Mk4 Golf TDi

[saleen836]

As title, cambelt is due for a change very soon and am wanting to know is it wise to stick with genuine VW parts (belt/tensioners/water pump etc) or will parts from the likes of GSF be suitable?

[3sixty]

Bump for you.. looking for similar info for my 1.6.

[saleen836]

Anyone?

[cptsideways]

GSF stuff is normally fine, I'll happily use their stuff

[oxleypig]

gsf or eurocarparts sell good stuff,very suitable stuff with the same service life

[MintyChris]

Most say stick with genuine for important parts like the waterpump/tensioner etc. Filters dont really matter.

[Marky Boy]

You will be fine with GSF or Eurocarparts.

I used to work for Gates as a manufacturing engineer and Gates Aachen made the OE belts for VW. We also used to make a lot of the replacement parts, Unipart, Lemforder, QH etc... The aftermarket will have been made to the same spec on the same moulds in the same machines. So no real differences there.

As for tensioners etc.. Gates used to make them too, although I am not sure if we made the VW ones. Either way the chances are the aftermarket parts will have been made by the same supplier as the OE ones, only sold cheaper.

If you buy from a reputable supplier you will be fine.

As a note however. Never ever buy belts from the likes of ebay. When I was working at Gates we had a lot of problems with counterfeit belts which would snap. People would then try and claim the damage from us, which we would obviously not pay out.

HTH

Mark