On Thu, 09 Dec 2004 20:06:14 -0600, Bubba <wdg@[204.52.135.1]> wrote:
>In article <MPG.1c2191693b4b98ba989f00@207.14.113.17> Dave Garrett
><dave@compassnet.com> writes:
>>An alternate data point: I'm in Houston too, and the T-belt recently
>>broke on my '91 CRX with just under 115K on the clock. It had been
>>replaced at 60K per factory recommendation, but that had been almost
>>seven years ago. It had dry-rotted to the point where several teeth were
>>almost stripped off.
>
>Hmmm, OK, have to ask, was the replacement belt OEM from the dealership or
>one from the aftermarket? Rubber dry-rotting early smacks of a possible
>quality issue. OZONE and U/V light (along with heat) are the enemies of
>rubber products. We can probably rule out the sunlight, but good quality
>belts are designed to withstand punishment. Sounds like the replacement
>didn't measure up to the quality of the original.

Even "best quality" belts have a determinable Mean Time Between
Failure: Honda has figured theirs at comfortably more than
100,000miles OR 7years, lately.

It's an interference engine and the belt replacement is considerably
less expensive than a top-end engine rebuild: Why act foolishly?

 

On Thu, 09 Dec 2004 20:06:14 -0600, Bubba <wdg@[204.52.135.1]> wrote:
>In article <MPG.1c2191693b4b98ba989f00@207.14.113.17> Dave Garrett
><dave@compassnet.com> writes:
>>An alternate data point: I'm in Houston too, and the T-belt recently
>>broke on my '91 CRX with just under 115K on the clock. It had been
>>replaced at 60K per factory recommendation, but that had been almost
>>seven years ago. It had dry-rotted to the point where several teeth were
>>almost stripped off.
>
>Hmmm, OK, have to ask, was the replacement belt OEM from the dealership or
>one from the aftermarket? Rubber dry-rotting early smacks of a possible
>quality issue. OZONE and U/V light (along with heat) are the enemies of
>rubber products. We can probably rule out the sunlight, but good quality
>belts are designed to withstand punishment. Sounds like the replacement
>didn't measure up to the quality of the original.

Even "best quality" belts have a determinable Mean Time Between
Failure: Honda has figured theirs at comfortably more than
100,000miles OR 7years, lately.

It's an interference engine and the belt replacement is considerably
less expensive than a top-end engine rebuild: Why act foolishly?

 

In article <oq0ir01pqv7g5ra196loa13n2mr2rp4fe5@4ax.com>, wdg@
[204.52.135.1] says...
> In article <MPG.1c2191693b4b98ba989f00@207.14.113.17> Dave Garrett
> <dave@compassnet.com> writes:

> >An alternate data point: I'm in Houston too, and the T-belt recently
> >broke on my '91 CRX with just under 115K on the clock. It had been
> >replaced at 60K per factory recommendation, but that had been almost
> >seven years ago. It had dry-rotted to the point where several teeth were
> >almost stripped off.
>
> Hmmm, OK, have to ask, was the replacement belt OEM from the dealership or
> one from the aftermarket? Rubber dry-rotting early smacks of a possible
> quality issue. OZONE and U/V light (along with heat) are the enemies of
> rubber products. We can probably rule out the sunlight, but good quality
> belts are designed to withstand punishment. Sounds like the replacement
> didn't measure up to the quality of the original.

The replacement wasn't done at a dealership, but at an independent shop
specializing in Hondas that used to be highly regarded locally (I no
longer use them, but that decision was largely unrelated to the quality
of the work performed there). I don't know if the belt was aftermarket
or not, but it's certainly possible that it was.

Dave

 

In article <oq0ir01pqv7g5ra196loa13n2mr2rp4fe5@4ax.com>, wdg@
[204.52.135.1] says...
> In article <MPG.1c2191693b4b98ba989f00@207.14.113.17> Dave Garrett
> <dave@compassnet.com> writes:

> >An alternate data point: I'm in Houston too, and the T-belt recently
> >broke on my '91 CRX with just under 115K on the clock. It had been
> >replaced at 60K per factory recommendation, but that had been almost
> >seven years ago. It had dry-rotted to the point where several teeth were
> >almost stripped off.
>
> Hmmm, OK, have to ask, was the replacement belt OEM from the dealership or
> one from the aftermarket? Rubber dry-rotting early smacks of a possible
> quality issue. OZONE and U/V light (along with heat) are the enemies of
> rubber products. We can probably rule out the sunlight, but good quality
> belts are designed to withstand punishment. Sounds like the replacement
> didn't measure up to the quality of the original.

The replacement wasn't done at a dealership, but at an independent shop
specializing in Hondas that used to be highly regarded locally (I no
longer use them, but that decision was largely unrelated to the quality
of the work performed there). I don't know if the belt was aftermarket
or not, but it's certainly possible that it was.

Dave