You want a good serpentine belt ? Stick with OEM....I think Bando is Asian cars. Those belts can go 120k if you squirt them with some belt dressing or silicone every 50k. Gates is terrible, Conti makes good tires ( don't know about their belts ), forget Napa, Autozone, etc. All junk. You can watch them crack. OEM is the way
How to identify a Continental brand serpentine belt?
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I'm sure they are fine but I am not going out of my way to get something that is the same as anything else I can get at the local parts store. The Gatorback/Conti elites were the best. They were made out of a softer rubber or something that was really quiet. I have one on my Focus that must have 150k on it and it looks like new.because they stopped making them about 5 years ago
Conti replaced the Elite polycog belts with something called the OE Technology series which are regular style belts. There is nothing wrong with them, though
I miss the Gatorback belts too
Conti is OEM for some.
And for some the Bando aftermarket isn’t the same as the Toyota branded belt made by Bando. Doesn’t necessarily make it inferior but it’s not the same.
I put the online dealership's Bando's on my 2 Toyota 2AZ-FE's. They are a bit-h to replace !!! No room. Smack up against the frame. So, if I'm gonna do the job, I don't want to go back any time too soon. Real knuckle bustin job. I even have that serpentine belt tool kit. That doesn't even work. Noooooo... Gotta go old school and piggy back open end/box end wrenches !!!
There was a ContiTech line years ago - and Conti Germany/Portugal made belts as OEM for Mercedes and BMW. The current Conti belts are similar to the former Goodyear lineup.
I think Optibelt is Italian, and also OEM for the Europeans. I do know Bando belts for the aftermarket use a smooth neoprene/EPDM back, the OEM one has a fabric back.
I don't mean to keep commenting every time you post but... I gotta! It's like you've worked on my engine, lol!
Yup, that tensioner is like concrete! Have to lean into the breaker bar holding the socket on that release pivot of the tensioner! That tension is insane! And I need a 2nd person looking from the top trying to snake the belt into the correct direction, I get messed up looking from the bottom towards to top.funny how same engine, same frustrations!
From what I understand RA will only allow an alternate part number if it's the same part, just under different branding. For example a Premium Guard oil filter vs a Pronto.
I think Toyota used a hydraulic tensioner on those. The UZ/UR and GR engines used a mechanical tension with a coil torsion spring.I don't mean to keep commenting every time you post but... I gotta! It's like you've worked on my engine, lol!
funny how same engine, same frustrations!
Yep, it's a hydraulic tensioner, it's amazing how tight it is to release the tension! Which is probably a good sign, should last a long, long time. on the Scion tC, to remove the tensioner, you have to remove the one engine mount and jack the engine up so that one long bolt will come out! anyway thanks for the info!
