[rotorwrench]

The rubber V-belt has been around since John Gates made the first one in 1917. They are to this day, hard to beat for power transmission. They only lost out to flat serpentine types due to reliability problems when changing directions many times as the flat design can do that better in that respect but doesn't necessarily grip as well.


Most modern V-belts are manufactured in metric sizes that don't necessarily cross over well to the inch sizes. This can lead to reliability issues that some of the modern replacements have experienced. If they are close, they will work but may not have a long life. Belts that are not wrapped can deteriorate faster than those that aren't but it also depends on the reinforcement chord quality internal to the belt design.


Rubber products start to deteriorate from the time of manufacture so they have a shelf life even if they aren't used at all. The wrapped type belt is lightly preserved from ozone deterioration and is less apt to become oil soaked if there is a seal leak. There is nothing wrong with using them.