[flash]

i was poking around another site, and saw something that just made me crack up (happens all the time there). of course, just to be doubly sure, i verified with a quick call directly to the manufacturer, what i and most people already knew.



here is the ridiculous statement:



"When comparing factory belts to oem belts, I found the factory belts to be more pliable and less rigid. I wonder if these places sell are the same factory spec? My feeling is, just like tires, Porsche has it's own specification for belts which is only available thru a dealer.

I wonder if your belts would last 4-5 yrs like the factory belts. You put a lot more miles in a shorter time compared to most other 968 owners."





for the record, gates is the belt Porsche now provides, and gates does NOT supply a different belt to Porsche than it does to the other suppliers. they are EXACTLY the same belt. the only difference is the cardboard sleeve. there is no difference whatsoever in specification, manufacturing, material, or anything else.

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[Eric_Oz_S2]

The last time I got a belt from Porsche it was branded "Porsche". It was 5 years ago. I now use Gates. So are the belts from the dealer no longer branded "Porsche"?

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[flash]

porsche changes vendors from time to time, depending on the deal they can get. they started with gates and dayco. they are back to gates. to answer the question though, i have not seen a timing or balance belt for this model branded "porsche" in a very long time.

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[judge]

While I accept everything you say about our belts, to be fair he does have a point about tyres.



I recently had to buy a new set of boots for my wifes Merc A Class and I deceided to go with the oem spec Continentals. I forget the whole sequence of numbers and lettes, but the original had an "M" at the end. WHen I spoke to my tyre guy he said that stood for Mercedes and they came out of the factory with a more rigid spec and quality control regime than the statndard tyre whithout the "M". I have since seen a similar thing with Audi tyres with an "A" on the sidewall.



Is there a tyre out there with a "P"?

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[flash]

regarding the "N" spec tires, there is no difference in the tire, it merely means that porsche approved that particular tire per their testing procedures. it's not like a tire company makes a tire in both an "N" spec and a non "N" spec in the same model and size. it's a lot like having UL or TUV Approved sticker. it just means it underwent somebody's tests for specific criteria, and in this case it was Porsche.

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[Cloud9...68]

I agree with Flash on this. It seems very unlikely that component manufacturers would have the resources to keep different sets of specs for all the various car companies, and vary their products to meet those specs.

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[flash]

yup - further on the "N" tires, not every tires is tested, nor does it mean that those tires are best. it just means that porsche approved them. a good example is the continental. crap tire from my experience, but they approved them.

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[968Syncro]

[quote name='flash' timestamp='1350672610' post='133953']

"When comparing factory belts to oem belts, ......"

[/quote]

I could use some help here, what is the difference between "factory" and "OEM"? I always equated the 2 terms. Thanks.



Roland

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[flash]

roflmao - yeah - saw that too

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[MLB]

Hi, My 968 is new to me, and I'm about to get my timing belt replaced. I requested that my (independent, sole proprietor) mechanic use Gates belts (and whoever actually makes the tensioners & rollers that would come with a belt kit for balance shafts too)

He recommended a 'porsche' belt and claimed it was made by Pirelli, not Gates

?

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[flash]

as far as i know, pirelli has never supplied the belts for our car to porsche. as of a few weeks ago, gates was still the supplier to porsche.



it's stuff like this that makes me crazy. some little bit of misinformation gets out there, and it seems plausible, so somebody else assumes it's right. then they pass it on. before you know it, we have people calling stuff by the wrong names, misquoting or misrepresenting technical information, and generally misleading the readers.



but, that's why this site is here. we work really hard to present only accurate information.

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[MLB]

Thanks flash, the mechanic is basically a 911 guy, I haven't yet been able to make a 'love connexion' with the 944/968 race shop mechanic I also want to have work on my car.

I press the Gates request once more.

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[MLB]

Well I asked again and this time he didn't deny Porsche used gates but instead he claimed well its made in the UK and not a gates made in the US...(implying its a better quality part, or at least that he believes it is)

Hmm, this mechanic comes recommended by a friend but that kind of talk doesn't exactly inspire confidence, not for me. My profession is in the biological sciences and so I have learned a healthy distrust of inaccurate or curiously incomplete info.

But each mechanic may have his preferences and has learned what suppliers he can be confident in, I can respect that and won't balk over the additional $90 for the belt, but I prefer to get straight answers the first time, y'know?

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[gbarrier]

Don't know as I've ever paid $90 for a belt. Between 944s and 968s I've used Gates, Dayco, and other less expensive ones. Was never able to tell the difference.

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[Tom030]

RE "N" spec tires per Porsche.

Actually there is a difference in N spec tires. In the case of Porsche and other vehicle manufactures it may be as simple as narrowing the belt package in order to reduce the rollng resistance. This would result in better fuel economy. The downside is a reduction in lateral traction. You as a driver might not notice any difference but insturmented testing would confirm the change. Building spec tires for vehicle manufacturers is not unusual. A tire is a major component of a vehicles suspension and as such can have a dramatic effect the handling of a vehicle.

Just Sayin

tom

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[tamathumper]

We sell an enormous amount of product into the tire and belt market, and at least from my distant view of the industry, products from reputable suppliers made in one country can differ a little from products made in another, but by and large they all meet a global spec. And yes, once in a while something can go bad with a production run of a raw material or tires/belts themselves, but that's not to say the product made in the UK is less worthy than the product made in the US, or vice versa.



Given there are only a few thousand of our cars, the mechanics that have had the privilege to work on enough of them to formulate an "I know what's best for you" opinion on belts is probably pretty darned low,...



The fact that the mechanic is recommended by a friend is no indication of quality either, unfortunately. And if the mechanic does a hack job on your car, it will be awkward. Try canvasing the local PCA to see if there are other recommendations for, or against a particular shop.

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[Rap]

When I purchased my first 968 the owner who was a long time friend recommended a shop and mechanic two hours away. He had been pleased with the work and the mechanic worked on a fair number of 968's. It was a bit of a pain but worth it. Now the mechanic moved on to another shop in NJ and I still make the trek to him. Recommendations on 968 mechanics are best but I would ask a recommended mechanic how many 968's he has worked on. All Porsche's are not the same!

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[flash]

"N" spec only means that the tire meets the specs porsche has on their list. it does not necessarily mean that the tire is any better than any other. it doesn't even mean it works on all porsches. can you imagine the same tire working the same on a boxster that you would on a cayenne or panamera?



when i spoke to gates about the belt, and was making sure it was exactly the same belt sold at pep boys as it was at porsche, they were here in the states. i wouldn't care if it was made here or there though. by the way, unless your guy is marking it up heavily, gates turns out to be less expensive than others. it is a rarity these days that the better product turns out to cost less.



re the mechanic: i'd be looking elsewhere. that feels funky, and it sounds like he is setting himself up for an "escape hatch" if anything goes wrong.

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[Grandpa#3]

The price of a Complete Belt Kit with all rollers at Paragon Parts is only $269.00 for a 968 and it uses Gates Belts as standard. They charge more $85.86 for a Porsche Belt, so you are just paying for a name. IMHO, Gates or Dayco are the best belts. Any time you have to take your car in to be worked on you better have deep pockets.



Cheers,

Larry

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[Tom030]

RE "N" spec. O.K. look at it this way ABC motors is coming out with a new high end model. One of the

selling points is to be that it is the quietest car on the road. The bid goes out to the various tire vendors

to come up with the quietest tire they can engineer in a fairly common size, speed rating & fuel mileage

expectation. Tire company Z takes an inline production product, modifies the compound, tweeks the tread

pattern and comes up with a winning tire except for the fact that because of a compound change the tire gets 10

less wear than the inline production product. But thats o.k. since most o.e. tires do not carry a mileage warranty.

In the tire catalog the o.e. spec will carry a special part number signifying that this is the exact same tire that

came on the vehicle from the factory. In order for the tire company to commit to building a special tire the vehicle

manufacturer commits to a very large number of spec or in the case of Porsche "N" tires. This is not to say the o.e.

tire is any better or worse than the spec tire. It is however tuned to the specific vehicle.



-tom





.

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