Thanks for that link,
Their belt does look the same section, and as they say the originals have been NLA for some time.
[edit] is that price USD? They are in Oregon, USA.

Latest belt drive kits from MED and others use a different section belt which is HTD type.
http://www.med-engineering.co.uk/catalo ... belt-drive

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

The a series engine is a non-interference engine, so if the belt does go, it's not the end of the world. Worst case scenario is a blown head gasket. But you can't really judge a belt by how it looks. My daewoo broke a timing belt, and the only thing indicating it was bad, was that it was broken. The lobes were fine and no cracking or perishing anywhere else. Same goes for our hilux belt, the tensioner bearing seized but didn't break the 100,000 km old belt, which still looked fine apart from the back of the belt being polished smooth from the seized pulley.

The bottom line is, any rating on belts is the *minimum* those belts will handle. Most belts will go for twice the distance under normal circumstances - but it's just not worth the risk on most engines.

An A series engine (1275) is NOT non-interference, if kitted out with a hi lift cam, 1.5 rockers, pistons flush with deck and some metal off the head. As most fast road or competition motors are.
If these motors strip a belt you will (probably) have valves into pistons.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

I suppose the people fitting belt drives are likely to be those with other extensive modifications

Yes, taking mine as an example, when I bought the car there was an ex-race 1310S motor in it. Including the BD kit. They are popular in race engines as they don't stretch like a chain, so the valve & ignition timing stays as set.
My current fast road 1360 is not full race but has over 12mm valve lift, and the valve heads are only about 8mm from the piston crowns......!

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

That sounds like the same advice Graham Russell gave me about these belts some time back, and I am glad I took his advice and did not use them, I was going to mention this but when you said you were going to GR'S, I thought he would enlighten you when you spoke to Him, it seams that he may have given you the same advice.

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" A Hundred Years From Now It will not Matter what my Bank Acount Was,
The Sort Of House I Lived in, Or The Kind Of Car I drove ... But The World May Be A Better Place
Because I was Once Important In The Life Of A Child"

Is a belt drive noticeably quieter than a chain?

Noise? There's no noise...
But for a road car (unless you have $$$ for an MED one or similar) I would stick with a duplex chain.
I'm only running a Triger belt kit `coz I've got one.

My interest in the timing belt supply chain is purely to help people out with belts that fit properly.
If I was buying a new belt drive kit now, I'd want one with an idler pulley.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

I've been using a Triger since '84. When I built the engine (a 1098), I had a snoop around for any possible interference on belt fail. I found that if the cam and crank were to go independent of one another the cam lobes could collide with the crank counterweights! OUCH!!!!

With that thought in mind I've always replaced the belt at 25,000 miles (which has only been twice since Oscar's only done 55k since '84).

By the time I need another belt there probably won't be any available...

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Cheers,
Rod.
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'63 Morris 850 (Old Secondhand CAR)

I'd buy a new one now, either the MiniMania (Gates kevlar) one I listed, or possibly the Gates Japan one (maybe is exact same) from http://www.bwrperformance.com/ ,but check with them first it is the original style belt.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Yeah doc that's exactly what I've been thinking now you've alerted me to how scarce the snug-fit belts are getting.

Will probably go down the tried-n-tested kevlar road...

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Cheers,
Rod.
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'63 Morris 850 (Old Secondhand CAR)