So Mazda has switched from Bando belts to Gates. Turkeys! I bought what I thought was a Bando from my local Mazda dealer 5 weeks ago and today its garbage. Mazdatrix has Bando, but being in Canada I'm not looking forward to getting thumped on shipping and exchange and then duty, too (everything that I've had shipped up from the states since the WTC attacks has been gutted.) So my question has 2 parts:

- Does anyone know of a Canadian business or chain that carries Bando alternator belts for FCs?

- Are there any other alternator belts that people have used and would recommend? The Gates are obviously worthless, and I've been told that the Dayco belts are, too. What's left?

ttyl,
Amur_

 

Dayco's are fine as long as you buy the Top-Cogs. i have been using them for years.

They have a Kevlar cord system.
They only cost like $18 ex for the alt belt.


if you need number, e-mail me, i think i have the boxes from a couple weeks ago when i re-belted my new Turbo II

 

I checked back with the shop that didn't like the Dayco alternator belts and told them about the Top Cogs. They said that they carry the Top Cogs and that they used them with the belt and that the belt still failed prematurely. They are looking for belts that can hold up for racing. They haven't used the Daycos for regular street use.
Do you use the Dayco belts for racing or just the street? Do you have any further comments about installing or treating the Dayco belt?

Thanx!

Amur_

 

I bought my '91 N/A in April, unbeknown to me the alternator belt had failed a short time earlier and the previous owner had it replaced at Canadian Tire, who used one of their stocked belts, by the time it failed a few months later it was so badly shreaded that I couldn't make out the brand, it had actullay flipped inside out and was running that way with shreads tearing at the under hood liner! Needless to say I wasn't happy about that! It would seem that the original owner never reved the engine past half way so the cheap CT belt worked OK until my lead foot began taking the engine much closer to redline

When made the inquirey to Mazda about the belt they said not to use any belts that had the cogs on the underside (facing the pully) because they tended to ride out of the groove at high RPM's. So I purchased the Mazda OEM belt $16 and other than tightening it up after a couple of months have had no problem visiting the RPM heavens, it may be a Gates but so far it works...

So I'm not sure why your slammin' Gates?

 

Actually the original belts on RX-7s in Canada were Mitsubishi.Mazda Canada have substituted Bando and now Dayco for some belts.You can tell by the part no.that a belt is a substitute when the last 2 digits are 9U.
I have no idea where you can buy Mitsu belts.Like the previous writer my last alterator belt from Mazda was a Dayco.It has been satisfactory over the past year and 15k kms.Of course I never exceed 7000rpm or 140mph whichever comes first!

 

RE Amemiya makes some good belts. They use Kevlar wrapped with Leather.

 

I'm slamming Gates because the Gates belt I put in my non-turbo '86, which I use to go to work (15 mins one way) and to get groceries and other in-town, 50km/h limit-type activities FAILED after 5 weeks. I bought it on September 15th, put it in that day, re-tightened it about 2 weeks later and yanked the thing this past Tuesday morning.
The belt is all cracked and fragged. After 5 weeks? Might as well have used one of my ex's nylons to run the alternator. Be damned if I ever buy anything with 'Gates' on it again.

Thank you for the Amemiya 411. Will follow up...

Amur_





- good deal on slightly used car...