I know there's a big debate on underdrive pulleys.

Unorthodox Racing has the crank pulley with NO underdrive out now. So I'm assuming is this just lighter? Since their is no underdrive would their be anything to worry about still? The balancer would still be gone?

I don't know to much about this stuff so any input would be great. I'm kind of just throwing questions out there so some guidance would be much appreciated.

 

Anyone?

 

Running your motor without a harmonic balancer is a gamble and one Im not willing to take. It may work just fine without one, but I dont think any engine builder would reccomend it.

 

My own experience with pulleys has been positive on numerous cars I have helped to modify, including the ones I own myself. Now here is some info in regards to your question.....

There are two benefits to an aftermarket pulley....

1. Better throttle responce. This is derived from lightening the weight of the pulley. Aftermarket pulleys are generally made out of aluminum while stock pulleys are made from heavy steel. Making a pulley lighter will result in better throttle responce.

2. More HP, which is what most of us are looking for. This is a result of underdriving accessories. By making the crank pulley smaller than stock, accessories spin a bit slower. Less power is sent to drive the accessories and will be sent to the wheels!

So basically if you want better throttle responce AND more horsepower you need to look for an Underdrive Pulley.

Unorthodox is lighter but stock sized, and UR is generally known for being overpriced. You may want to look up NST, www.NonStopTuning.com for some tC options. These are just as light as the UR pulleys but also make HP in the case of the tC. I have NST stuff and I have enjoyed the results thus far. Good luck

 

But as a result does the AC and power steering get less responsive?

 

I have not had a problem with my a/c or other accessories. The only thing you may want to watch out for would be the alternator. If you are running a stereo system that is pushing something like 4000watts you would be in need of a better alternator or battery combination. The underdrive pulleys generally do not slow things down THAT much. The power and responce gained is much more noticable than any reduction in accessory output.

 

i think the tc engine on the crank is only a pully. not all engine ues a vibration damper or a harmonic balancer! if the TC crank is balancing inside the block it ok to run a underdrive pully. if the crank is not balancing inside you will have problem in the long run because the main bearing will wear out. so make sure the oem pully is just a pully not vibration damper or a harmonic balancer and the crankshaft is blance Internal.

 

There is no real advantage to pulley's unless you are spinning your engine beyond the stock redline, thus, overspinning the alternator, a/c, and other accessories. Pullies will not add much HP, think of the difference between driving with the a/c on versus off.

 

i think its good to wait till the whole setup is released

 

acutally i got a NST crank pulley, and im very happy with it. dont listen to what the other have to say, b/c they havent had a crank pulley on there tC. i've had one for a few months now, and have NO problems what so ever. the throttle response is quicker and the car pick is faster. i know from experience.

 

"a few months" is extremely short term. In a few years well see how your motor is doing. I dont think anyone is disagreeing with you there is a HP pickup, but anyone with common sense and an understanding of why harmonic balancers are run on engines wouldnt take them off for a mere few hp at the bottom end. Your "experience" is extremely lacking, especially in the longevity aspect of engine performance which for many is more important that a couple of extra hp.

I had underdrive pullies in my Z28 camaro which I drove for many years, but the crank pully mounted onto the harmonic balancer keeping its function. Dont try to pull the "but you havent run one on a tC" defense because I will NEVER run a pully that removes a harmonic balancer on ANY car.

To each their own though...people do things all the time without thinking of the comsequences so good luck to you if you go that route.

 

u and your common sense issue again. all i have to say is dont talk, b/c you dont have on in your tC. and in a few years, my tC will be runnin a lot better than yours with or without a pulley. no wonder you call yourself "the instigator" dont you have anything better to do?

 

He knows what he's talking about. Report back 3-4 years down the road. Hopefully the harmonic vibrations haven't damaged the block by then. There is a chance your engine might turn out alright, but you are also running the risk of seriously damaging your bottom end.

 

You obviously didnt read my post because I specifically stated I would never run that pully on my car because the risks arent worth it. And how can you claim you car will run better then mine in a few years when you are clearly removing a vital part for the engine to run properly.

You need to have an open mind about the parts you put on your car. Too many people who really know what they are doing are against those types of pullies for there not to be some truth about it. It seems you have to tell everybody else its not true in order to justify why you put them on your car in the 1st place. People should hear both sides of the story before they commit to putting a part on thier car that can cause a lot of damage down the road. I know I dont have the money to have a new engine installed because I fcked it up putting a $100 part that gives me the same benefit as taking out my spare tire and losing a few pounds.

There are many other ways to pick up the 3-5 hp the pullies will probably give you and other parts like a short shifter and suspension upgrades are probably more beneficial to making the car work better for you.

If you like the part...great,, but dont go telling people that removing a harmonic balancer is not an issue because you did it and therefore are an "expert". There is just too much proof and knowledge out there to shut down your "few months" of experience.

 

dang! everytime someones posts on a crank pulley. i reply then others start to hate. i havent heard anyone else on here have one on there tC. my car has been running fine for months now, i have yet to have any problems whatsoever. i hear how you all say that give it a few years and it'll mess up. thats bs. listen if you dont want a crank pulley on your car, that's fine. but dont be hatin on people who do have one. unless YOU got one on YOUR TC. if a crank pulley is so bad, why would respectable companies like Unorthodox racing, AEM, and NST build them??

 

Im not "hatin" on you for having one on your car. The problem is that you claim outright that I am wrong about potential engine problems. You are basically staing that since you havent had a problem, nobody else will, and that is just wrong. There are people who smoke all thier lives and dont get cancer either, but they surely cant say smoking wont give you cancer.

I havent ever said you are wrong for putting that on your car. I am saying that for you to say it is fine because you havent had problems and there are no consequences is wrong.

 

the question still has not been answered... DOES the TC engine have a balancer intergrated into the pulley or is it just a pulley... i just went and looked and from what i could tell.. it does look like it is more than JUST a pulley...

i agree.. if it is a combination of balancer and pulley.. then just replacing it with a pulley would cause unneccessary risk of damage.... especially if any gains are minimal at best... that includes phycological gains aswell... i can see if you race for money where you need the extra 1 to 3hp... but if not then the risks at not worth it..

IF you really want to reduce parasitic loses.. spend money on a lighter flywheel .. assuming your running a 5spd.. a good quality Light flywheel would give you more gains than any pulley... just my 2 cents..

 

This should answer the balancer question. Looks like the crankshaft is pretty heavily balanced without the pulley but you decide for yourself.