Serpentine or V-Belt: Driving Your Accessories

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Concept One’s Victory kit is a great alternative to a V-belt drive system.

Whether you prefer to leave a traditional V-belt on your classic Chevrolet engine, or modernize it with a new serpentine-style belt, one way or another, you have to drive your engine’s accessories. While a V-belt has been doing the job for years, there are some drawbacks to the design. For starters, if you want to stick with the tried and true V-belt(s), you have to realize that it might take multiple belts to drive all of your accessories.

For years, the tried and true V-belt was used to drive the accessories of your engine.

For years, the tried and true V-belt was used to drive the accessories of your engine.

If you add air conditioning and power steering to your engine that is already trying to spin an alternator and a cooling fan, the extra, heavy, multiple V-belts will rob some precious horsepower. But, some feel that the keeping the classic “look” under the hood requires V-belts.

If you’re into the modernized look, you might want to check into using a serpentine belt system. While just about all factory-style serpentine systems utilize a single belt to drive all of your engine accessories, there are some aftermarket companies that make serpentine drive-systems that A) work as a one-belt system, or B) retain the classic look of multiple belts. Whichever kit you decide is right for you, they deliver the longevity and reliability of a serpentine belt(s).

Even though a serpentine belt is wider and flatter than a traditional V-belt, it is still lighter than a V-belt. Not only is the serpentine belt lighter, but its flat design allows for better “traction” from the belt while working with the pulleys. With a traditional V-belt design, the belt only “grips” the pulleys on the two narrow sides of the V. Also, there is an inherent amount of friction loss due to the belt moving into and out of the pulley as the accessory is driven.

Once a V-belt flips, it usually needs replaced.

Once a V-belt flips, it usually needs replaced.

With a serpentine belt, the grip of the belt to the pulleys is made with a dimensionally wider, flat surface, that has multiple shallow grooves. The contact surface-area is greater with a serpentine belt, so less slippage occurs. A serpentine belt is more efficient than the older V-belt system, because of this larger contact patch. Here is another scenario; have you ever had a V-belt “flip” over?  A V-belt can flip because of improper tension, it could be the wrong size or belt type, or the pulleys could be out of alignment. Now, have you ever heard of a serpentine belt “flipping”? Nope. It doesn’t happen, but once a V-belt flips over, it usually needs replaced.

SB Victory

What it boils down to, is whether or not you like the classic look of a V-belt, or the modernization of a serpentine. While many serpentine belts are a single drive system with idlers and spring loaded tensioners, we found that the kits from Concept One deliver the reliability of a serpentine belt, while maintaining the look of a classic V-belt.

Concept One’s basic kit combines the performance of serpentine belts with a traditional dual-belt configuration. If you are more of a “show car” guy, The Victory kit might be for you. The Victory Series is their top of the line Chevrolet pulley system. The Victory kit uses a single serpentine belt design for a truly modern look.

Whether you decided to use a V-belt to drive your pulleys, or a serpentine belt, the bottom line is making sure that your engine’s accessories are being driven the way they should be. 

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About the author

Randy Bolig

Randy Bolig has been working on cars and has been involved in the hobby ever since he bought his first car when he was only 14 years old. His passion for performance got him noticed by many locals, and he began helping them modify their vehicles.
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