NOS (new old stock) Timing Belts

[vitesse]

Well said Steve ! These are after all a product with a recommended shelf-life.

This business of shelf-life is not a new discovery, here's one from 2014, (https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/for...d.php?t=172642). Mat has been around these groups as long as I have, and even on the dark side (.org).

At the moment I'm thinking what an idiot I am that I never checked the DMGRS supplied belts, even though I knew of a date stamp, too trusting?

Anyone out there who wants to buy tyres with a date stamp of 2012 and accept an assurance from the fitting company that they will be safe?

Keep well

Mike

[DMGRS]

Originally Posted by vitesse

Well said Steve ! These are after all a product with a recommended shelf-life.

This business of shelf-life is not a new discovery, here's one from 2014, (https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/for...d.php?t=172642). Mat has been around these groups as long as I have, and even on the dark side (.org).

At the moment I'm thinking what an idiot I am that I never checked the DMGRS supplied belts, even though I knew of a date stamp, too trusting?

Anyone out there who wants to buy tyres with a date stamp of 2012 and accept an assurance from the fitting company that they will be safe?

Keep well

Mike

I'm quite surprised it's taken this long for it to be spotted that the 2018 date on the packaging doesn't align with that of the belt - I'd naively assumed this would match, given it's meant to be a production date for the component contained within.

So far the feedback we've had from other dealers also stocking these belts is that their stock seems OK too, and that the recommended fitting date is a 'worst case scenario' to account for retailers that store their belts in less-than-optimal conditions - I've been around the warehouse these are stored in myself, and they're all in closed box-on-pallets (so no UV light) in a well-maintained warehouse.

This isn't enough for us to say 'great, let's keeping supplying these forever' - we're still hunting for another source with a more recent date stamp, but it should be comforting for those with these fitted (as should our pledge to resolve any issues, should they happen).

[Reebs]

I too have purchased a belt kit from DMGRS for my tourer engine rebuild. Mine is dated 2012 as well, and I've been hitting the internet all morning trying to find a replacement part. So far, I've found that the belts they have at Rimmer Bros which they say on their website are Genuine OEM ones, are marked Rover when I asked them to go and check and it had the following number on it 08034190 which would indicate a year of manufacture of 2008! this seems to bear out what Mat has indicated in his reply.

Eurocarparts can source me one from their central distribution centre for tomorrow but can't tell me the manufacturer name or what date code would be written on it, and looking on line, I can buy a Quinton Hazell belt from autodock.co.uk or mymotorworld.com but again have no way of contacting them to find out the year of manufacture.

This is a minefield and my car is still currently sitting there waiting for the belt to go on.

[sean75]

The belts I've just replaced, not because of degradation I hasten to add, were fitted in 2010. it's entirely possible that the belts that were recently fitted are no newer or bizarrely older than this.

It's quite unnerving ,but really I have had no choice but to replace with what was available at the time, as it was a case of refitting existing belts when changing the hydraulic tensioner, or a new(old stock) alternative.

The label on the box that the belts came packed in has a barcode with the part number , product code and CD/05/23 which I hope is the manufacturing date.

[Reebs]

I’ve ordered a Gates belt from a local autofactors which won’t be in until tomorrow. Is there a date ID code on the Gates belt too? I’ve been looking on-line and so far not found any mention anywhere? It would be good to check the Gates belt tomorrow before I part with the readies.

[DMGRS]

Originally Posted by sean75

The belts I've just replaced, not because of degradation I hasten to add, were fitted in 2010. it's entirely possible that the belts that were recently fitted are no newer or bizarrely older than this.

It's quite unnerving ,but really I have had no choice but to replace with what was available at the time, as it was a case of refitting existing belts when changing the hydraulic tensioner, or a new(old stock) alternative.

The label on the box that the belts came packed in has a barcode with the part number , product code and CD/05/23 which I hope is the manufacturing date.

The code you mention seems to match up with a Britpart label format - were they from them?
If so, we've had them check all of their stock, and it's all 2008.
(Edited to add: I've just checked and it seems several suppliers share this date code system. If they're ours, they'll definitely be 2012 rather than 2008)

All of ours are 2012, as our supplier has been on the same batch for quite a while - a bit better, but still not ideal.

It's important to remember that your replacement belts will have been stored in a semi-sealed bag for the majority of the time since manufacture - an environment a lot more forgiving than being shielded from the elements by only a plastic cover, and being subjected to engine temperatures of up to 90(ish) degrees.

[sean75]

Originally Posted by DMGRS

The code you mention seems to match up with a Britpart label format - were they from them?
If so, we've had them check all of their stock, and it's all 2008.
(Edited to add: I've just checked and it seems several suppliers share this date code system. If they're ours, they'll definitely be 2012 rather than 2008)

All of ours are 2012, as our supplier has been on the same batch for quite a while - a bit better, but still not ideal.

It's important to remember that your replacement belts will have been stored in a semi-sealed bag for the majority of the time since manufacture - an environment a lot more forgiving than being shielded from the elements by only a plastic cover, and being subjected to engine temperatures of up to 90(ish) degrees.

They were purchased from DMGRS as part of a full timing belt kit with additional tensioner plunger invoice number 64826.

I appreciate that as a company you’ve declared that a guarantee on the belts is in place , but should this be provided in a manner more formal than a forum post?

That’s a question not a recommendation or criticism.

[DMGRS]

Originally Posted by sean75

They were purchased from DMGRS as part of a full timing belt kit with additional tensioner plunger invoice number 64826.

I appreciate that as a company you’ve declared that a guarantee on the belts is in place , but should this be provided in a manner more formal than a forum post?

That’s a question not a recommendation or criticism.

We're still putting together a full plan to deal with this, but we will indeed be making a more formal communication in the coming days / weeks once we have good supply of a replacement belt.

We want to make sure we have enough on hand to immediately swap over any belts for customers that request this - so we've decided to hold off until they're in our warehouse.
Fingers crossed it shouldn't be too long!

[DMGRS]

Originally Posted by Reebs

I too have purchased a belt kit from DMGRS for my tourer engine rebuild. Mine is dated 2012 as well, and I've been hitting the internet all morning trying to find a replacement part. So far, I've found that the belts they have at Rimmer Bros which they say on their website are Genuine OEM ones, are marked Rover when I asked them to go and check and it had the following number on it 08034190 which would indicate a year of manufacture of 2008! this seems to bear out what Mat has indicated in his reply.

Eurocarparts can source me one from their central distribution centre for tomorrow but can't tell me the manufacturer name or what date code would be written on it, and looking on line, I can buy a Quinton Hazell belt from autodock.co.uk or mymotorworld.com but again have no way of contacting them to find out the year of manufacture.

This is a minefield and my car is still currently sitting there waiting for the belt to go on.

We've been around all the 'usual' suppliers too, and all seem to be 2008 or 2012, with the majority being 2008.
We do have a few leads we're looking into presently for new stock, but I expect it'll take a day or two for quotes to be drawn up, or existing stock to be checked.
As always I'll keep the thread updated with progress

[Arctic]

HI Paul.
Try mister auto give them a ring see what they say.

https://www.mister-auto.co.uk/timing...-307-16341-gv/

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/car-parts/...j/10462-2-5-v6

Anywhere these belts are obtained from we need to ask for a date on the belt really by the look of it.