I have a 3.2" pulleyand a 4080745 Goodyear Gatorback belt on that has developed light cracks around the entire inner surface where the grooves are. Concerned about these light cracks, I took the belt off and brought it to my local parts store. The parts counterman was really nice and ordered three belts for me to compare. He ordered me another Gatorback, a Dayco and a Napa/Gates belt.
The Gatorback has a truly unconventional pattern compared to the Dayco and Napa/Gates. The Goodyear belt, to me, felt the lightest in weight. Being that my Goodyear belt was only a few months old and had already developed cracks, I opted to pass on this belt. The parts guy said that the high underhood temperatures of the vehicle probably contributed to the belt drying out and cracking.
The Dayco belt had a plastic feeling on the belt, sort of like the feeling of touching a cheap set of vinyl seats on a 1960's era car. I would bet that the Dayco belt would crack easily just like cheap vinyl seats.
The Napa/Gates belt had a very conventional look and feel. The weight of the belt felt comparable to the factory Motorcraft belt and the texture of the rubber felt similar to the Motorcraft belt. I placed my money down and bought the Napa/Gates belt. Hopefully it will last a while.
The Gatorback has a truly unconventional pattern compared to the Dayco and Napa/Gates. The Goodyear belt, to me, felt the lightest in weight. Being that my Goodyear belt was only a few months old and had already developed cracks, I opted to pass on this belt. The parts guy said that the high underhood temperatures of the vehicle probably contributed to the belt drying out and cracking.
The Dayco belt had a plastic feeling on the belt, sort of like the feeling of touching a cheap set of vinyl seats on a 1960's era car. I would bet that the Dayco belt would crack easily just like cheap vinyl seats.
The Napa/Gates belt had a very conventional look and feel. The weight of the belt felt comparable to the factory Motorcraft belt and the texture of the rubber felt similar to the Motorcraft belt. I placed my money down and bought the Napa/Gates belt. Hopefully it will last a while.
