25% Under Drive Pully

[CaliHemi60]

What is this and does it add horse power,and were can i buy this from.

[Hemi Mag]

Basically it reduces rotating mass on the motor and lets it rev quicker. Also it slows down your accessories.

AC

[goldsmi]

Wiki says:

An Underdrive pulley refers to an aftermarket crankshaft or accessory pulley (such as an alternator pulley) that is designed to drive a vehicle's accessories at a slower rate than stock. Underdrive in general means the input rate of rotation in a system is greater then the output rate of rotation. However, an underdrive pulley is considered to be an accessory pulley that is larger then stock or a crankshaft pulley that is smaller then stock, even though the accessory may not necessarily be underdriven with respect to the crankshaft pulley. The original purpose of underdrive pulleys was to extend the life of the belt-drive accessories on race cars in the 1950s and 60s which were not meant to rotate at such high speeds. Such belt-drive accessories include water pumps, alternators, and power steering pumps. Underdrive pulleys did not become mainstream until the mid to late 1980s, with their introduction from March Performance for fuel injected 5.0L Mustangs, Camaros & Trans Ams. They also appeared for small displacement engines in the mid-nineties with the entry into the market of Unorthodox Racing.[citation needed]
Underdrive pulleys usually are marketed as a performance enhancing item that increases the torque and horsepower output of an engine by reducing parasitic drag caused by belt-driven accessories, but more importantly by reducing the moment of inertia. Horsepower gains from underdrive pulleys alone are usually minimal, 1-3 wheel horsepower depending on the engine. HP gains from being lighter can be significant, from 4-14 HP for normally aspirated engines and 12-25 HP for forced induction engines. These are some of the best HP improvements enthusiasts can find for their money.[citation needed] Be careful if your car is driven on the street to not have more than 15-20% underdrive. Some companies also offer stock diameter crankshaft and accessory pulleys. Poorly designed cheap pulleys or copies and knock-offs of major brands can have severe side effects because of too much underdrive of the alternator, power steering, and/or air conditioning units, which are not spinning fast enough. These lead to dips in alternator voltage, power assist, and air conditioning effectiveness may be noticeable, especially at idle. The headlights may dim when coming to a stop, or the stereo may lower in volume, for instance. Too much underdrive for a race car, this is not of concern, but for a daily driven vehicle it can be a major annoyance.
Changing the original crankshaft pulley can have negative effects if the replacement pulley is not manufactured properly. A crankshaft or accessory pulley that is not machined or balanced properly can cause severe damage. For most domestic V8s a harmonic damper is necessary to absorb crankshaft vibrations. Early to mid-year V8's kept the pulley and damper as separate components. Most late model V8s now integrate the damper and the pulley into one part. For small displacement engines found in many import and domestic vehicles (4.0L and under) the original crankshaft pulley only serves to quiet noise vibration and harshness (NVH) you hear in the occupant compartment. Although it may look like a damper on V8's engines it serves no protection function to the engine. It is the same as the baffles and resonators found in the intakes and exhausts systems of most cars today that serve to make the engine as quiet as feasibly possible. The first things most enthusiasts do is install high flow intakes and exhausts; the quieting function is eliminated.

[Mag05]

Calihemi60; I do not know what the hp #'s are, have not dyno'd the engine, but I believe the underdrive pulley frees up hp. I have a SLP 25% underdrive pulley, it is an excellent unit with deeper belt grooves than stock.It is too bad the unit is hidden once installed because it is a great looking piece. Charging voltage is 14.2-14.5, I have not had any issues with any underdriven acc's, so go for it. There are different brands, but I think the SLP goes for about $250. plus installation. Go to SLP Performance Parts on the net to check it out, also remember to get the new serpentine belt to fit, alittle shorter in length. [I hope printing SLP Performance Parts does not get me into trouble, apologies if so]

[tbyrne]

Good info from Wiki!

If your looking for a package with the required belt, we have this for you - http://estore.websitepros.com/2081904/Detail.bok?no=226

They rate the gain to be about 9hp and 10ft-lb.

Tom

[CaliHemi60]

thanks ill be getting this real soon

[mr.niftie]

Interesting.
Anyone in the group dyno'd this yet?
Any problems with engine damage (I think that was a problem at one time)?

[higshemi-less]

Bighemi06 dyno'd his I believe Mike. I think he saw gains of 5 or 6 hp, don't ask me where the thread is. Just recalling it.

[Mag05]

Why would there be a problem? The engine is internally balanced

[MoPOWeR-349]

"...Any problems with engine damage (I think that was a problem at one time)?"

The problem with pulleys, if you don't know what your buying, is it must be both a dampener and a under-drive unit. If you buy just an under-drive pulley, lacking the internals to dissipate vibrational energy you'll eventually damage your engine.