My ECS Pulley Install.

[9Hooker]

First off, let me mention that getting to the crank pulley without putting the front en in "service position" or a modified version thereof would make this install MUCH easier. And it would save your hands from getting roughed up.

Step 1: Put your can up on jack stands. Not necessary, but helps if you don't have a narrow head. Lowered cars this is a must.

Step 2: Remove the under bumper air deflector.

Step 3: Using a screwdriver, remove the tension on the serpentine belt so you can get it off.

Step 4: From underneath the car use a 3/8 drive 6mm allen to unbolt the 6 bolts holding on the stock crank pulley. They hav green loctite applied to them and are a bitch. This is easier the longer your wrench is. I ended up buying these adapters from Sears for $10 that let you use a spanner on the 3/8" socket. Nifty piece of gear for confined spaces.

Step 5: Once you get the bolts off, shimmy the stock crank pulley off. Be sure to note (by feel since you can't see shit) where the "nub" is on the crank. This will be used for placement (and timing indexer) of the ECS pulley.

Step 6: After lining up the 7th, smaller, hole on the BACK SIDE of the ECS pulley slide the it onto the end of the crankshaft. You can't see it from the front like you can the stock hole.

Step 7: Apply loctite to threads of ECS supplied bolts and install them. I hand tightened them all first before I used the wrench. Be sure NOT to overtighten. Remember, the stock bolts had loctite on them which is why they were so hard to get off. No need to use the same amount of force. If you have a torque wrench and the factory manual, use those numbers. I'm here to tell you snug + loctite is juuuust fine.

Step 8: After 30 minutes of trying to install the ECS provided serpentine belt I found it was too short, even with the belt tensioner full open. Don't bother with it. Use a flathead and some ingenuity when you are dealing with the tensioner. The factory belt fits just fine and went back on without a hitch.

Step 9: Check for loose tools and button the car back up.

Step 10: ???

Step 11: Profit.

Specs:
Factory pulley: HEAVY as SHIT. No noticeable harmonic damper. Solid metal.
Diameter (pics included) 5.625" (circumference 17.6715")

ECS pulley: Lightweight aluminum. No damper either.
Diameter (pics included) 5.3125" (circumference 16.6897")

Therefore:
16.6897/17.6715 = .9444, or 5.55% under drive.

What does this mean? It won't affect you unless you have a huge stereo AND you sit at idle for hours at a time. Otherwise you have just saved 5% of parasitic losses from the A/C, power steering, and alternator. How much is that exactly? Who knows. But... subjectively, it's considerably smoother during daily driving when moving from a stop/slow roll. The motor makes very little HP at shallow throttle angles and low RPM, this is where I see the advantage of this pulley. When you are at WOT in 4th gear, this will be absolutely negligible.

Now for pics.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_yUUgTGohFyo/SfYN8qLL-lI/AAAAAAAAASE/YP_jpO4igAc/s640/Car%20Stuff%20017.JPG

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_yUUgTGohFyo/SfYN9DYqqdI/AAAAAAAAASM/QHN8VK9DBEg/s640/Car%20Stuff%20018.JPG

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_yUUgTGohFyo/SfYN9qDcTwI/AAAAAAAAASU/0t_3oLhoFWM/s640/Car%20Stuff%20019.JPG

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_yUUgTGohFyo/SfYN99TiqwI/AAAAAAAAASc/JSPqg68ZdiI/s640/Car%20Stuff%20020.JPG

[Grishbok]

What about this myth of the infamous frequency that shatters engine blocks? Kudos on the mod! Im looking at doing this now!

[SEXICÄN]

So what exactly is this going to help me with?

Better idol? better performance (if so like what). What benefit would this pull do for me?

[Grishbok]

the pully removes parasitic loss from engine power having to drive a big pully around. Smaller pully, less amount of energy it takes to move, which translates to more power able to go to the drivetrain.

According to his results, 5% give-or-take power restored to the drivetrain.

Drawbacks, less kinetic energy to alternator and pully components, which means slower battery recharge. And the stupid myth of harmonic frequency emitted by a 4 cylinder engine cracking engine housings etc.

[projectb7]

Also have the kit.. Not too noticable of a mod.. been on for 5 months and no problems yet.

[SEXICÄN]

Sounds like a waste of money IMHO

[9Hooker]

You're not going to have problems.

I thought I mentioned it, but the factory pulley has no damper.

You get the 5% of parasitic losses back from the accessories, not 5% overall. Read my subjective notes.

Does not mean slower battery recharge. At idle the alternator still supplies 14+ volts to charge the battery. Only issue would be if your headlights already dimmed with your stereo. This would make it worse. Get a capacitor or two and be happy.

[9Hooker]

So what exactly is this going to help me with?

Better idol (idle)? better performance (if so like what). What benefit would this pull (pulley) do for me?

you didn't read my post did you? corrections in bold.

[SEXICÄN]

Sounds like a waste of money IMHO


Spell check or not, i still see this as this^^^

[9Hooker]

Spell check or not, i still see this as this^^^

got it. i see lots of the stuff on this forum as worthless. to each his own. better than an S line bumper writeup, or an HID fog install.


http://www.nwquattro.com/forums/index.php?topic=3783.0

[wayneB7]

got it. i see lots of the stuff on this forum as worthless. to each his own. better than an S line bumper writeup, or an HID fog install.

I hear you.

As for the pulley upgrade -- personally I would prefer to keep the diameter the same but get lighter pulleys to decrease the rotational inertia. I know it is smaller gains, but we are only talking small gains to begin with.

Good for you though. The pulley does look like a nicely made product.

[9Hooker]

5% is really not that much. if you're specifically looking for rotational weight, a lightweight flywheel is really the way to go.

[smcgann]

I have it and I like it, def not a big jump but noticeable change in character in the motor. Probably more horse power per dollar than exhaust when you figure the pulley is like $200 and the exhaust is a $1000.

Nice write up!

[djvice]

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_yUUgTGohFyo/SfYN9DYqqdI/AAAAAAAAASM/QHN8VK9DBEg/s640/Car%20Stuff%20018.JPG

Wow...that top one almost looks like a wheel [:D]

[Grishbok]

9Hooker, did you notice any seal or indicator of some sort when you removed the pully to indicate if the original has been removed? Some manufacturers have a "seal" that gets broken when the stock one is removed.

[9Hooker]

you mean like paint on the bolts? nope, didn't see any of that.

[boosted2.0]

I looked at ECS and they said a faster spool.

Any numbers in regards to a faster spool?

[9Hooker]

i don't see why it would... doesn't have anything to do with air flow.

[Nikoman]

Is your car a tiptronic? I always wondered in the underdrive pulley mod would help in reducing the annoying idle vibration the 2.0 Tip cars have while in D or R...

[Jer]

That's just engine load and the underdrive pulley wouldn't make much of a difference.

[Nikoman]

Doesn't shorter diameter = less engine load, especially with the AC on? My cabin vibrates like a Bravo Express pager when I'm at red lights in D or S. I'd pay serious $$$ to the person or vendor that figures out the solution to that on B7 2.0T Tiptronics.

[gyroscope]

5% is really not that much. if you're specifically looking for rotational weight, a lightweight flywheel is really the way to go.

this underdrive pulley would be more noticeable when installed with a a lightened flywheel, and other mods.

[Zebman]

I'm curious if our 2.0T engine has balancer shafts, or what it does to handle the harmonic frequencies. This was a HUGE debate on Scionlife, as the tC had the damper built into the crank pulley, and many many people argued that removing it had no harm until somebody FINALLY did the fine-tooth combing and found a specific page out of the MKIV Supra service manual that specifically stated that removing the damper would allow harmful engine frequencies to prematurely wear main bearings, wrist pins, etc.

If somebody who's pulled this engine apart could chime in, that'd be great.

[Jer]

Pulling the engine apart will tell you nothing. I wouldn't sweat harmonic balancing in a 2.0L I4 engine and even a 3.0L I6 engine is questionable. If you were dealing with large V8's with lots of mass then you may want to keep the harmonic balancer as overall life might be noticeably decreased. With this smaller engines with much less intertia it's not something I would worry about. I had an aftermarket underdrive pulley in my 1g Eclipse which is also a 2.0L I4 and they were pretty common on that platform. Remember, just because you read something in a service manual for another car doesn't mean it has any bearing on your car. I can just picture a bunch of tC members w/UD pulleys freaking out reading a thread because someone posted 'facts' that it was harmful to their engine that they found in a 2JC shop manual. Nothing personal if you own one but for the most part they don't strike me as the type of folk that can think for themselves. Like any rule there are exceptions of course but in general.

[Zebman]

No offense taken, the ratio of tCs that will embarass A4's is staggering. The 4AZ-FE is a great boost candidate. BUT, we have nicer interiors. [>_>]

It was taken out of a Supra manual yes, but I don't see the 2JZ being radically different than another Toyota engine, or any other car cylinder engine for that matter. An engine has to be balanced, it won't be perfect, and that damper is needed to absorb the frequency that's given off as a result. I don't think the size of the engine really matters. We rev up faster than a V8, and can achieve similar power output.

It's something that can't be pinpointed to a pully though as it takes far too long to see any results, and in that time frame it could be contributed to many other things. So to me, it comes down to personal opinion, and personally, I don't trust it for the whopping .5 whp you gain.

CO AVANT has pointed me to the direction of this fine piece though. I'd trust this far better.

http://uspmotorsports.com/product_info.php?products_id=367

Apparently works for 2.0T.

[Jer]

Yes, the size of the engine DOES really matter and that's the whole point. Revving up faster and approaching higher HP numbers has no bearing on harmonic balance at all. Smaller engines don't need a dampner. It's added insurance but if you're worried your 1.8L or 2.0L I4 engine is going to grenade because you swapped out your OEM dampner for an aftermarket pulley then you're energy is better spent elsewhere in the modification arena.

[9Hooker]

there are always harmonics in an engine. the pulley/damper just shifts the point (rpm) at which the harmonics happen. if you have an engine that sees 7500-9500 rpm constantly, and that's where the harmonic is, you would use the damper to shift the harminc frequency to something either lower or higher than the 7500-9500 band. more applicable in race engines that see a small rpm band. fyi, i4's are not well balanced compared to an i6. again, for an engine that sees all of it's rpm band, you will get a harmonic somewhere in that band, regardless of the balancer on there. fact of life...

[rensho]

9Hooker, how is the pulley working out?

Is the stock length belt ending up to be the right size? Any other feedback on the pulley, now that it has been 6+ mos?

[Audi_Chick]

there are always harmonics in an engine. the pulley/damper just shifts the point (rpm) at which the harmonics happen. if you have an engine that sees 7500-9500 rpm constantly, and that's where the harmonic is, you would use the damper to shift the harminc frequency to something either lower or higher than the 7500-9500 band. more applicable in race engines that see a small rpm band. fyi, i4's are not well balanced compared to an i6. again, for an engine that sees all of it's rpm band, you will get a harmonic somewhere in that band, regardless of the balancer on there. fact of life...

I wrote this then deleted it after i saw you wrote it.

hi & ty

[Hyphy]

I wrote this then deleted it after i saw you wrote it.

hi & ty

hi & thanks 9 for the DIY.

[titanium3.2]

with pullys though you over speed the accessories and shorten their life, I think its a pointless mod

and i think you could be saving 1/2 a hp

[Charles]

I had one on my 1.8T for about 5 years. Not the same engine, but obvs, very similar. It's not so much the HP you gain, which is very minimal. For me, it was the revs of the engine that it helped with. In other words, pre-pulley, if you took it out of gear, it would maybe take 3-4 seconds to come back to idle, but with the pulley, that time was reduced. It helped during spirited driving when you were trying to rev match and hell/toe.

Again, not a huge benefit overall, but something little that's noticeable, and for me, added to the driving experience.

Titanium, it's an underdrive pulley. Meaning you slow your accessories, not speed them up.

Also, if the stock pulley didn't have a harmonic dampener, replacing it with this pulley isn't going to affect the harmonics.

[rensho]

I had a pulley on my miata, 99, and I really liked it. It was a NA motor. There had been a bunch of hearsay about a pulley killing a turbo motor. The miata OE pulley has that same rubber 1/8" strip as you see above. It isn't a harmonic damper, but it seems like it might reduce torsional shock on the crank. I never had any issues with mine. I noticed a good amount of added torque at low rpms. I agree a pulley doesn't add any peak HP.

[9Hooker]

9Hooker, how is the pulley working out?

Is the stock length belt ending up to be the right size? Any other feedback on the pulley, now that it has been 6+ mos?

yes, no problems. stock size is correct size.

[9Hooker]

with pullys though you over speed the accessories and shorten their life, I think its a pointless mod

and i think you could be saving 1/2 a hp

wrong. you UNDER drive them. spinning them slightly LESS.

[smcgann]

I had one on my 1.8T for about 5 years. Not the same engine, but obvs, very similar. It's not so much the HP you gain, which is very minimal. For me, it was the revs of the engine that it helped with. In other words, pre-pulley, if you took it out of gear, it would maybe take 3-4 seconds to come back to idle, but with the pulley, that time was reduced. It helped during spirited driving when you were trying to rev match and hell/toe.

Again, not a huge benefit overall, but something little that's noticeable, and for me, added to the driving experience.

Titanium, it's an underdrive pulley. Meaning you slow your accessories, not speed them up.

Also, if the stock pulley didn't have a harmonic dampener, replacing it with this pulley isn't going to affect the harmonics.

Couldn't have said it better.

[EuroDriven]

Thanks for the thread! [up] Should be getting my red pulley and TB Kit in the mail today!

...Now back to the B5 lair....

-John

Anybody have torque specs btw?

[Blarg]

Wow, a lot of people are against this mod and are not afraid to tell you about it. Thanks for sharing the writeup, that's what this forum is all about!!

[SEXICÄN]

its a good write up, i just don't see the cost/benifit to this....

[9Hooker]

i don't see the cost/benefit of smoking your reflectors or tinting your tail lights, but...

[SEXICÄN]

i don't see the cost/benefit of smoking your reflectors or tinting your tail lights, but...

you bought the pully, obviously you wouldn't....

to each their own, i say. I really dont care what people do to their car, i actually wanted to get the pully to get a bit more power, but just from everything i have read and seen, to me, i don't think it's worth it.

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

I'm jumping on this a little late, but I wanted to say a couple of things:

1: Awesome write up [up]
2: The smaller pulley reduces loss of power to your accessory belt
3: and the smaller pulley reduces rotational mass.

When you are tuning to squeeze as much power out of a car as possible, theses pulleys are a must! You cannot deny the simple physics behind it. Less diameter and less mass that your motor has to move = more power that you motor transfers to your wheels. Plain and simple.

The gains are not huge, but there are undeniable gains none the less.

[juggernaut201]

ive ha dthe pully for 1 year and a half almost no problems