jwkim80

Where can I buy ASP pulley from? Any sites?

Buellwinkle

You can't even buy it from www.ASPRacing.com, it's special order and you have to call Lee to order it during the week and not on their 24 hour toll free order line or from one of their dealers. The good news is you can now order the new version. The reason is that they were specially made for a group buy on this forum and it's not sold outside the forums, that's why the special price.

Auto Specialties Performance
13313 Redfish, #104
Stafford, TX 77477
(281) 261-5811
(281) 261-5715 Fax

E-mail: asp@aspracing.com

Lockbuster

Buell,
Must not have heard about the problems with that product......

Buellwinkle

This has been long debated but there was a tendency for the keyway to get distorted because the key only protrudes into the key by a very small amount. This was noticed on a few pulleys and may have accounted for 1 failure. So the new pulleys have a pressed on stainless steel hub that is also secured by 6 flush mounted bolts. If you want you can return your pulley and they will retrofit it to the new design for free, all you pay is to ship it to them and your labor to remove and reinstall your pulley. I should have mine early next week.

adamrs80

jwkim80, save yourself and read about some of the problems people have been having with ASP pulleys. Just because ASP is "fixing" the problem with a new pulley that doesn't mean much to those that have already had problems. Save up the money and buy a Renntech one that is made like the OEM part, or spend your money in a less risky area like a larger intercooler. The engine is already not the smoothest of 4-cylinders and in my opinion needs a balencing type pulley, which the ASP pulley is not.

Buellwinkle

You seem so intelligent on the subject and just wanted to pick your brain. You obviously did some serious tuning on your coupe and have the dyno plots to prove that the intercooler is the best mod and a pulley is not as good. How much power did you get with your intercooler and no pulley? Any other mods that helped out, I'm always on the lookout for more power.... Also, can you provide a link to all these problems?

What is amazing is that according to you, if someone takes a factory pulley and attaches a ring to make it bigger and charges over $1,600 that's the best way to go? Help me out, how many people on this forum have this pulley arrangement, must be hundreds right, since it's the best one and all? Also, explain to me how this factory pulley with a ring on it helps make the engine smoother, I'm always looking for a smooth engine, afterall it's a Mercedes, it should be smooth and fast. So a lightweight alloy pulley makes your engine rough, that's very interesting. So have you tried both types to have come to your conclusion?

Rick

Objection, Your Honor! Argumentative!!
(not that this is a surprise)

mdp c230k

Buell, woke up on the wrong side, did you? $1600 is a bit much but it does function exactly like the part it replaces which can not be said for the ASP pulley. Also, an engine with the proper harmonic damper will always be smoother than the same engine without, thats why its there in part. I've explained it before so go back and read the posts. The Kleemann ring if installed properly will do the same thing as the Renntech for $1000 less. The intercooler may not be a better mod but it is safer than a pulley. The engine will run cooler, make more power over repeted hard runs, and may actully last longer due to the decreased temps. Any other questions?

adamrs80

Woah, easy winkle. Maybe you need to re-read my post before you freak out. I never said the intercooler was "the best mod" or anything close to that, I merely stated that it would be a less risky area to spend money. I don't think many people would disagree with that. I didn't claim to be an expert either, but I do know a little about engines, have some common sense, and have read more than a few posts discussing the ASP pulley and the problems it has caused. You yourself are sending your old one back. I guess the Mercedes engineers we're wrong and should have been sub-contracting all their pulley manufacturing to ASP since they specialize in the M111 engine and have been working with it for so long. It looks like mdp c230k covered everything that I would have said in his reply so theres no need to be redundant. I do have one question. Winkle do you get a kickback from ASP or something? Just wondering.

Buellwinkle

Adam it's just hard to take BS from someone that has no clue so let me give you some facts and maybe you'll understand the difference between fact and theory.

Fact 1. I have a Renntech intercooler and dynoed with it alone, no pulley kit of any kind and got 5 HP over stock and repeatedly lost power in a back to back run similar to without the intercooler. To say any mod is safer than another is just turning a blind eye, you are taking a risk no matter what, even changing tthe airfilter as many lost their MAF sensor on ML320's with K&N's. If you want safe, use stickers. BTW, the K&N filter lost a small amount of HP without a pulley yet made 3 HP with a pulley.

Fact 2. Most of the hoopla over a wether a damper is necessary or not is just theory. The reality is that Kleemann has sold solid damperless alloy pulleys for this motor for 6 years without one engine failure and according to Lucas, they sold a lot of them in Europe.

Fact 3. I've heard of 4 failures of ring type pulleys on the forum, if you like I can send you a list of members but some don't like to appear on the forum, possibly settlements with those tuners. Two where S/C failures and 2 where issues where the ring came lose or didn't fit.

Fact 4. On these forums, ASP outsells all other pullies combined, because of the large number of people with ASP pulleys here there's bound to be a problems here or there, afterall, it's usually installed by non-professional mechanics, many without the proper tools. In comparison ASP has sold 35 pulleys as of last month to these forums alone, Renntech I believe only sold 2. You do the math, that means there is a 17.5 times greater chance of a problem cropping up.

Fact 5. ASP changed the pulley based some keyway distortion that was starting to occur on my car, the one with the oldest ASP pulley. This was pre-emptive campaign to produce a better product. When customers complain about something ASP takes action. For example when people complained about a very slight belt rubbing they offered a slightly smaller pulley and redid existing customer's pulleys for free, Kleemann has the same issue but they tell customers it's OK, live with it. Why, because ASP is a machine shop, they can easily adapt, larger tuners can't or won't.

Fact 6. No I do not make any money or get free products from ASP. My involvement with ASP was to design the best pulley possible as part of a group buy initiated on this forum by Timmy, not me. ASP's original thought was to do a ring pulley but the consensus on the forum of about 4:1 was to make a solid alloy pulley for performance reasons.


Keep in mind, I spend more time and money doing dyno's and experimenting with my car than just about any consumer on this forum short of maybe 1 other person to prove if products are worth the money. What have you done other than bad mouth other peoples' products????? What have all these people with their big theories done for you other than get you confused enough into believing their theories'? Heck if they are so smart why haven't they ponied up for their pulley of choice and published dyno charts? Why, because it's all talk and no action.

Just so you know, I have more Renntech mods on my car than any other tuner's product!

Rick

Adam,
Obviously you've been baited....by a master, no less....

Buell,
Don't take the critiques as personal attacks. They weren't intended as such. As you well know, 'documented problems' always get magnified, even if there are only a few instances of such problems. While one particular case comes to mind, it should also be said that modifications of any kind are at the risk of the owner.

I don't think anyone can honestly say they've modified their car with the fervor you've applied. But then, how many have access to as much as you do?

It's good to hear that ASP stands behind their products, and has made changes in the product to reflect that developmental quality. But again (even you'll have to admit) the litmus test has yet to pan out completely.

Let cooler heads prevail. Read what you type from the other's perspective before clicking 'submit'. Keep it constructive rather than lashing out. That will be far more productive in swaying people to consider your defense....without getting defensive.

Lockbuster

2 Cents worth.
The aftermarket pulley does void some parts of the cars warranty. The manufacture of the pulley may or may not stand behind the pulley. In the end the Consumer is responsible for the ultimate cost.

Chances are the damaged incurred by a failed product will be fixed by someone that is not a qualified Mercedes tech, and the work will be substandard.

The sad part about this situation is the consumer who buys a previous modified vehicle (with no knowledge of the mods) that has been returned to normal, just to find out the dealer voided a warranty on that vehicle.

mdp c230k

The reason people buy the ASP over the Kleemann is just because its cheaper. If they were the same price the Kleemann would sell more. Its nice of ASP to redo the old pulleys but they dont re-anodize the surface that has been exposed leaving softer bare aluminum, bad, bad, bad. The new hub is also unproven, so wait to see if the problems stop. The rings that failed were most likely not installed well, but we will never know. If a damper is used by MB then I want one too, don't you? Remember, Buellwinkle, although well intended, is not an expert nor am I. Make your own choices based on what you think is good design and practice. Happy driving

firstkill

My asp pully has 12000 miles behind it....nothing is broken

as for the new pully with steel hub... im between the "dont fix whats not broken" or "replace it because its suppose to be better"



~fk

20FHK02

Fact: most automobile manufacturers employ numerous top of the line theoretical and practical engineers and have been rolling out cars for decades. Yet, many car models still carry some sort of problems out of the production line.

One defective unit or two doesn't mean that the entire model line is junk. If you buy a Honda, you know you prefer overall reliability better. If you buy a MB, you know you prefer overall impression better. If you get a stock car, you know you prefer long term reliability better. If you put in aftermarket upgrade parts, you know you prefer performance better. There is no perfect balance with everything.

Bobdole

i have both ASP pulley and Renntech intercooler,i dont get into all the back lashing,and i also have had 6000 hard miles put on the pulley and ic and knock on wood all i s great,i went to Buttonwillow raceway on saturday and ran my car all day and have 225 miles of hard track miles,and i have done this numerous times before,and have had no problems,and like stated by buell,the intercooler didn't make a noticable difference in hp,but it lets u drive as hard as u want without getting heat soaked,but it is a pricey mod.