Best Place To Buy Belt & Tensioners

[24seven 104]

Where is the best place to buy a cambelt, tensioners and water pump for the '6 lump? Dealers charge a silly amount for them and with the belts being failure prone I want to avoid poor quality parts.

[SurGie 54]

You've sort of answered your own question.

 

I buy from the dealers because they are far better quality then the rest, when it comes to water pumps this is very true. I'v heard of a few breaking which cause's the belt problems and results in engine damage.

 

Dealers = higher quality when it comes to items like these.

[allye 530 3 Cars]

If a gates cambelt is fitted with the fitting tool (when you fit the belt you place the tool next to the belt and flick the belt, it picks up the vibration and tells you if its too tight or loose!) gates will pay for a replacement engine if the belt snaps!

 

So I would buy a gates belt, can't go wrong with motaquip or dealer for tensioner and roller.

[24seven 104]

Ta for the advice guys. Asked the same on the '6 forum and went with a Continental belt/tensioner kit from ECP in the end (having originally ignored them because they wanted £50 per tensioner before I realised they thought my engine was an EW). £20 less than the SKF equivalent and I can fit the thing myself without over or under tightening it. It won't be on there for the 3 years/30k mile change is due anyway.

 

I'd happily go to a dealer for the parts if they didn't want silly money. What cost me £124 from ECP would have cost nearly £200 from the dealer. Even buying the more expensive SKF kit (SKF being the OEM supplier for pug at the time of the 306 if the sponsor logos all over the F2 maxi are anything to go by) would have only cost me that extra £20.

[SurGie 54]

BTW i have research loads about the tensioners and found that the plastic type tensioners fail quicker then the metal type no matter what year the engine is iirc.

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

The dealer belt kits are around £85.00 with the Dayco belt, Never had much service life out of the Conti's from the couple I've seen, All have worn quite badly in under 30k so would never use them bar on a 8v engine.

Dayco's on the other hand get another 10k at least

[24seven 104]

conti's use plastic rollers? Wish I'd been told that first... Oh well, paid for the kit now, If they'll last 15k they'll have done their job!

Edited April 22, 2011 by 24seven

[SurGie 54]

For me, iv took my time when it comes to the conversion and even now i still learn more but wish i could drive it already . It can be a game at times too.

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

No they use various suppliers as most do, Never seen plastic ones unless they are the 137 belt, but having used the same type on the V6 they last for a good 90k

[shalmaneser 26]

I thought Dayco were the OE belt supplier?

 

That's what i fitted to the 8V anyway...

 

EDIT: Actually think it must have been SKF thinking back

Edited April 23, 2011 by shalmaneser

[24seven 104]

We'll see what the postie brings on Tuesday anyway. Tbh though I don't doubt what I've been told, it surprises me that anyone would make a cambelt tensioner out of plastic. Fair enough the auxillary belt tensioner, it's got a much larger radius and spins slower, plus it isn't so important. A cambelt?....

[welshpug 1,666]

I got a Dayco kit from GSF for £48.50, pair of metal rollers (136 kit with manual tensioner)

 

I don't think having a plastic roller is an issue, its more the sprung bit that causes issues, they still have a cartridge bearing inside them same as the steel ones, but they do tend to be smaller diameter than the latest steel items.

[24seven 104]

[offtopic] empty your inbox WP [/offtopic]

[welshpug 1,666]

didn't know it was full!!