Pulley Differences
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 557
Likes: 1
From: San Diego
99' SLK 230 & 01' CLK 430
Pressed on? That's a surprised. Why press on and not bolt on like the rest of other idler pulley/pulley? Oh..maybe the S/C pulley also has "harmonic balancer". Can you confirm that Buell?
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 875
Likes: 1
From: Los Angeles
2002 c230k
Originally posted by Buellwinkle
I don't want to sound like a know it all but I did spend a lot of time staring, measuring, taking pictures, just short of making love to those pulleys.
I don't want to sound like a know it all but I did spend a lot of time staring, measuring, taking pictures, just short of making love to those pulleys.
If the s/c pulley is made smaller there is less contact area with the belt and as such a greater force is placed on the belt per unit area causing it to wear more quickly. It doesn't matter about the angle the belt travels through, it's the radius of the turn that can also cause premature wear. Thats why an alternator pulley cant be compared to a smaller s/c pulley, additionally the force need to turn the alt is a fraction of the s/c's.
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 557
Likes: 1
From: San Diego
99' SLK 230 & 01' CLK 430
Yeah...yeah.....yeah guys !!! You guys just don't get it !!! From an engineering point of view, what do you guys think is more importance? The life of the belt wear out too fast? Or the eninge crank, seal etc. and reliability of the engine is reduces due to the removal of the "harmonic balancer" on the crank pulley?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,498
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From: Ashburn, VA
'19 GLC 300, '19 TM3SR+
Originally posted by speedfrk
The amount of force required to turn the supercharger at any given rpm (but especially at high rpm) is going to be quite a bit higher than what is required to turn an alternator. So comparing the 2 is not really valid. Belt slippage might be a problem, but I bet the real reason is the compexity of changing the SC pulley compared to the relative ease of changing the crank pulley.
The amount of force required to turn the supercharger at any given rpm (but especially at high rpm) is going to be quite a bit higher than what is required to turn an alternator. So comparing the 2 is not really valid. Belt slippage might be a problem, but I bet the real reason is the compexity of changing the SC pulley compared to the relative ease of changing the crank pulley.
Last edited by vadim; Jul 20, 2002 at 01:25 PM.
