Last summer I installed a timing kit , ntn, koyo , nsk and a mitsuboshi belt.    Didn't think anything of it until after the install when I noticed it was mitsuboshi, made in Malaysia...I double checked all the idlers and they were good.  I let it leave the shop hoping I wasn't making a costly mistake.

In the months since then I have installed over a dozen timing kits, almost all with mitsuboshi belts and every one was made in Japan...

Today I went to install a kit in a 96 2.2 and the mitsubishi timing belt is made in Thailand...  all the ntn nsk koyo idlers are all still Japan made.

I'm wondering if mitsuboshi has moved manufacturing facility's to Asia?  Was i getting old stock with the japan made belts ? Or is there knockoff mitsuboshi timing belts being marketed ?

A subaru branded belt costs me almost $40.00 more with a kit . I do install them for the customers that want only  original equipment parts, but for my resale cars i always used the mitsuboshi belts.

well, kinda bad news

Thailand is where the rubber comes from if that makes you feel any better. 

Really would hate to see Mitsuboshi quality go downhill.

Back in the days before timing belts even, Mitsuboshi V-belts were second to none. They would last forever. 

So what are you going to switch to now?

 

I may need to buy a kit soon so I was wondering. 

I think so,  $40.00 extra for piece of mind.   The one I installed last year is running fine ... but still, I can't afford to have comebacks.  Not so much the money but reputation . 

 200858175013  ebay item # $266  with branded belt

Edited June 14, 20187 yr by montana tom

Always been that way. Mitsuboshi has multiple factories. All of them are "managed" by Japanese oversight. They have upper management Japanese on-site. 

Thailand and Malaysia are like Japan's Mexico. All those parts are fine I've installed thousands of them with zero failures. I have had two Gates belts come apart before 105k, and all of their kits have Chinese idlers and some weird tensioner made in Canada. I won't buy them for several years now. 

GD

Thanks GD  that's great news!