Oh, I have to spend so much time explaining how I've done things wrong, I might as well have done them right.
First, when ordering the belts, I was recalling the T5 profile, used on SRM's early kits but not on mine, which should have been AT5. So, the profile isn't a perfect match, with the pulley teeth having extra room to move between the belt teeth. My many belts are, indeed, steel reinforced. Actually, they have more cords, but fewer strands (1/2-2/3 as many). These belts are about 0.020" thinner (face of tooth to back of belt), with most of the difference to the outside of the steel. I don't think the extra plastic matters much, what with the steel providing most of the strength. (Yes. it does sound like I'm trying to convince myself they're OK.) I'm pretty sure being clear doesn't matter.
Anyway, I put one on the bike, attached the cover, then went for a 4-mile ride. All worked well. (Now, I could save face and not tell you the next thing, but why bother after all of this?) Half-way through the ride I remembered I forgot to lube the belt. Oooh, scary, what if I ruined one of my six $3.00 belts? One good thing I did was to forego gasket sealer on the cover, foreseeing a possibility of going quickly through these six belts. Leaking a little oil is OK for my purposes.
Sorry, if I've clogged up the WWW with endless prattle over dynamo belts.
Richard L.
