Pre-emptive maintenance suggestions?

[Arrow_Runner]

Can anyone suggest some reliable/inexpensive brands and locations to order these parts from?

I know of a few local shops where I can price the items, but there's gotta be some better/cheaper aftermarket sites out there.

Water pump
Oil pump
Harmonic Balancer
Belts

Anything else I forgot?

Everytime I look for stuff it ends up being 1g Turbo or 2g performance parts...

 

[SinaiTSi]

All of those parts should be replaced with OEM. Try www.jnztuning.com

 

[Arrow_Runner]

Thanks for the link.

And I know they need to be OEM, but different brands make OEM specification parts, right? Like Felpro or whatever.

 

[i1nk83]

You can get away with a non oem waterpump and timing belt. For the timing belt everyone seems to have had good luck with the "gaterback" brand. I personally would only go oem for the oilpump. I just dont trust anyone else, heard some pretty bad horror stories. Go with oem or 'gates' brand for the belts, as everything else seems to skweel like a mofo. Harmonic balancer i would just go to a local junkyard and pick up an extra one.

 

[dmak]

why do you need an oil pump?? you having low oil pressure?
oil pump isn't really a maintenance item, usually people change it when they rebuild the engine.

other maintenance items would be
fuel filter
all the fluid on the car

 

[Arrow_Runner]

Well, I've already replaced the thermostat and timing belt. I've seen it's been recommended that I change the other belts and the water pump and the harmonic balancer. I saw the oil pump recomended in a 1Gnt to Turbo sticky.

This car is most likely going to spend the rest of its life as a dd for my wife, so my main goal is to fix everything so it doesn't break down on her. The second goal is that I get some more experience with pulling the engine because I do plan on getting a TSI/GST for myself someday

I know I could get a defective part, or murphy's law could just take place, but I want to get this car in the condition where I hopefully won't have to touch the belt side of the engine for another 60k.

One of the things I was hoping to get out of this thread is an alternative source of parts from the local autoZ and advance a p.

 

[i1nk83]

Really the only parts i wont buy from autozone/advance are the ones stated by myself above. Almost every other part i wouldnt have any issue with buying from the local parts store, but those are just too critical for me to chance on a possible failure due to faulty manufacturing. I think most people will agree with me on the parts i would get only from the dealer. Good luck with the car, they can be very reliable if you do as your trying and keep up with the maintanence