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1) "What are Unorthodox Racing Ultra/Tuner Series pulleys?"

Our pulleys are available in three (3) types:

FIRST - Accessory pulleys (Ultra A) for air pumps, alternators, idlers, power steerings & water pumps. These pulleys are the same diameter as the OEM (original) pulley/s, in most cases, they are replacing but they are much lighter. The accessory pulleys are included in our pulley sets, these sets also include the crank pulley. Even if you buy a crank pulley first the accessory pulleys for most models are available separately. So you are never locked out of the full set and the maximum potential HP gains.

SECOND - Crank pulleys, which are available in three (3) versions. First Version: underdrive crank pulleys in standard belt layout (Ultra S). They drive all the accessories that your came with from the factory. This version is up to 20% smaller in diameter and they are 60-90% lighter than the stock pulleys they replace. This is why we do all of the underdriving at the crank pulley, to maximize the reduction in weight on the crank. Second Version: stock diameter crank pulleys, also in standard belt layout (Ultra Sc & Tuner S), designed to maintain alternator output at stock levels for car owners with big stereos (over 600 watts) or for audio competitions where system voltage must maintain specified levels (see your sanctioning body's rules). For cars with superchargers it maintains the original level of boost from the aftermarket supercharger kit. Third Version: underdrive single belt conversion (Ultra R) that drives only the alternator. It is used for engine swaps or for the racer where only the alternator is being used. The same percentage of underdriving as the Ultra S version but is 90-95% lighter than the OEM pulley it replaces.

THIRD - Pulley sets, which are available in two (2) versions. First Version: is the underdrive sets in standard belt layout (Ultra SS). These sets include the underdrive crank pulley (Ultra S) and the accessory pulleys (Ultra A) for the air pump, alternator, idler, power steering and water pump, depending on your application. There is no additional underdrive with these sets, they are the same amount as with our crank pulleys (Ultra S). The a/c is still driven from the crank pulley in this version so don't think it has to be removed or can't be used. Second Version: stock diameter standrad belt layout sets (Ultra SSc). They include the stock diameter crank pulley and the accessory pulleys (Ultra A) for the air pump, alternator, idler, power steering and water pump pulleys depending on your application. This version is designed to maintain alternator output at stock levels for car owners with big stereos (over 600 watts) or for audio competitions where system voltage must maintain specified levels (see your sanctioning body's rules). For cars with superchargers it maintains the original level of boost from the aftermarket supercharger kit.

2) "What is underdriving/underdrive"

Underdriving/underdrive is slowing the speed of the accessories, or the driven component, from their original factory speed. Underdriving can be done in two ways. First is by increasing the diameter of the accessory pulley/s. The problem with this method is it increases the size of the accessory pulley/s which increases their weight. Weight reduction is the most important key to increasing engine performance and response. This method also eliminates the ability to underdrive the a/c that robs alot of horsepower. The second, which we use, is reducing the diameter of the crank pulley. This allows us to achieve the best ratio of underdriving, and most importantly maximizes the reduction of weight on the crankshaft. This reduction in weight reduces the moment of inertia allowing your engine to respond faster to throttle inputs and perform better at all RPM's. This method also allows underdriving of the a/c we can maximize the performance of our kits by not leaving any accessories to rob precious horsepower from your engine.

3) "How do Unorthodox Racing pulleys give me more power?"

Weight reduction is how we are able to increase Horsepower! Each pound of weight removed from the crankshaft is worth approximately 2.7HP and the gains jump even more dramatically with forced induction, nitrous and variable valve timing. Only 15-20% of the gains from our pulleys come from underdriving. The diameter of each of our crank pulleys is reduced up to 20%. We tailor the exact amount of underdrive to each vehicle to maintain factory specified accessory output and performance. We fully maintain all accessory output minimums like air conditioning efficiency, power steering feel, and voltage (minimum allowable voltage 12v) even at idle with everything electrical on in the car. There are no adverse effects from using any of our pulley versions. Bolt them on and forget about them, then just follow your vehicles normal maintenance schedule.

4) "Is my crank pulley a harmonic/torsional/vibration damper or a harmonic balancer?"

People are getting their crank pulleys confused with the harmonic dampers found on some domestic V6 & V8 engines. "Harmonic Balancer" is a term used loosely in the automotive industry. Technically, this type of device does not exist. The "balancer" part comes from engines that are externally balanced and have a counterweight cast into the damper. None of the applications we offer use a counterweight as part of the pulley, as these engines are all internally balanced.

The pulleys on most of the new import and smaller domestic engines have an elastomer (rubber ring) incorporated into the pulley making them look similar to a harmonic damper. The elastomer in the OEM pulley serves as an isolator, which is there to suppress noise from the engine accessories; the A/C compressor, P/S pump, and alternator. This is what the manufacturers call NVH (Noise Vibration & Harshness) when referring to noticeable noise and vibration in the passenger compartment. It is important to realize in these applications, the elastomer is inadequate in size and durability to act as an effective torsional damper. If you look at the pulleys on some imports there is no rubber to be found at all. We have samples of these, mostly from Acura/Honda B & D Series engines, Nissan Altima, 1.8L Eclipse, 2.3L Fords, Chrysler 2.2L's, and 1.8L VW's just to mention a few. Most owners who have installed our pulleys notice the engine actually feels smoother. This is result of replacing the heavy crank pulley with our crank pulley. NVH is variable and unique to every car. NVH will increase with the installation of an aftermarket intake and/or exhaust, for example. Think of OEM intake systems in newer cars, they use baffles and resonators in the intake to quiet all the intake noise. Aftermarket intakes eliminate these resonators and create dramatic increases in engine noise from the throttle opening and closing. So to most tuners, certain types of NVH can make the driving experience more enjoyable.

The purpose of a traditional harmonic damper is to protect against crank failure from torsional movement and frequencies of high amplitude. This is not necessary in most modern engines because of the many advances in engine design and materials. Factors such as shorter stroke length, smaller displacement, piston dwell time, piston pin off-set, power output, etc., do determine when and how these harmonics and torsional movements occur. More importantly the actual tune of the engine, espcially with modified vheciles, is the biggest factor in potential engine damage. Poor tuning leads to detonation which is an engine killer that no damper can stop.

Again, there is a lot of internet hearsay about solid crank pulleys. When engine problems occur, too often people are quick to blame the pulley first, rather than taking the time to look logically into why there was a problem. We hope that after reading this you will understand our crank pulleys better.

5) "Will Unorthodox Racing lightened pulleys cause an oil pump failure?"

Urban myths have been floating around about Honda oil pumps failing by using an Unorthodox Racing crank pulley/s. The real fact is that these OEM pumps have been failing with AND WITHOUT the use of our pulleys and before our crank pulley/s were available on the market. Also note that these failures are few and far in between.

The Acura/Honda oil pumps are excellent units, but there are a number of reasons for the failures that do occur.

Most of the oil pump failures have been in Acura/Honda B series 1.6/1.8L applications, Chrsyler SRT4, Mazda 1.6/1.8L applications have seen a few failures, as well as the new Ford Focus ZETEC in race vehicles. Again, note that on all these applications the oil pump failures have occurred on engines not even using our pulley, they were using the stock crank pulley.

These pump failures can be linked to the following causes. These causes may act individually or in combination to cause the actual failures:

• The gears used in many pumps including those in the Honda B series engines and Mazda Miata engines are of a low-cost powdered metal composition. The factory uses this metal because of its acceptable cost-to-strength ratio. The problem is, these parts are not always deburred properly from the factory and when pushed to their limits can and do fail.
• Many times additional stress is added to the oil pump by using oil thicker than what is specified by the manufacturer. The oil pump and bearing clearances were not designed from the factory to push oil of higher viscosities. This extra stress on the gears, combined with the above mentioned poor deburring process, can attribute to oil pump failure or engine failure.
• Another contributing factor to oil pump failures is the weak cast backing plate of the B16/B18 oil pumps. Simple inspection shows that when compared to an H22 oil pump, a screw is not present in a critical location of the plate in the B series pumps. Compound this with the use of a higher viscosity motor oil and poorly deburred pump components and you have the ingredients for an oil pump failure.
• This issue, specific to the Mazda 1.6/1.8L engines, involves the flex of the crankshaft and the lower half of the engine due to the additional stress of a forced induction system (such as a turbo or supercharger). The additional stress produced by forced induction causes flexing of both the block and the crankshaft between the front main bearing and the oil pump. This can also contribute to oil pump failure. Early Miatas were notorious for having crankshaft problems and later models suffered from problems as power is increased significantly.
• Lastly, any failure inside a motor, related to aging components or a poor engine rebuild, can cause the oil pump to fail. ANY particles passing through an oil pump design such as that used in the Honda B series engines will cause damage or failure.

Remember that oil pump failures happen regularly on engines using a factory crank pulley. To help combat these failures, a few steps should be taken to help prolong the life of your oil pump and engine:

• Unless building a race motor with race clearances in mind, you should always use an oil viscosity matching, or as close to the factory recommendations as possible.
• If using a factory oil pump, always have your oil pump components deburred properly. It is recommended you have a competent engine rebuilder handle this.
• For those who run dedicated / extreme race vehicles we recommend using an external wet or dry sump oiling system. These systems are designed for the heavy abuse a race engine receives on the track. Remember, the stock oiling systems were designed for factory horsepower levels and can only handle a certain amount of power increase over that level.
• Lastly and most obvious, have a competent, trusted machine or performance shop rebuild your precious motor. It only takes one simple mistake to turn a costly engine rebuild into a doorstop.

If you have any other questions about this subject please don't hesitate to give us a call or drop us an e-mail. We take great pride in the craftsmanship of our products and are constantly striving to provide the highest quality products available to you, our customers.

6) "Will these pulleys cause premature engine bearing wear?"

This is a fear many prospective owners have and is a valid concern since we are dealing directly with the rotating assembly. Fortunately it is another urban myth with no basis in fact. The fact is our pulleys have the opposite effect on engine bearings. The combination of tight tolerances, precise quality control, perfect balance, and dramatic weight loss versus the stock pulleys reduces stress loads on your engine, extending the service life of your engine. Engine bearing problems are purely associated to poor engine maintenance, use of heavier than factory recommended oils, improper engine building practices (which includes poor balancing), excessively revving of engines when they are cold, and owners expecting their factory oil pumps to handle engine power outputs beyond 3, 4, even 5+ times the stock power levels.

7) "Will the pulleys void my factory warrantee?"

Actually the answer is fairly complex but has a simple answer. Automobile manufacturers state if a specific component is not designed by them for use on your vehicle from the factory, then the component voids your warrantee. This area has been a hotbed of controversy for years. SEMA has been working feverishly to protect owner’s rights on this issue because many aftermarket products are viable replacements, if not better in design and function than the factory component.

Our pulleys are one of many products, from air intakes to computer chips to exhaust systems that fall into this category. The simple truth is that most dealers are looking for any excuse to avoid working on vehicles modified with aftermarket performance parts.

The solution is the MAGNUSON-MOSS WARRANTY IMPROVEMENT ACT, which requires the dealer or Manufacturer to prove the aftermarket part you are using actually caused a failure or problem with the vehicle. So if your dealer gives you a hard time let him know you are aware of your rights and they should back down quickly.

The key is owners must be aware these situations can arise and this is clearly stated in the back of the owner’s manual that non-OEM products void the manufacturer warrantee. This, not surprisingly, includes performance parts designed by car manufacturers (i.e. Ford Motorsports, TRD, Mazda Competition and GM Performance to name a few).

8) "Are these pulleys hard to install?"

In most cases if you can change your oil or do a tune-up, then you can install one of our crank pulleys. Each of our pulley/s or sets comes with model-specific instructions covering everything from jacking up the car to the factory torque specifications. It is important for you to be aware that although the product seems simple it is critical it be installed properly. Our instructions are not a replacement for a factory service manual. So if you're not sure go to a professional.

An installation done by a professional mechanic should take no longer than one (1) hour for crank pulleys and up to two (2) hours for pulleys sets.

9) "Do I have to change my belts when I install the pulley?"

Yes. Belts must be changed with most of our underdrive pulleys. This is because the pulleys are up to 20% smaller than the factory pulleys. The installation instructions we supply with each kit includes the part number/s for the belt/s we have found to work most consistently. The belt/s you will need are available from your local auto store. If you find a belt size other than the recommended size that works please let us know.

We recommend the use of Gates belts. It is important that the belts are slightly over tightened when they are first installed as belts naturally stretch when new. We do not supply the belts with our kits for three reasons. First we refuse to use inferior quality belts like those used by other pulley manufactures. For instance one manufacturer claims they use the factory OEM supplier. The problem is that manufacturers don't always use the highest quality belt because they see belts as a limited life span component that they can save money on. Second, we don't feel that our customers should have to pay NY prices (Long Island has some of the highest pricing in the country) for their belts, as most of you will be able to find the belts for a lower price in your area. Third, if an owner happens to have a rare car that needs a different belt than the ones we have found to work they would have get involved in shipping it back, exchanging the belt, and paying for additional shipping charges. Belt sizing can vary due to the OEM manufacturer's production cycle. This is due to the use of different accessories, different brackets, or a combination of both.

10) "Does the hard black anodized coating wear away?"

The hard black anodizing on some of our acessory pulleys is for done for wear protection. It protects the aluminum from the back of the belt. As a belt ages it hardens and becomes almost like sand paper. Without the hard black anodizing the belt would cut right through the aluminum.

11) "Is there any long term maintenance required with the pulleys?"

The only maintenance required is to check and replace the accessory belts at the manufacturer's specified intervals. Otherwise you basically bolt on our pulleys and forget about them.

12) "Will my engine RPM's change?"

The pulleys have nothing to do with the transmission and the gear ratios. The pulleys only change the speed of the accessories and nothing else. The transmission and the differential, as well as tire size, control engine RPM at any given speed.

13) "Can I use the underdrive pulleys if I have a high wattage stereo system?"

Our underdrive pulleys are designed to allow for the addition of aftermarket stereo systems up to approximately 600 watts RMS. If the stereo system in question is above that wattage amount then the owner can purchase our stock diameter crank pulley will maintain the voltage output just like the stock crank pulley.

Capacitors are a smart addition to any audion system as they store the power the amplifiers need for peak draw. Our stock diameter series used with capacitors allow the vehicle owner to achieve the cleanest and most powerful sound with no loss in voltage output. Another good option would be to install a second battery or batteries just for the stereo.

14) "Why doesn't Unorthodox Racing make an air conditioning pulley?"

At this time we are not making a/c pulleys because of the clutch mechanism. We are, however, looking into doing them in the near future. Note that the a/c is still driven in a number of our pulley types and kits so there is no need to delete or remove the a/c. Remember, many of our pulley types and sets underdrive the a/c which can pick up a considerable amount of previously lost power.