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Author Topic: Shelf life of timing belt  (Read 3248 times)
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mangocrazy
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Graham Stewart


« on: January 24, 2020, 06:12:26 PM »

I was digging through my box of Beta spares earler today and came upon an unopened box with a Gates 5022 (148 x 19mm) belt inside. Do these belts degrade over time, and if so what date would a 'Best Before End' of be? The box doesn't have a date of manufacture, but it does have 'Copyright Gates Corporation 2013' printed on it, so it is at most seven years old. How long can a belt sit unused in a box and still be safe to use?
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rossocorsa
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« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2020, 07:44:45 PM »

Hmm not sure of the answer, you could of course buy one from a motor factors and on a slow turnover part it could turn out to be older! The fact that is in its box will help as light is one of the enemies beyond that I've no idea really.
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squiglyzigly
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« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2020, 09:17:47 PM »

I wonder if there are any numbers printed on the belt that give away the date of manufacture?

No answer for the second part of the question.
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mangocrazy
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Graham Stewart


« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2020, 10:27:35 PM »

Yes, light (particularly UV) is bad for most forms of rubber (although not EPDM, as that is used for roofs). I can't see any date of manufacture type info on the belt, so no clues there. I suspect I've purchased it comparatively recently and just done my normal trick of forgetting about it. It was on the top of the box of spares, so would seem to be a fairly recent acquisition...
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1980 Lancia Beta Spider 2000 (S2FL)
2002 VW Transporter T4
2017 KTM Duke 690R
2008 Aprilia SL1000 Falco
1992 Ducati 888 SP3
1988 Honda VFR750F
1980 Yamaha RD350LC
Nigel
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« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2020, 01:33:16 PM »



* 20200125_122551_resized.jpg (234.41 KB, 1008x490 - viewed 356 times.)
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1984 2.0 Carb HPE [ex Aus] Grigio Finanza.
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The past:
1980 2.0 HPE White in South Africa [hope it survives!]
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oh,and an Uno Turbo 1997 also in SA [stolen,never recovered]
mangocrazy
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Graham Stewart


« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2020, 02:33:22 PM »

Thanks Nigel,

Now all I have to figure out is when I bought that belt. In future I'll clearly mark the purchase date on the box when buying belts...
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1980 Lancia Beta Spider 2000 (S2FL)
2002 VW Transporter T4
2017 KTM Duke 690R
2008 Aprilia SL1000 Falco
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1988 Honda VFR750F
1980 Yamaha RD350LC
peteracs
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Peter Stokes


« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2020, 06:04:41 PM »

Hi

Yes, but that does not help if you do not know the storage time of the seller etc?

Peter
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mangocrazy
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Graham Stewart


« Reply #7 on: January 25, 2020, 06:59:44 PM »

Hi

Yes, but that does not help if you do not know the storage time of the seller etc?

Peter
True. The only thing you can do is buy from people who turn over stock quickly, then make sure you keep a record of purchase date. I guess 'buy when you need' rather than stockpiling...
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1980 Lancia Beta Spider 2000 (S2FL)
2002 VW Transporter T4
2017 KTM Duke 690R
2008 Aprilia SL1000 Falco
1992 Ducati 888 SP3
1988 Honda VFR750F
1980 Yamaha RD350LC
Nigel
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« Reply #8 on: January 26, 2020, 11:58:29 AM »

If this 5022 belt doesn't fit any modern car,then the chances of Gates making
any in the last 10 years is slim. Therefore anything we buy is potentially very old.

Perhaps i'm scarmongering  Grin Grin
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1984 2.0 Carb HPE [ex Aus] Grigio Finanza.
2007 Mazda 6 2.3 [current daily, highly recommended]
The past:
1980 2.0 HPE White in South Africa [hope it survives!]
1976 1.6 Coupe Lancia Blu [PFG 76R] [probably deceased]
oh,and an Uno Turbo 1997 also in SA [stolen,never recovered]
mangocrazy
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Graham Stewart


« Reply #9 on: January 26, 2020, 01:04:18 PM »

Only fits the Usual Suspects - Lancia/Fiat/Abarth/Seat of the twin-cam era. As I mentioned earlier, the box does have 'Copyright Gates Corporation 2013' printed on it, so that's the very oldest it could be. There are some numbers stencilled on the belt that may possibly relate to date of manufacture - these are they:



* DSC_3947.JPG (453.63 KB, 1723x544 - viewed 320 times.)
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1980 Lancia Beta Spider 2000 (S2FL)
2002 VW Transporter T4
2017 KTM Duke 690R
2008 Aprilia SL1000 Falco
1992 Ducati 888 SP3
1988 Honda VFR750F
1980 Yamaha RD350LC
peteracs
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Peter Stokes


« Reply #10 on: January 26, 2020, 02:27:00 PM »

If this 5022 belt doesn't fit any modern car,then the chances of Gates making
any in the last 10 years is slim. Therefore anything we buy is potentially very old.

Perhaps i'm scarmongering  Grin Grin

Not so sure as there were a lot of twin cams made and likely a fair few still around, so consumption of belts will be an ongoing thing rather than the normal 'if it breaks/wears out replace it' scenario.

Peter
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Nigel
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« Reply #11 on: January 26, 2020, 02:41:12 PM »

Interesting.

031
7 21 9DS

are the markings on my new Gates belt  [ebay JD Motorsport]

Nigel
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1984 2.0 Carb HPE [ex Aus] Grigio Finanza.
2007 Mazda 6 2.3 [current daily, highly recommended]
The past:
1980 2.0 HPE White in South Africa [hope it survives!]
1976 1.6 Coupe Lancia Blu [PFG 76R] [probably deceased]
oh,and an Uno Turbo 1997 also in SA [stolen,never recovered]
rossocorsa
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« Reply #12 on: January 27, 2020, 12:49:18 AM »

If this 5022 belt doesn't fit any modern car,then the chances of Gates making
any in the last 10 years is slim. Therefore anything we buy is potentially very old.

Perhaps i'm scarmongering  Grin Grin

I'm fairly sure they still make them in batches it's more about how much demand the local motor factors have, if it's of the shelf it might have been there a while
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squiglyzigly
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« Reply #13 on: January 27, 2020, 08:18:17 PM »

Found some info on the tinter-web, but no idea as to its validity.

“The date code is 7 21 9DS which means 9th day, 21st week, 9th year(1999, 2009, 2019), Dumfries scotland.
Maybe its the year first, then week, then day??. Anyway its makes no difference as even gates themselves cannot tell you what decade your belt was manufactured in.”

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VX HPE (resto started Sept ‘21)
Beta Saloon 2.0l s2 1979 (completed July 2020)
Beta coupé VX (completed April 2017)
mangocrazy
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Graham Stewart


« Reply #14 on: January 27, 2020, 09:04:32 PM »

Yeah, I saw that post, but couldn't work out whether the poster was being serious or flippant...
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1980 Lancia Beta Spider 2000 (S2FL)
2002 VW Transporter T4
2017 KTM Duke 690R
2008 Aprilia SL1000 Falco
1992 Ducati 888 SP3
1988 Honda VFR750F
1980 Yamaha RD350LC
mangocrazy
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Graham Stewart


« Reply #15 on: January 28, 2020, 02:11:11 PM »

On the subject of stockpiling - I'm an inveterate hoarder. I just snaffled 9 Mahle OC473 oil filters off ebay for the princely sum of £47 delivered. At least I don't think they'll degrade sitting on the shelf for a few years.
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1980 Lancia Beta Spider 2000 (S2FL)
2002 VW Transporter T4
2017 KTM Duke 690R
2008 Aprilia SL1000 Falco
1992 Ducati 888 SP3
1988 Honda VFR750F
1980 Yamaha RD350LC
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