Vehicle Maintenance: Understanding Drive Belts

The shafts in an automobile engine are driven to the motion of a rotary by using a series of pulleys connected by belts

. The motion of the rotary is where or how the engine gets its power to various accessories that are mounted to the engine. Accessories such as pumps, exhaust fans and air compressors are crucial to the operation of the vehicle.

Types of belts:

Designed to fit into a groove shaped like a V, V-belts provide high-traction power. Belts that have many V-shaped grooves on the inside and are flat on the outside are called Poly-V belts. These belts provide high-traction type of power. The V-Link belt is similar to the above V-belts, but is open-ended and does not need meal clamps. Although V-Link belts only carry a small load and can be quite expensive, they are used at times when other alternatives will not reach or fit.

Flat belts are much lighter in weight and function better at high speeds. However they do tend to slip as they do not have a lot of traction. Unlike other drive belts, the Timing belt operates without friction and does not have teeth. This is one of the most important types of belt. In contrast with other belts, the Timing belt has a small capacity for power.

What do drive belts do?

The purpose of drive belts is to drive a variety of external parts of the engine. Even though these belts are very inexpensive, they have the ability to put a stop to a functioning vehicle if they break. If the belt driving a particular component breaks, that component will almost instantly stop working. A component like the pump that pumps the water through the system of the vehicle functions by the use of a drive belt. If the belt breaks the pump will stop working almost instantly and the water it takes to keep the engine cooled will stop and then the engine overheats. The serpentine belt functions the same way as a drive belt, however it connects a number of different components. If a serpentine belt breaks, multiple parts of the engine stop working.

What causes a belt to break?

These belts are made of rubber and are not very expensive. Wear and tear is a normal part of use. Over time the rubber of the drive belt may harden, dry out, or even crack. This aging process can have an effect on the strength of the drive belt. As the strength wanes, it becomes more and more likely that the belt will break.

Is it difficult to replace a drive belt?

Depending on the location of the belt and your mechanical aptitude, it may be a simple process to replace a drive belt. A serpentine belt can be pretty complicated so it is probably best left to the professional mechanic. Most professional mechanics recommend that the serpentine belt be changed every thirty-five thousand miles. These belts can last up to sixty thousand miles as can the timing belts.

by: Howard Martin

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