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There are usually two to three belts used on most vehicle engine's that you'll find on the road today. You'll find either a of V-belt ( or two ), a Serpentine belt, and most importantly, a Timing Belt. I commonly find some of our customers confused with the difference between the three, so let's take the time to explain the difference between them.

Accessory drive belts and timing belts are very strong and dependable as long as you keep up on their regular maintenance intervals. Belts are very strong and flexible with tensile cords used to provide strength and use an oil resistant rubber, such as neoprene or other artificial rubbers on top of the belt as an over cord. The under cord is used to transfer the load to the pulleys. Tensile cords also serve the purpose of preventing the belt from sagging in the middle which will give you an uneven load distribution to your accessories and may cause early belt failure.

 

86248063V Belts

Invented in 1917 to replace the flat belt, the V belt was named after it's " V " shape and was brought into production because it has more surface area than a flat belt of the same width. Careful now, even though the V belt makes more contact it is imperative that you use the correct size. A belt too small will result in the belt bottoming out and not enabling it to grab. A correctly fitting V belt should slightly extend out of the pulley groove. If it extends out too high the belt may wear below the cord member.

When a V belt rides below the edge of the groove this is usually a sign of a worn belt, worn pulley, or an incorrectly sized belt. Sounds complicated right? Not to worry, most V belts are pre-measured for specific vehicle's and can be ordered via a part number instead of a specific size so you won't have to fuss much with that but always pay close attention to the fitment characteristics. A V belt is usually utilized to rotate your engine's accessories such as a power steering pump, alternator, water pump and a/c compressor. Check your owners manual or with your vehicle's manufacturer for the suggested replacement interval.

 

Serpentine Belts

More of your modern day belt which started to appear in the late 1970's. A Serpentine belt is a V-ribbed belt which is ribbed only on one side and is typically very thin compared to a V belt. This allows it to bend easier and to be more flexible allowing it to wrap around smaller accessory drive pulleys. Usually the ribbed side will come in contact with the grooves used on the accessory drive pulleys and the flat side will come in contact with a tensioner roller.

The name " serpentine " was adopted due to the way the belt is able to weave its way around various pulleys. They last longer than a V belt, are able to transmit more power, and are easier to remove / install. A serpentine belt is usually utilized to rotate your engine's accessories such as a power steering pump, alternator, water pump and a/c compressor. Check your owners manual or with your vehicle's manufacturer for the suggested replacement interval.

 

Timing Belts

This is your most important belt. Driven by the crankshaft the timing belt links the bottom of your engine to the top of the engine thus keeping everything in sync or " time ". Can you guess how it got it's name? The timing belt is responsible for turning your camshafts from the power provided by the rotation of the crankshaft and on some designs even your water pump. Timing belts were introduced in around the 1960's. Compared to a timing chain setup, the timing belt is quieter, resists stretching, does not require lubrication and is typically more efficient.

What's the easiest way to tell a timing belt apart from a V belt or Serpentine belt? A timing belt will have rubber teeth which are molded in and will use a strong fiberglass cordline. Although the teeth are rubber, it's made of a high temperature neoprene or a HSN- Highly Saturated Nitrile. Most engine's out there today are what they call an " interference engine" meaning once the timing belt breaks there's a high likely hood that the internal components will collide and cause major damage since it's the timing belt that keeps it all in sync. Moral of the story: make sure your changing your timing belt on time at its manufacturers suggested change interval ( or sooner ). Most manufacturers will recommend that this is a good time to replace your rollers and tensioners too.

 

Here are some symptoms of a deteriorating belt

  • Cracking
  • Glazing
  • Stretching
  • Noise
  • Tears
  • Splits
  • Oil Soaked ( If oil soaked I recommend you find the source of the leak and repair it at the time of belt replacement )

 

Here are some symptoms of a broken belt?

  • Loss of accessory function ( V or Serpentine belt )
  • Engine Cranks but doesn't start ( Timing belt )
  • Loss of compression ( Timing belt )
  • Engine overheating  ( V or Serpentine belt )
  • Stripped Cog teeth ( Timing belt )

Remember: Check your owners manual, with your vehicle's manufacturer, or with any FCP representative if your not sure of the replacement interval of your belts.  When replacing your belts it's a great time to inspect your tensioners and rollers for wear and noise. If you have any questions or need help with your particular vehicle please don't hesitate to reach me at jasonv@fcpeuro.com.

Have you ever experienced a catastrophic belt failure? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Images via:
autorepair.about.com

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Shop Volvo Serpentine Belts

 

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Written by :
Jay VanGorden

Jay has been with the company since 2011. He's been in the automotive industry for over 25 years and brings a great amount of automotive experience to FCP Euro. He graduated from Universal Technical Institute of Exton PA. in 2005 and then went on to graduate from the Volvo S.A.F.E program in 2006. From there he worked at a Volvo dealership for 7 years before joining the FCP Euro team achieving his ranking as a Certified Volvo Technician in 2 years, and a Master Volvo Technician in 4 years. During his tenure, Jay VanGorden has worked in multiple areas and roles within FCP Euro and is currently the VW Catalog Manager.


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