Ina or Gates Timing belt kit

[jackking]

I need to replace my timing belt, when i was replacing the clutch the aux drive belt was cracked, i'm thinking the timing belt may be in the same condition and needs replacing.

Which timing belt kit with water pump to go for Ina or Gates, i've read good reviews about both but i've read a couple of negative reviews saying the tensioner in the Gates kit have had quality issues, i don't know if this is true or not, so which would you choose Ina or Gates.

[DVandrews]

For my particular application I go with INA tensioner and Gates belt, the OE setup was the same on this engine.

Dave

[Arnold Cunningham]

I'm generally always happy with INA tensioners and so forth. Don't, whatever you do, go with a Dayco kit - the belts are fine (they're often OEM), but their tensioners on multiple cars I've experienced are terrible quality. Contitec seem OK - my last contitec kit had an ina tensioner and was good.

[Belle427]

INA for me, i wont touch gates anymore after a couple of failures, luckily not on timing belt equipment but they are not the company they once were.
Probably still ok for belts in fairness though.

[E-bmw]

Do you have any details on when the cambelt was done last?

[Feirny]

jackking said:

I need to replace my timing belt, when i was replacing the clutch the aux drive belt was cracked, i'm thinking the timing belt may be in the same condition and needs replacing.

Which timing belt kit with water pump to go for Ina or Gates, i've read good reviews about both but i've read a couple of negative reviews saying the tensioner in the Gates kit have had quality issues, i don't know if this is true or not, so which would you choose Ina or Gates.

INA for me, and we sell both.

Are you buying from NPA as you’re up in Cumbria?

[jackking]

I don't know when it was last changed or if it as ever been changed, i can't see a sticker in the engine bay, looking at how worn the aux belt is i'm thinking it needs doing to be on the safe side.

I'll go with an Ina kit, Thanks everyone.

[rottenegg]

I don't know what car it is but with German cars, pretty much all of them use INA tensioners, idler pulleys and usually Continental for the belt, and IWIS for chains. These can all be found on AutoDoc for a lot less than dealer prices!

Didn't Gates invent the cambelt? Surprised they are sub par, but maybe shifted production to a cheaper facility.

[Matthew Dawood Khaghani]

I've heard Gates is garbage now.

[Mike r g]

Timing belt kits the last two DAYCO kits used ON ONE the tensioner failed but luckily got away with that one by skin of teeth.
The second I had to put original water pump back for the DAYCO one was not fit for purpose
I contacted DAYCO but never got a reply.
NEVER WILL I TRUST MY LUCK WITH THESE KITS AGAIN.

[Belle427]

I had a gates auxiliary belt tensioner fail after only a month so I won't touch them anymore, they were always known for their quality belts though.
Dayco always had a good reputation but like everything quality may have gone downhill.
I don't trust many parts from Ebay unless they are from a reputable source.

[redbulletv8]

I'm convinced that a lot of Ebay stuff is fake these days so only use a trusted supplier now.

[chris1roll]

I think they are all much of a muchness as part of a slow slide to the lowest common denominator these days.
Had a cambelt driven INA water pump fail on my wifes car after just 30k miles (interval 100k) so that car has a gates kit on it now.
My car the new gates tensioner sounded awful when running so it's got the previous INA tensioner on it (HG job so not aged).

:dunno:

[GeniusOfLove]

Unfortunately the only way to get anything approaching a "safe bet" now seems to be going OEM, on timing gear given the labour proportion of the job and the consequences of failure I'd consider eating the cost.

[chris1roll]

Trouble is for my car the OEM tensioner is NLA, as is the -not cambelt driven- water pump.
You can still get OEM belts [There are rumours they are stopping production of square tooth oem belts so I'd have to change crank, cam and oil pump sprockets to round tooth at that point anyway] but it seems to be the bearings in tensioners and the like that are failing, rather than belts breaking before time.

I probably should have gone genuine on my wifes car but I could get the gates kit 'same day' once I had discovered the squeaking was the water pump being seized solid when turned by hand

[GeniusOfLove]

Yes belts seem to be fine, harder to mess up I suppose, but bearings and tensioners and anything that moves has absolutely nosedived in quality the last 10-20 years.

It's bad enough when it's a wheel bearing you changed 5 months ago that gives up the ghost but a timing chain tensioner is a different matter.

If there is a chance your belts are going to be NLA I'd buy two spares and keep them in a sealed box in the dark somewhere. They'll last a long time ready to fit when you need them.