you heard of synthetic oil, now how about synthetic belts?

[cryptokid]

i just bought a set of good gear gatorback poly-v belts from the auto parts store. they were priced at $10-$15 each which isnt that bad i dont think.
according to goodyears website, the belts are made of synthetic rubber instead of normal rubber.
http://www.goodyearbeltsandhose.com/cars/gatopoly.html

so what do you guys think? goodyear claims through the use of the poly-v belt grooves and synthetic rubber that the belt will last 3 times longer than a normal belt and is better able to deal with high power applications.
i duno if its true or not, but i bought a set anyways.

 

[sbc350gearhead]

I do not know about the synthetic rubber, but the the gatorback serpentine belts, are the best that I have used.

 

[SteveD2]

Might as well start using synthetic air in your tires....

 

[jeepzj]

I installed a Goodyear Gatorback belt from Autozone on my Jeep Grand Cherokee last week and it squeals like a pig when the a/c was on. Sometimes even without the a/c on. No matter how tight I had it on it would still make a horrible noise. I put the old belt back on and it's now back to silent. The GGB has a different groove design which is probably why. I just got a replacement Kelly Springfield belt from Autozone which has the regular v-groove like the original. I'll be installing that tomorrow.

 

[VaderSS]

I thought all belts were synthetic rubber now.

quote:

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Might as well start using synthetic air in your tires....

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Some do, it's called nitrogen.

GGB is the best belt I've run across yet though, based just on it's gripping and noise reduction. I've put it on 3 different vehicles(Impala, Ciera, Explorer) with excellent results.

 

[Alan]

My brother and sister both had GGB put on their cars and both squealed.My brothers Mitsubishi was real bad.With my sisters car it was more of the compressor bearings becoming noisy.

I put on a Dayco Poly Cog on my 99 Corolla and it's been dead quiet.It really looks like a quality product,much better then the one that came from the factory.

 

[JimT]

Guys,
I think most (if not all) rubber in your vehicles has been "Synthetic" since about WWII or shortly thereafter. Was developed because of the shortage in "Natural" rubber due to the war.

I'm sure if I'm wrong, someone will correct me

Jim T

 

[tom slick]

quote:

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goodyear claims through the use of the poly-v belt grooves and synthetic rubber that the belt will last 3 times longer than a normal belt and is better able to deal with high power applications.

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poly-v is the type of belt, not a goodyear design feature. all belts that several ribs are poly-v. the notches in the ribs are a little different, probably a similar idea to the notches in a standard v-belt.

 

[RH+G]

I have always been a Gates belt fan myself. I have had some bad luck with Dayco belts. Nowadays the quality of belts is so much higher than before that you are almost good no matter what brand

 

[T-Keith]

Alot of people with GTPs love the gatorbacks. I'd say they put more stress on their serpentine belts than anyone.

-T

 

[JoggingGuy]

I use the Gatorback timing belts. You can put them beside any other belt and see how much better they are constructed. Well worth every penny spent on them

 

[tmorris1]

quote:

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I think most (if not all) rubber in your vehicles has been "Synthetic" since about WWII or shortly thereafter. Was developed because of the shortage in "Natural" rubber due to the war.

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You are correct. Your tires are mostly synthetic too!

 

[RavenTai]

quote:

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Originally posted by JimT:
Guys,
I think most (if not all) rubber in your vehicles has been "Synthetic" since about WWII or shortly thereafter. Was developed because of the shortage in "Natural" rubber due to the war.

I'm sure if I'm wrong, someone will correct me

Jim T

---

same thing with brake fluid, yet valvoline is selling "synthetic" dot 4

 

[eljefino]

I got a new gatorback that "hummed" for about a week. The grooves didn't appear to be cut as deep or as wide as those on my pullies. They eventually must have broken in for a precise fit when the humming stopped. Impressive, and a good price.

 

[Matt_S]

I just returned a Gatorback belt to the store because of a squeal. I changed out the original belt, which was working fine, but severely cracked after 80k and put on one of these belts. It produced a definite squeal at the alternator pulley. It was there all the time and varied with engine speed. It didn't matter how much load was on the alternator, either. I returned the belt and bought a Dayco at another store. Problem solved.

My theory (unscientific as it is) is that the notches in the belt were pressing up against the pulley and sealing themselves on the smooth surface. As the belt moved around the pulley, the air between the notches was forced out and made a whistling noise that sounded like a squeal. Since the alternator is the smallest pulley on my car and the belt travels over a large portion of that pulley, I think that's where the noise was the most prominent. I even tried sanding the pulley surface and using brake cleaner to no effect.

 

[VaderSS]

quote:

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Originally posted by Matt_S:
I just returned a Gatorback belt to the store because of a squeal.

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It's funny, I've heard that before. I run them because other belts make more noise than them, but some get rid of them because they make more noise. The odd thing is that it seems to be completely randon, working for some on a car model that it does not work on for others.

 

[patel]

In my olds 88 1994 car Belt was never changed untill I did change after 8 yrs at 150,000 mile. I think belt lasts atleast 10 yr May be or may not be.

 

[Matt_S]

Judging by the cracking in my belt, I definitely was running on borrowed time, Patel. 80k is 20k overdue for my car. It may have lasted another 10, 20, or even 70k, but it's a 10 minute job on my car, so why mess with it. The hardest part is removing the strut tower brace and coolant reservoir (6 easily accessible bolts, total) so you can wrench on the tensioner more easily.

 

[patel]

quote:

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Originally posted by Matt_S:
Judging by the cracking in my belt, I definitely was running on borrowed time, Patel. 80k is 20k overdue for my car. It may have lasted another 10, 20, or even 70k, but it's a 10 minute job on my car, so why mess with it. The hardest part is removing the strut tower brace and coolant reservoir (6 easily accessible bolts, total) so you can wrench on the tensioner more easily.

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I know that's why after joining this forum, I do replace normally every two years. I changes belt within five minutes but expensive from dealer. About $40.....

But good advice always from this forum

 

[Matt_S]

I can believe that, Vader. Nothing relating to cars is completely consistent.

BTW, the lady at Pep Boys, where I bought the Dayco, told me they get a lot of similar complaints about Goodyear belts.