Home-made GM Part Numbered Belts

[69hurstolds]

So, I've got a couple of sets of NOS belts, but I also happen to have some factory-installed belts for my 85 442.

I hesitated to use aftermarket belts, as they're just not marked up properly.

I checked into those aftermarket reproduction GM belts, but while they look pretty cool, they're pretty pricey as well. Plus, nobody will tell me where they got them made, and they don't have correct codes/part numbers. Once again, I gotta make my own. So I got 4 part number stamps made, as well as the "dot code" stamps, whatever those are. I tried to find out for sure, but nobody is coming off that info or they don't know.

So here's my latest test piece. The OEM belt (A.I.R. pump) is on the bottom, and I replicated a stamp best I could. The top belt is an old, used aftermarket belt I took off the 84 simply used for testing the stamps. My bet is, although not exactly like original, it can pass muster at any judging because 1)it's the correct part number, and 2) unless you poke it right up next to a GM belt, I'm thinking it won't be easy to tell. Besides, reproduction stuff is fine if it LOOKS like the original part. I may go back and redo the stamps more exact, but then again, who's really going to notice?

I'm happy with how it turned out. Not exact, but I'm happy enough not to nit-pick it to death. I got several "made in USA" belts that I'm going to use to make my repros. Mostly Dayco.

 

[oldsofb]

Another work of art! The judges better step their game up.

Hutch

 

[69hurstolds]

The test batch went ok, I guess. I could be better at it. The alternator belt got a tad angled, but that's ok too, as I've seen original belts like that. I got a picture of an OEM one somewhere I'll have to see if I can dig up.

These belts are for a 1985-87 VIN 9 442. Ironically, they're not all the same part numbers for all 307s.

Top to bottom- A/C belt, Smog pump belt, Alternator belt, and PS belt. The interesting part I find is that even though some of the "manufacturer" names differ on the boxes, all of them say they were made by Gates, and all made in the U.S.A. The alternator belt 562160 got replaced with a 7/16" x 56.0" under p/n 9433764 not long after G-body production stopped.

Here's the factory belts. The PS belt was weird in that it has a different font for the p/n like older 60s-70s belts, and the rest of the info was in a different font. I tried to mimic that the best I could.
Top to bottom- Smog pump belt, Alternator belt, PS belt, A/C belt.

And here's a replacement (unobtanium) 9433640 Goodwrench belt. You can see the numbering was more like what you'd expect to see. The supersession number for the PS belt was 9433743 and was a 7/16" x 45.5" belt. I've only ever seen two of these still in the box. The other one I got is in another box. You can tell this belt means business. It has nylon cords everywhere in it. Even the factory belts weren't built like that.

 

[69hurstolds]

These are those belts I was talking about. They look pretty neat, and if they had the right part numbers available, I'd just buy these, however, at nearly 30 bucks each, that's an easy 116 bucks for a set of 4. Plus tax and shipping. I've got about $30 in the set of belts, if that. If you add the ink and stamp production costs, it puts it on par with the repro belts. But as soon as I make a spare set, the economies of scale kick in and drops the price per set considerably. Besides, I get to have correct numbers for my car.

 

[69hurstolds]

Found that pic of that angled factory inkstamp. Something went a hair screwy at the factory I guess. It's an A/C belt, for anyone wondering.

 

[86LK]

how much extra horsepower do you get for having the stamps on the belt? do they deduct Bloomington Gold points for trying to forge NOS belts? inquiring minds want to know! 😱

 

[69hurstolds]

how much extra horsepower do you get for having the stamps on the belt? do they deduct Bloomington Gold points for trying to forge NOS belts? inquiring minds want to know! 😱

60 HP gain. Rounded up from raw data of 59.73 HP. The surface of the belt is a bit rough, so the ink fills in the gaps making it smoother, allowing it to spin easier with less drag on the belt surface. It's a small gain per belt, but it adds up.

I get 0 point deductions.

 

[86LK]

60 HP gain. Rounded up from raw data of 59.73 HP. The surface of the belt is a bit rough, so the ink fills in the gaps making it smoother, allowing it to spin easier with less drag on the belt surface. It's a small gain per belt, but it adds up.

I get 0 point deductions.

that's only 'cuz +50 points for creativity but -50 for cheatin'! so you break even 🙈

 

[abbey castro]

These are the original hoses on my 87SS I've owned since new. The ink IS 39yrs old. How many points do I get at Bloomburg? I also have the original bar code tags on the springs, sway bars etc.

 

[86LK]

These are the original hoses on my 87SS I've owned since new. The ink IS 39yrs old. How many points do I get at Bloomburg? I also have the original bar code tags on the springs, sway bars etc.

0 points! you've obviously let ink maintenance lapse to the point where it is starting to flake off. you're lucky we don't take that car away from you!