The drive belt system consists of the following components:
• | The drive belt tensioner |
• | The drive belt idler pulley |
• | The crankshaft balancer pulley |
• | The accessory drive component mounting brackets |
• | The accessory drive components |
- | The power steering pump, if belt driven |
- | The A/C compressor, if equipped |
The drive belt system use 2 belts. The drive belt is thin
so that it can bend backwards and has several ribs to
match the grooves in the pulleys. The drive belts are
made of different types of rubbers, chloroprene or
EPDM, and have different layers or plys containing
either fiber cloth or cords for reinforcement.
Both sides of the drive belt may be used to drive the
different accessory drive components. When the back
side of the drive belt is used to drive a pulley, the pulley
is smooth.
The drive belt is pulled by the crankshaft balancer
pulley across the accessory drive component pulleys.
The spring loaded drive belt tensioner keeps constant
tension on the drive belt to prevent the drive belt from
slipping. The drive belt tensioner arm will move when
loads are applied to the drive belt by the accessory
drive components and the crankshaft.
The drive belt system may have an idler pulley, which is
used to add wrap to the adjacent pulleys. Some
systems use an idler pulley in place of an accessory
drive component when the vehicle is not equipped with
the accessory.