Maintaining Your Vehicle: Drive Belts
Posted: under Consumer Goods.
Tags: automobiles, automotive, parts
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.
Identifying different belts:
Designed to fit into a groove shaped like a V, V-belts provide high-traction power. Another belt that provides high-traction power is the Poly-V belt. This belt is flat on the outside but has many V-shaped grooves on the inside. Similar to the V-belts are V-Link belts. They are open-ended and do not require meal clamps. Using a V-Link is a last resort for when other belts will not reach or fit as they are quite costly and will only carry a small load.
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. The Timing belt is one of the most important belts and is quite different to other types. It does not require friction to function, nor does it it have teeth. 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. One of the many accessories to rely on a drive belt is the water pump. The water pump is designed to circulates water through the vehicle’s system, thus keeping it cool. If the water pump stops working, which happens instantly when the drive belt breaks, it takes only a short time for the engine to overheat. Although a broken drive belt is a large problem, a broken serpentine belt can be an even larger one. The serpentine belt drives multiple components at once, so if this belt breaks then multiple functions are compromised.
Why do drive belts break?
These belts are made of rubber and are not very expensive. Even if they do not wear out from use they will dry and crack over time. The belt will break as wear and tear compromises the integrity of the belt.
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. In most cases the serpentine belt will only need to be changed every thirty-five thousand miles. Both the serpentine belt and the timing belt can last up to sixty thousand miles.
See why our printable invitations and baby shower favors are the best!
Comments (0)
Jul 23 2010