<VV> Belt issues

[Ned Madsen]

I can tell you one of the biggest engineering problems that frequently are never solved properly are marketing.

Ned

BobHelt at aol.com wrote:

>Also, please remember that this unnamed engineer (Bob Benzinger, Chevrolet  
>engine engineer) stated that the original design called for an automatic  
>transmission ONLY, and NO MANUAL TRANNY. Then, he said, that at the last 
>minute  marketing realized their mistake and ordered a manual transmission to 
>also be  included at the introduction of the Corvair. That would tell you that 
>all the  early testing was with a 2-speed PG that was NOT LIKELY to have 
>belt problems.  When the MT got added a whole new set of belt conditions 
>appeared (at the last  moment).
>Regards,
>Bob Helt
> 
> 
>In a message dated 3/11/2013 2:08:55 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time,  
>vairologist at cox.net writes:
>
>Smitty  Says;  Bob I know others will remember this.  We had a guest  
>speaker
>engineer at one of the conventions that had been asked about the  belt
>problem.  He said yes we knew we had a problem.  We were  locked in on 
>engine
>design and could not change that.  All we could do  was try to make the belt
>survive.  The belt company engineers provided  several different designs
>which all failed under extreme conditions.   They finally came up with a
>killer belt that did not fail in all their  testing.  They put it on the
>engine with all us Chevy engineers  standing around.  They revved the engine
>hard and put it through all  kinds of acceleration and deceleration.  Then
>they stepped back and  smiled............. Till one of the Coevair engineers
>reached over and  grabbed the throttle and immediately flipped the belt off.
>They knew just  exactly what to do to make it happen.
>I can tell you from experience that  if you autocross on a fast track and
>down shift and dump the clutch on it,  you are likely to lose the belt.
>Spike has been run on a dozen road courses  and still has the same belt 
>after
>8-9 years, but I heel and toe the  downshifts.  My other cars use the same
>no=name belts that last for  years, but I guarantee you on my wagon (110
>engine, 60 fan, PG) I can snap  one in half without moving the car.  That 
>has
>to be brutally hard on  the damper and bearings so I don't do that to prove 
>I
>can, even on a  bet.
>So the answer is, again.  Yes they knew they had a problem.   They answered
>it with the best belt they could provide, but even that  wasn't idiot proof.
>If anybodys Corvair throws belts while being normally  driven, there is a
>problem with pullys or component alignment.  The  engineering was done and 
>it
>works for the guy they designed it  for.
>
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