serpentine belt questions

[wazzabie]

1. At how many miles do you replace the serpentine belts?

2. I used to always get the Gates belts however now I find they are made in Mexico. Dayco Poly-W belts are made in USA. I'm not sure if I should stay with the Gates or change now to the Dayco. My preference in USA.

I did buy some Gates belt tensioners that were from Canada and look well built.

 

[diesel4me]

The Dayco serpentine belts have a cross hatched pattern instead of straight v ribs like the Gates...I dont know if that is better or not,some Fords seem to squeal the belts more after a cold start with a Dayco on it ...cant say if they hold up longer or not,or if it might make the belt more prone to de-rail ..

 

[4X4HIGH]

Not really a mileage concern as it is an interval inspection of the belt to check for signs of cracking and also to make sure the tensioner is within it's operating range as indicated by the arrow and marks on it.

 

[76zimmer]

you can get a serp belt gauge at a local auto parts store, the gauge goes down into the ribs of the belt, if the ribs are worn past the gauge, time to replace....also if any cracking, glazing or desintigration of the belt is occuring.