On a Caterpillar C15 (found in trucks like the Peterbilt 379, Kenworth W900, and various heavy machinery), the belt is not just a strip of rubber. It is a "serpentine" belt—named for its snake-like winding path around the engine’s accessories.
The diagram is not just a picture; it is the instruction manual for keeping the heart of the machine beating.
Modern C15 setups, such as those found on the ACERT models, usually feature an 8-rib main belt and a 6-rib auxiliary belt. : Starting Point : Inner grooves of the fan hub .
To understand the diagram, you have to know the characters the belt interacts with. The belt is the muscle; these components are the organs:
for serpentine conversion kits or ATL Diesel for replacement tensioners.
Every mechanic knows the climax of this story. It happens when you have the new belt in hand, wrestling with the smooth, greasy metal. The diagram is useless without one tool: the breaker bar .
While there are minor variations depending on the specific C15 model (ACERT vs. non-ACERT, single alternator vs. dual alternator), the most common configuration is as follows: