Pulleys worth it?

[Ricko]

Been thinking abut my next performance mod. Have the Intake and Exhaust. Pulleys I guess are next . . . but are they worth it? Anyone notice a difference?

[dldjros69]

Been thinking abut my next performance mod. Have the Intake and Exhaust. Pulleys I guess are next . . . but are they worth it? Anyone notice a difference?

It couldnt hurt but might not be the most bang for the buck.

[Throckmorton]

Are they are worth it? Who knows.

What were those pesky engineers at Nissan thinking when they decided to use the pulleys that are on the I-4 and V-6? I'm sure that they did absolutely no testing before they made their final decision.

What are you hoping to gain? Maybe one or two BHP at full throtle and at RPM redline? Wow! That will really made a difference.

Personally, I like my alternator providing enough voltage to keep my battery fully charged. I also like my water pump spinning fast enough to keep my car from overheating. On these hot, humid summer days, I appreciate the fact that my A/C compressor is spinning fast enough to keep my car cool.

I'm no engineer, but I have no problem with the stock pulleys, and have no plan to change them.

[blackteam02]

From how i understand it, from past threads..if you have the 3.5 its totally worth it!! but not so much if you have the 2.5. (HP wise)

[jdeb101]

I have an a/c automatic. Is it worth it for an auto, or does it not make a difference? (sorry for the hijack!)

[RobPaulson]

doesntmatter

[Alt.ImaCoupe]

Are they are worth it? Who knows.

What were those pesky engineers at Nissan thinking when they decided to use the pulleys that are on the I-4 and V-6? I'm sure that they did absolutely no testing before they made their final decision.

What are you hoping to gain? Maybe one or two BHP at full throtle and at RPM redline? Wow! That will really made a difference.

Personally, I like my alternator providing enough voltage to keep my battery fully charged. I also like my water pump spinning fast enough to keep my car from overheating. On these hot, humid summer days, I appreciate the fact that my A/C compressor is spinning fast enough to keep my car cool.

I'm no engineer, but I have no problem with the stock pulleys, and have no plan to change them.

The 2.5 pulley is not underdrive, so it will not change alternator or AC operation. I don't think the water pump is driven off an external drive belt, that woudn't make much sense. More likely it's driven off the timing belt. Again, no change in operation.

The only advantage with the Stillen 2.5 pulleys is the weight which might help the engine rev a bit faster. No sure it's worth the money in my opinion.

[RobPaulson]

Are they are worth it? Who knows.

What were those pesky engineers at Nissan thinking when they decided to use the pulleys that are on the I-4 and V-6? I'm sure that they did absolutely no testing before they made their final decision.

wtf? dude the engineers at nissan arent pesky, they are funded by a business. and guess what, that business is trying to make money. that means not investing countless and expensive engineering hours to pump out an extra 5 HP. it doesnt make sense.

They were given a budget for the design, and then decided to give it X instead of a lighter pulley made from a more expensive matterial, they decided to include something else that would be more beneficial to the average customer and probably boost sale potential.

Quote »I'm no engineer[/quote]thats quite clear.

[Throckmorton]

RobPaulson,

I made that comment in jest! I am gladthat you replied to it. There is no doubt in my mind, as evidenced by Nissan V6 engines that produce a heck of a lot more HP than our Altimas, that the engineers in the Nissan R+D department know what they are doing. I feel that they are the best in the business.

I agree 100% with your comments about how they chose the pulleys.

I'm still not convinced that changing a pulley, even if it is made from the miracle metal 'unobtainium", would make a noticable difference in a normal street driven vehicle. Race track driven, modified vehicle? Yes, it might help.

The power steering, a/c compressor, and alternator are driven by the main drive belt. The water pump is not driven by that belt.

If the diameter of the crank pulley were changed, all this would do is slow down or speed up the rpm at which these accessories were spun, depending if a larger or smaller pulley were installed.

I still do not see how this modification would increase the maximum horsepower. These accessories are parasites, and siphen HP from the engine.

[Team STILLEN]

Throckmorton.. you're exactly right. Underdrive and lightweight crank pulleys do NOT increase the horsepower of the car, they increase the power delivered to the wheels, making the driveline more efficient.

The factory pulley is a cast steel monster, which is infinitely cheaper process to manufacture, versus cutting a billet pulley out of a solid chunk of aluminum. It's much easier for the engine to turn, and that free'd up power is delivered to the driveline.

Underdrive takes that a step further, slowing the accessories down (nothing major, about 20%) to free up additional load.

We've sold thousands of pulleys, and no one has issues with charging, even guys with pretty beefy systems. If you're doing audio competitions, and have a ridiculous show system, skip the underdrive and stick with the lightweight only version.

[Throckmorton]

Josh@Stillen,

Thanks for clearing that up.

Your knowledge is second to none, and you and your company are first rate.

Keep up the good work.