Why did cars switch from V-belts to a serpentine belt? – Jalopnik

An engine is a complex series of components that work together to get your vehicle moving. While combustion works through the pistons and piston rods to create mechanical rotating energy that turns the crankshaft, other systems need a way to tap into that power. That’s why components like the power steering, alternator, and water pump use pulleys and a belt or belts to get what the crankshaft generates.

While modern vehicles use a single serpentine belt, older models relied on tried-and-true V-belts, named for their V-shaped wedge appearance. V-belt arrangements often required multiple belts that would emerge from the crankshaft pulley and connect one system to the other.

Serpentine belts have that name because they wrap and weave around the engine like a hose wrapped around an object. The automotive industry switched to them because they offered some advantages over V-belts. A serpentine belt contains multiple ribs, creating a more reliable connection between belt and pulley. In addition, V-belts had to be manually tensioned regularly, otherwise they could turn over. Modern engines typically use an automatic tensioning system, although this is no guarantee of trouble-free operation as serpentine belt tension may matter more than you think.

V-belts can also experience some efficiency issues if they are under or over tensioned. Adjusting the tension on some older V-belt configurations was done by manually tightening or loosening a specific bolt, making the process more of an art than a science. If the belt is not tight enough, it can lose its grip on the pulleys, causing thermal stress due to friction. But if you over-tighten a V-belt, you also put too much strain on the system, putting additional strain on the bearings and the belt itself.

Despite this somewhat delicate balance, V-belts appeared in some of the most iconic power plants. They included Chevy’s 302 small block engine, which was intended to break the rules.