more than a generic aftermarket kit but matches exactly what left the factory. Tinkr stocks Gates alongside other OE-equivalent options so you can compare before deciding.
Does a Hilux need a timing belt kit? Yes, older V6 Hilux models running the 5VZFE engine use a timing belt rather than a chain, and it's due for replacement on a fixed schedule regardless of how the engine sounds. Tinkr stocks the Hilux timing belt kit matched to your specific model year, since the fitment has changed across generations.
How do I find the right timing belt kit for my car? Search your rego, or your vehicle's year, make and model, and Tinkr's rego checker will confirm the exact timing belt kit for your engine, whether that's a Ford Fiesta, an MX5, a Volkswagen, a Toyota, an RB25-powered Skyline or a 4G63T-powered Evo. If your vehicle isn't listed, contact us and our team will help find the right kit.
