Most things with a rubber seal in it will leak...eventually. Preventive maintenance in the off season will take care of most of that. I've had them leak on alky and I've had them leak on gas. Either way, 20 minutes and $10 later they were running again for another 2 years. Belt pumps, yes, I've had guys tell me they've run them for 8 years or more with no problems and that's great. Does that mean I'm going to run out and buy one? No. So there is a difference in how long they last but they both seem to work equally well when properly setup. Do you know how much stuff I would have to change just to run a belt drive pump?? More than I want to mess with right now. Again, everyone has their own reasons for running what they run. But as long as they run and run well, who gives a rip.
George