Hey guys,

So, my d16a6 I noticed the crank pulley is just solid steel, no dampener or balancer, whatever you call it.
It has no rubber.

So in theory, can I safely buy one of those lightweight pulleys that are only 1 lb or so?


I feel like the rubber is to absorb shock from the accessories more than to balance out the crank. Since the crx only has an alternator, later as civics gained AC PS and such they introduced the rubber.

Tons of conflicting info online, funny thing is everyone who has negative things to say about them have never used them, ecept for one or two. And those who say good things, actually have them.


What do you all think?

 

its one of those things
from my Chevy days we where always told you need a harmonic dampener
but you hardly see them on 4cyl after market engines
my feelings is for longevity its a good idea but most of these hi-po engines don't last over 100,000 miles

have a link for the light weight pulley?

davegt27

 

Offsetting the balance on your crank that much is begging for problems. The rubber IS there to absorb shock and improve balance on the crank. The for sure way is to get a ATI Super Dampener. Or you can go cheap / unsure / not worth it, way and get a cheap aluminum underdrive pulley with no rubber and call it a day. ( Which seems like what you already have ) Choice is yours. $300 bucks ATI Dampener, no probs for all applications. OEM crank pulley, no problems unless rubber comes off. Cheap underdrive pulley, GL and problems for hard racing.

Can you safely buy one, yes... for your health safety wise. Will it be safe for your car? NO.

 

88-91 crx d series engine pulleys are solid. No rubber
So are the b16a1 engine pulleys

 

I had an Unorthodox pulley in my car for years without any problems. You risk your life leaving the house every day.

 

Why is that, when the oem pulley is sans rubber as well.

 

What I think I know:
Old V8 muscle car era engines have true harmonic balancers that actually aid in balancing the engine..
These harmonic balancer can actually go bad over time and need to be replaced.
A bad harmonic balancer will cause an engine shakes and vibrates like mad - to the point where it can crack the crankshaft!

Newer engines have far better control over manufacturing tolerances and engines are able to be internally balanced.
Ever hear of a honda crankshaft pulley going bad? Nope.

"but my B16 crank as rubber in it blah blah blah".... true, but it isn't a harmonic balancer.
That thin band of rubber is an elastomer that helps keep down natural noise of the engine.

With that said, the stock crankshaft pulley is heavy which does provide some damping effect.
It does rob some horsepower too.

My 2 cents:
lightweight pulleys on a engine that has been torn down and balanced better than stock specs.
Stock pulley for stock engine.

 

Yes, I rember reading 6 cylinder and more need true balancers because the length of the crank.

 

What is the torque spec on the crank pulley bolt?
145 ft lbs with oil on the threads(used bolt)
119 ft lbs with oil on the threads(new bolt)

 

Here is an interesting read that doesn't directly answer the question, but gives the math behind it.
https://www.enginelabs.com/news/unde...ith-fluidampr/

Now I have to go dig deeper... article has some input that conflict with things I thought I knew.

 

lol, it seems to say it's safe.

I got my crank pulley on.
feels good

torque specs go like this

New bolt:
Oil threads only, Torque to 145, back off, re-torque to 119

Old bolt:
Oil threads only, torque to 119

Overall, the engine feels a lot smoother, less vibration felt in the cabin.
I can feel more torque when going up long hills. Very noticeable