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  #1  
Old 05-09-2009, 06:42 PM
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Black88GTA Black88GTA is offline
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Crank pulley wobbling??

I was changing out my coolant temp sensor today and noticed that my crankshaft pulley was wobbling the tiniest little bit...not enough to make a noise, or throw a belt, or cause any other issues though. The pulley is only wobbling just enough so that I notice it when I'm watching it with the engine running.

So...this means that the rubber is starting to deteriorate and I have to replace it now, right? I'm thinking I'd like to go with a lightened 1-pc pulley to replace it, and do the crank / cam seals at the same time.

Has anyone had any issues with one piece lightweight pulleys in general? Are there any specific brands to go for / stay away from? Are underdrive pulleys a bad idea for the SVX?

As far as stock size 1-pc pulleys - I found this one and this one online. One of these is probably what I'll end up with (unless I find something better). Currently leaning towards the one from Perrin. Will these fit? I understand Subaru used the same size pulley on a number of different engines, but I want to consult the board to make sure that I'm ordering the right thing before doing so.

In addition to the ones I linked, does anyone have any suggestions? I kind of want to keep it right around ~$100 or less, if possible.
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Old 05-09-2009, 07:08 PM
NiftySVX NiftySVX is offline
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Re: Crank pulley wobbling??

I wouldn't worry about a slight wobbling, just visually inspect the unit and make sure the bolt is tightened to factory specifications. Also, the harmonic balancer is a balanced unit and has a mass to help smooth out engine vibrations, that is why it is heavy. I don't think you'd get much benefit from a lighter pully.
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Old 05-09-2009, 07:51 PM
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Re: Crank pulley wobbling??

Quote:
Originally Posted by NiftySVX View Post
I wouldn't worry about a slight wobbling, just visually inspect the unit and make sure the bolt is tightened to factory specifications. Also, the harmonic balancer is a balanced unit and has a mass to help smooth out engine vibrations, that is why it is heavy. I don't think you'd get much benefit from a lighter pully.
Actually, a wobbly crank pulley should be addressed ASAP. If the 2-piece pulley is wobbling, it's because the rubber is coming apart. The last thing you want is it to suddenly tear apart on you, resulting in half a pulley bouncing around your engine bay demolishing whatever it can in there.

FYI: a WRX pulley will drop right in... it's the same as the SVX's OEM pulley. So, you should be just fine getting a 1-piece non-underdrive WRX pulley for the car, or better yet, score a used low-mileage WRX pulley from someone that's upgraded. When I replacecd my pulley recently, I just used my WRX pulley that's just been lying around ever since I put an underdrive pulley on my WRX.
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Old 05-09-2009, 09:08 PM
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Re: Crank pulley wobbling??

Quote:
Originally Posted by NiftySVX View Post
I wouldn't worry about a slight wobbling, just visually inspect the unit and make sure the bolt is tightened to factory specifications. Also, the harmonic balancer is a balanced unit and has a mass to help smooth out engine vibrations, that is why it is heavy. I don't think you'd get much benefit from a lighter pully.
I don't think there's a lot of performance benefit either...although, some of the things I've read suggest that a lighter pulley allows the engine to rev up faster. At this point, I'm mainly looking to replace it due to the wobbling issue - and I'm a big fan of the "fix it faster" philosophy

The weight / durability is kind of what I am wondering about, I'm trying to find out if it can cause problems going from a ~6lb pulley to a ~1.5 lb unit.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sperry View Post
Actually, a wobbly crank pulley should be addressed ASAP. If the 2-piece pulley is wobbling, it's because the rubber is coming apart. The last thing you want is it to suddenly tear apart on you, resulting in half a pulley bouncing around your engine bay demolishing whatever it can in there.

FYI: a WRX pulley will drop right in... it's the same as the SVX's OEM pulley. So, you should be just fine getting a 1-piece non-underdrive WRX pulley for the car, or better yet, score a used low-mileage WRX pulley from someone that's upgraded. When I replacecd my pulley recently, I just used my WRX pulley that's just been lying around ever since I put an underdrive pulley on my WRX.
This is sort of what I am worrying about...I don't want to just dismiss it, and then have it come apart at the worst possible time, or cause other damage. I had another car (1988 Chrysler Conquest TSi) a couple years ago with a 2-pc pulley that had the pulley come apart right as I was leaving for work.

Thanks for the info on the WRX pulley, that's one of the things I was looking for confirmation on. Everyone makes WRX pulleys
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  #5  
Old 05-10-2009, 12:37 AM
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Re: Crank pulley wobbling??

I chucked a alloy one on my svx. Its same size as factory one. I didnt want to go undersize.
I never ever had a problem with it. I was lucky because my one never wobbled. but I took it off and it just fell apart in my hands. the rubber was fine.
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  #6  
Old 05-10-2009, 09:56 AM
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Re: Crank pulley wobbling??

I use the one that Dayle from motorsport warehouse sells. One piece aluminum stock size. Got them on both svx's. Not a problem from either one. Nice to support a business that cares about the svx too.
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