What hasn't been mentioned is this.. Just because an aftermarket company sells you a part that claims is "OEM" it doesn't mean that.. Ok let me explain.. Honda tells the supplier to make them x-amount of water pumps made to the Honda specification. Some in production do not meet that specification so they're not sent to Honda. Where do they go? They go out the side door, so to speak, to the aftermarket to sell. Ask me how I know?! I've gotten those parts, they die an early death compared to the genuine Honda part. When the aftermarket sells them they have the same markings, etc. that the Honda ones do, difference? They did not meet Honda's standards! That's why they're not being sold at the Honda dealer!
I am not one to say to always by OEM only, but this is what I've learned. Also, if the aftermarket is "copying" the OEM part they do not have to make it to the same specs, sure they're the supplier to the OEM, but not to the same specs.. See? there are two things going on here.. one being rejected OEM parts, and aftermarket supplier to OEM making their own parts under their own name! Then there's another.. Let's say that the OEM makes an update to the part, the aftermarket copied the original design, and hardly ever make the updated part.. Isn't this fun?! Yep I've learned all this with the Civic along the way..
Also, if you hear a noise and you don't like it, forget that mechanic trying to convince you otherwise. If I heard ANY noises after a Timing Belt replacement I wouldn't be trying to convince myself that it's ok. I'm not here to scare you but I have a Honda Civic and it makes NO noises.. It shouldn't, what's there to make noise? If the belt isn't rubbing, the water pump bearing is good, the tension is correct, the tensioner bearing is made correctly, nothing should be audible.
I was tempted to go with aftermarket TB kits, but for the labor $$$ it cost me for the shop to do the TB job, doing the job once was cheaper in the long run. I do buy aftermarket parts for the Civic, but not wanting to do the job over (I've learned in the past) you get what ya pay for.. sorry but it's true..
so.. If you can trust the dealership you were going to go to, then get their opinion, if they're honest they'll explain what the noise you're hearing is.. I bet it's a bad bearing in the water pump or a tensioner not keeping tension on the belt.
I am not one to say to always by OEM only, but this is what I've learned. Also, if the aftermarket is "copying" the OEM part they do not have to make it to the same specs, sure they're the supplier to the OEM, but not to the same specs.. See? there are two things going on here.. one being rejected OEM parts, and aftermarket supplier to OEM making their own parts under their own name! Then there's another.. Let's say that the OEM makes an update to the part, the aftermarket copied the original design, and hardly ever make the updated part.. Isn't this fun?! Yep I've learned all this with the Civic along the way..
Also, if you hear a noise and you don't like it, forget that mechanic trying to convince you otherwise. If I heard ANY noises after a Timing Belt replacement I wouldn't be trying to convince myself that it's ok. I'm not here to scare you but I have a Honda Civic and it makes NO noises.. It shouldn't, what's there to make noise? If the belt isn't rubbing, the water pump bearing is good, the tension is correct, the tensioner bearing is made correctly, nothing should be audible.
I was tempted to go with aftermarket TB kits, but for the labor $$$ it cost me for the shop to do the TB job, doing the job once was cheaper in the long run. I do buy aftermarket parts for the Civic, but not wanting to do the job over (I've learned in the past) you get what ya pay for.. sorry but it's true..
so.. If you can trust the dealership you were going to go to, then get their opinion, if they're honest they'll explain what the noise you're hearing is.. I bet it's a bad bearing in the water pump or a tensioner not keeping tension on the belt.