NOS (new old stock) Timing Belts

[TeeCeeColley]

Just received my timing belt kit. Super quick delivery from UK to Australia and started on the job straight way. Unfortunately job is now on hold.

The reason?

The main timing belt has a manufacture date of August 2018. Yes, almost six years old.

The two small belts were manufactured in May 2023 which is okay, but installing a six year old main timing belt is just plain wrong.

Reluctant to name and shame, it is a supplier known to most on here but.........

Thoughts?

[gnu]

With all the work involved in fitting, I agree with you.

[Arctic]

Hi Terence.
Contact said seller right away and get them to ship out a belt within the date certainly no later than mid 2023 surely they should have checked this before sending out ? seeing that it's going to Australia

[SD1too]

Originally Posted by TeeCeeColley

The main timing belt has a manufacture date of August 2018.

Hi Terry,

Is this in a recognised automotive date format (usually week number followed by year) or is it a string of numbers which you've decoded using information from the internet?

Simon

[TeeCeeColley]

No decoding necessary, and no misinterpretation on my part. It's printed quite clearly on the label sealing the polythene bag, 24 Aug 2018.

[Azur]

Could be just a mistake during the packing process, sure the supplier will correct this. Good you have checked this and found it out before placing, but not nice you cannot continue.

Reminds me when I purchased tires. Somebody wanted to sell me new tires which where already a couple of years old. I always check the DOT code since somebody noticed this to me...and it seems we should always do this when purchasing things these days.


Emiel

[SD1too]

Thanks very much for the photograph Terry. I see what you mean, there's certainly no doubt about that date!

Simon

[xsport]

No dates on the belt then .. ?

[TeeCeeColley]

Originally Posted by xsport

No dates on the belt then .. ?

This prompted me to go beyond the 24 Aug 2018 date shown on the printed label and to look at the date code on the belt supplied. You won't believe what I found. 12124077. See picture attached. Yes, the belt had actually been manufactured in 2012, way older even than the dated label used to seal the bag.

A quick check on Dayco's website brought up this info "Dayco stamp a sequential number in their belts. The first two numbers indicate the year, the next two indicate the week and the fifth number tells us the day of the week. The final three digits on the code represent the position of the belt in the mould".

It didn't take long for me to find this official response from Dayco to a customer query.

"Thank you for reaching out to Dayco Products. Attached is a official statement from Dayco Products regarding the shelf life of Dayco Timing belts."

"In general timing belts have a shelf life of 5 years

To read the date code from a Dayco belt there should be somewhere on the belt an 8 digit code
Examples:
20 075113, 20 = 2020, 07 = 7th week, 5 = work day (5 = Friday), 113 is the position on a sleeve
Or
153218 21, 21 = 2021, 15 = 15th week of the year, 3 = Wednesday, 218 = position on the sleeve.

Hope this helps"

I spoke to a local motor factor who handles Dayco products and showed him the belt supplied. His comment?

"That belt was manufactured in 2012. Someone has found some old stock that would've been thrown away and rebagged it in 2018. They're taking the pis$, do not use it"

The UK supplier (chosen because they seem highly regarded on this forum) has refunded me the proportion of the order paid for the belt and I have sourced one locally with a manufacturing date of 2022.

[Arctic]

Hi Terry.
Have a read of this thread including what MB post 10 and Jules says post 34.

Thread from 2016 i doubt anything has changed since, Dayco belts not for me.

https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/for...d.php?t=250721