Serpentine Belt
- Thread starter 93Snake
- Start date
scottgf
Viper Owner
Why would you want a longer belt??
Just get the correct one from Dodge...
Cheers,
Just get the correct one from Dodge...
Cheers,
big-n-italian
Enthusiast
<< Just get the correct one from Dodge... >>
i agree. 3/10 doesnt sound like much and would prob be ok, but why? i wouldnt risk it even if the dodge belt were to cost more. my 0.02.
i agree. 3/10 doesnt sound like much and would prob be ok, but why? i wouldnt risk it even if the dodge belt were to cost more. my 0.02.
v10kingsnake
Viper Owner
3/10 inch is huge in my opinion, this is about as much a any belt should stretch over its life span in mu opinion. its like you installing a new stretched belt on a car that pushes 500 crank hp and torque. ARE YOU NUTS. 40 some dollars and this is even a concern of yours. i could see if dodge wanted several hundred and you said what the heck let me try the goodyear but for the same money your thinking about substituting the wrong size is just plain dumb.
V10SpeedLuvr
Enthusiast
Ditto. The belt was 1 of the things I replaced when i 1st bought my car. I would never even think about an aftermarket belt. Especially if i knew the belt wasnt the right size anyway.
Keep in mind that some of the "parts stores" belts that SAY they fit a given Viper model actually do NOT fit. It can be trial and error.
v10kingsnake
Viper Owner
no doubt this guy had the goodyear in stock versus the other part which was not. hey, he's a chitty salesman trying to push a sale. def, go with the stock size only.
snampro
Enthusiast
call chuck tator, I think a new belt cost me less than $50 including shipping
(914) 763-3136
edit: that's a mopar belt too...
(914) 763-3136
edit: that's a mopar belt too...
Hoosier Daddy
Enthusiast
I don't see a problem, all it means is the idler pulley will come out just a little further. Thats the piece that puts tension on the belt anyway.
LETHAL GTS
Viper Owner
Exactly!scottgf
Viper Owner
Ya, but you are allready starting out with a "stretched" belt....Why???
FYI: I bought a "NAPA" belt for my snake (too lazy to drive to a dealer) and it started slipping after just a few miles....Bought a "Mopar" belt....no problems so far...
Cheers,
v10kingsnake
Viper Owner
do what you want it's your car right. hey, if you put 87 octane in her you can save aprox. 4 bucks on each fill!
LETHAL GTS
Viper Owner
Sounds like there was more to it. The belt tensioner (if the spring is up the spec) will more than compensate for 3/10th's. A good quality rubber belt doesn't require a great deal of pressure. One that has been sitting on the self for lord knows how long will be dry and not have much adhesion on your pulleys. So I would say that if we are talking within 3/10's that the quality of the belt would be a bigger factor when you are using a tensioner pulley that has likely close to an inch of travel. BTW these belts are line with nylon etc.. so that the stretching is limited.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that an aftermarket belt is the way to go, but I wouldn't be concerned about one that is a c^*t hair longer than the stock belt.
Joseph Dell
Enthusiast
All I know is that the NAPA and GATES (same anyway) cross-reference # for the viper belt is the wrong belt. It is for a car w/o AC (though they don't tell you that).
I seem to recall that there is a belt made by gates that is a little longer and one that is a little shorter... but not by 3/10ths. I wouldn't mind using a belt 3/10ths longer just as a belt 1/2" shorter would be fine (just puts the tensioner to work ever-so-slightly more). As long as it fits, a belt is a belt.
note that the "stock" belt looks a bit like a god year gatorback with it's ribs...
JD
I seem to recall that there is a belt made by gates that is a little longer and one that is a little shorter... but not by 3/10ths. I wouldn't mind using a belt 3/10ths longer just as a belt 1/2" shorter would be fine (just puts the tensioner to work ever-so-slightly more). As long as it fits, a belt is a belt.
note that the "stock" belt looks a bit like a god year gatorback with it's ribs...
JD
scottgf
Viper Owner
Tracy,
You could be right, I bought a new tensioner at the same time I bought the Mopar belt...Havent installed it yet...The new Mopar belt may just be masking the weak tensioner for a while...
Cheers,
96GTS
Enthusiast
I had mine replaced yesterday, and it cost $144.00 at the dealership. Is peace-of-mind (not to mention the cost of an engine) not worth that?
96GTS
Enthusiast
I just got home and had to check under the hood to see if my Viper tech installed a supercharger because the new belt has a "blower whine." When it stretches a little and goes away, I may have a new one installed again. 
It's a sound I could become very use to.
It's a sound I could become very use to.snampro
Enthusiast
where did my post go? man, that's lame...someone deleted it
I said: I did my belt for the cost of the belt ($41.50) and I know it was done right, that's peace of mind. All your $144 bought you was the convenience on not doing the work yourself and a false sense of security.
Have a relationship with a great car, do the work yourself.
To each his own...
I said: I did my belt for the cost of the belt ($41.50) and I know it was done right, that's peace of mind. All your $144 bought you was the convenience on not doing the work yourself and a false sense of security.
Have a relationship with a great car, do the work yourself.
To each his own...
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