![]() ![]() In practice, this is still a V-belt, but with smaller, multiple "V" shapes placed side-by-side. It is flatter, thinner, more flexible, and builds up less heat.Ī variation on the above theme is provided by the so-called multi-grooved or ribbed belt. Multi-Grooved Or Ribbed "V" Belts A multi-groove, or ribbed, V-belt. The belt's ability to provide a small degree of slippage when needed makes it a good match for accessories that shut on and off by the use of a clutch, such as air conditioner compressors and older style radiator cooling fans. The "V" belt is one of the most effective solutions because of its strength, relative quietness, power transfer, and durability. So cars went from one belt driving the fan, water pump, and alternator, to 2 or 3 separate belts, now also driving the power steering pump, A/C compressor, and emissions air pump. Tension on individual accessory belts is adjusted manually by tightening an adjuster to change the position of an idler pulley wheel, or by loosening and tightening slotted mounting brackets that move accessories such as an alternator by fractions of an inch.Īs vehicle manufacturers added more accessories, their initial solution was to add more drive belts to power these accessories. An engine equipped with 3 separate accessory belts for cooling fan/generator, A/C compressor, and power steering pump.Īutomotive accessory drive belts mounted visibly outside the engine are also known as "V-belts" because their trapezoidal shape tapers from wide to narrow as it forms a V point near the bottom. Because of a tapering narrow shape at the bottom, these are known as "V belts". Inner construction of a typical reinforced rubber accessory belt. An outer layer of rubber surrounds internal steel and cord reinforcements to minimize stretching and maximize strength when grip is needed under load. More fitting terms to use when searching for a replacement single belt of this kind would be accessory drive belt or V-belt.īecause drive belts are subject to constant rotation, load, and heat, they are constructed in a similar fashion as tires. Since electric cooling fans are used even in modern vehicles with longitudinally-mounted engines, the term fan belt has become virtually obsolete. Because cooling fans don't always need to be running at steady cruising speeds, electric motors which can shut off proved more energy efficient than direct drive belts which are always connected. An example of an electric fan found on vehicles with front-wheel-drive and sideways-mounted engines.Įngineers perfected electric fan motors, temperature sensors, and related computers to get the job done, and belt-driven fans were no longer necessary. Shown here is an actual "fan belt" used to drive a cooling fan - a traditional setup on vehicles with longitudinally-mounted engines. However, as vehicles with front-wheel-drive and sideways-mounted engines grew in popularity, the front of the engine was no longer at the front of the vehicle where the cooling fan was. Many original engine layouts also used that fan belt to spin water pump and alternator pulleys, and you may hear some people call it a "water pump belt" or "alternator belt" as well. Since the fan belt tended to be the biggest and most noticeable one on the vehicle, the expression became universal for all other belts that looked similar – no matter what function they performed. Traditional rear-wheel-drive vehicles with longitudinally-mounted engines had crankshaft pulleys right there at the front of the car, and they were convenient sources of power for cooling fans. ![]() In order to pull cooling air through a vehicle's radiator, a cooling fan needs to be located at the front of the vehicle just behind the radiator. "Fan belt" is incorrectly used to describe accessory belts that drive water pumps, alternators, or other items. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |