cpayne

This post originated after the tensioner light came on at about 75 miles past TB/WP job Landseer and I completed on my 87. We used a standard gates belt.
The memory didn't trigger the light again after inspection of belt and restart.
Fix
Turned the crank by hand and measured tension Rinse and repeat several more times. We re tensioned until we were at the top of the window. Since then 800 miles some minor redlining and some highspeed runs and so far no light.
I think the thread went off on a more interesting and more technical direction from the first emntion of the gates racing belt.

dprantl

I love mine. I have now put over 20k miles on it. Losing the timing belt warning (that is not on other cars with similar systems anyway) while gaining correct belt tension at all times, including during cold startup is more than worth it IMO. Some people say the stock system is fine, but apparently they have never observed the stock system sans covers without the idler roller on a cold running engine throughout the RPM range. That idler roller is the pure definition of "band-aid".

Dan
'91 928GT S/C 475hp/460lb.ft

Landseer

Dan, at what mileage do you intend to rebuild the Porkensioner, i.e., replace the modular hydraulic tensioner?

dprantl

I will definitely be checking it during belt changes to see if it needs it. If not, I would think ~100k miles would be reasonable. I have owned two 968's in the past, and even the one with 150k+ miles had the original hydraulic tensioner which worked without problems. The issues only start when they begin to leak.

Dan
'91 928GT S/C 475hp/460lb.ft

SeanR

I have both here.

I see no difference, if anything the racing belt is a tad bit thinner. It's the one on the right in the picture.



Both of these belts are Gates.

borland

Here's mine... belt purchased from Roger 9/20/2010...

ROG100

Interesting thread - the Gates RB is identical to the Porsche/Gates belt. Maybe I will take a micrometer and check the exact thickness. The Continental maybe thinner, and as generally thought, maybe the reason it stretches.

Greg B already raised some concern about wear on the soft cam gears and we have both spoken to Gates about it.

The soft cam gears were wearing pretty rapidly with the stock belt and Porsche acknowledged this by changing to the new much harder cam gears.

Maybe the RTB needs the harder gears and steel oil pump gear.

I hope John Gill can give us more detailed information on his car.

ROG100

Harvey,
We don't accept returns, have you not read our company policy. All returns will be inspected for finger prints and the restocking fee adjusted from the mandatory 25% to a max of 110% of the original purchase price according to how many are found on the product. You will have a window of opportunity to return your product of exactly 24 hours – any product not returned within the specified period will be considered non refundable and returned at the customers expense. For restocking fees that exceed the original purchase price we will need a bond to cover the overage.
For product purchased over 12 months ago there will be an additional restocking fee on top of the fingerprint fee. For additional details please email me directly.
8>)
Roger

ROG100

Borland,
How many miles on your belt?
Roger

john gill

The belt is undamaged , but it would appear that it has a lot of stretch in it a lot more than the stock belt, the stretch happens at high rpm at high load and is consistant , every time I race I check tha tension with the kempf tool and it is set to the high side similar to the stock ones . This belt produces more dust than the stock belt , why I dont know no scuff or wear marks evident .

Certainly got me wondering how close the valves are to the pistons when their is enough strech to activate the switch mechanism. I run the stock tensioner, which is checked regaularly also .

ROG100

John,
I would have thought the belt would be impossible to stretch given its construction. That was the whole point of its design. The warning system is notoriously bad and gives false warnings all the time. What is your basis for belt stretch? I will pass your comments on to Gates.
Roger

john gill

Hello Roger

Only that this occurs at high rpm (above 5500) and thus at high load , I rebuild all the tensions upon any engine dissassembly, as the belt upon inspection was unmarked although there was some dust in the covers.
Note that while at the track I put some more tension on the assembly , this resulted back in the workshop after inspection being over tensioned , note that this did not result in stopping the alarm activation .
THis occurred when the engine was raced , at high load and hot , on the track, driving the car home at sedate revs , did not cause alarm when it was revved .
AS this engine is still new and has been tracked 3 times this year , this alarm has observed at the last 2 sessions , I would have thought that the belt should have settled and stabilised last year when the engine was reinstalled last november ,
You could possible ask them what is the period of stretch befors stabilisation ?
I thought these were supposed to be the opposite ? ie low stretch
My greatest concern is that the thing is going to let go without warning , as I have yet mentioned I have witnessed belts that been on cars for 15 years with no signs of any stress or damage and have yet to see one break , mind you every time I have been in there I will replace the belt with the front covers removed .

toofast928

John are you using the Porkensioner?
Tony

H2

Are there any updates on people's experience with the Gates Racing Belt? Does anyone have a signficant number of miles logged with the new style belt? I bought one but, after reading this thread, am hesitant to install it with the stock tensioner.

H2

ROG100

Harvey,
I know you do not want to hear comments from me as the biased seller but as no one else has chimed in I will.

Belt construction used on a number of applications with total success and no known issues.
Belt construction used on the 944 series and again no known issues.
Over 100 928 RTB out there and to date no known issues apart from the two reported in this thread.

I do not sell the RTB to everyday users only Race applications unless the customer insists otherwise.

I feel from the feedback given by Greg that the RTB belt may have some additional wear effects on the very soft NLA cam gears. If the standard belt wears them as bad as we have seen then I agree with Greg's reasoning that the RTB could accelerate that - however no proof of that so far. With the new much harder cam gears I do not see that as an issue. The RTB used on the 944 series cars with practiacally the same (NLA) cam gear has no known issues.

Gates are very satisfied with the performance of the product. I and Greg have given feedback to Gates engineering and they see no concerns at this time.