Identifying Replacement Belts For OEM Products

One of the more common inquiries that our Product Application Engineering Group receives is to identify replacement belts for consumer or commercial products.  This may include belts for outdoor recreational products such as snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, or scooters.  Commercial products may include consumer or commercial lawn grooming equipment, rotor tillers, trenchers, brush cutters, edgers, blowers, etc. 

Replacement belt identifications and recommendations are managed by the Gates Automotive Aftermarket group.  Their main webpage is:  http://www.gates.com/index.cfm?location_id=783.  There are three primary sources of information available to identify recommended replacement belts:

 1)  Search for replacement belts by part number or application at:       http://www.gates.com/part_locator/index.cfm?location_id=3002

2)  Download application catalogs at:  http://www.gates.com/catalogs/index.cfm?requesting=automotivecatalog&location_id=5326

3)  Download the unique NaviGates mobile app from:  http://www.gates.com/brochure.cfm?brochure=12108&location_id=5327

These tools are readily available at your fingertips, and are some of the most powerful in the industry.  Identifying replacement belts using these tools is usually quicker than calling in for assistance.

It is useful to understand that Gates recommended replacement belts should not be assumed to be exact OEM originals.  Gates work with OEM customers is maintained as confidential, so replacement belt recommendations are generally based on dimensional equivalent belts in standard constructions.  Obtaining replacements from OEM manufacturers is recommended if identical belt performance is desired.

For additional information, feel free to contact Gates Product Application Engineering at 303-744-5800 or ptpasupport@gates.com.

507C Attachment Selection

When a new 507C Sonic Tension Meter is purchased it will come with the standard, cord type microphone.  However, did you know that Gates offers two additional attachments that may be more suited for your particular drive system?  If the standard Cord Microphone is working yet has proved to be cumbersome due to the two hand operation, then the optional Flat Flexible Sensor would be a great addition to your PM toolkit. The Flat Flexible Sensor allows for simple, one handed use of the 507C which enables a single person to easily and accurately measure the tension in a belt drive system.  

If the standard cord microphone is not currently working due to excessive ambient noise, high winds, or extremely low belt span frequencies, then the optional Inductive Sensor would be the attachment you would want to use.  As opposed to the Microphone on both the Cord and Flexible Sensors which work on sound waves, the Inductive Sensor utilizes magnets attached to the belt to measure the span frequency wand therefore is not affected by wind or noise.  

The part numbers for these additional attachements are:

• Flat Flexible Sensor: 7420-0205
• Inductive Sensor: 7420-0212

For any additional questions on these attachments or any other inquiry, feel free to contact us at ptpasupport@gates.com or 303-744-5800.