Originally Posted By: oily boyd
Hi Falcon,
I did exactly what you propose (including leaving alt pulley stock) on my 1990 5.0 Mustang back in 1991.
No charging or cooling issues but I experienced zero performance improvement (judging by my buttocks dynomometer). Curious to hear if it makes a difference for you.
Thanks for the input, Boyd!
Based on what I have read, these do make some pretty good improvements to these cars. Will be interesting to see how it does.
Originally Posted By: Mud
Installed on the 2002 CV, there was a def improvement in the engine spooling up a bit quicker. Bear in mind that the 02 has a lot of mods and they all add a little to the overall performance.
I did not replace the alt pulley, didn't really see a need to do that.
I made this very expensive crank removal tool to keep the engine from turning when loosening the crank bolt. I don't like jamming the flex plate and I'm not a fan of blocking an extension bar and using the starter to bump things loose.
This is how it fits into the crank and clamps to the front sway bar (pipe mock-up).
Be sure that you replace the crank seal and use rtv in the keyway groove of the new crank pulley to avoid leaks.
The crank bolt is supposed to be one-time use. I know people re-use them without issues, I chose to replace with a new one.
Thanks for the tips and the pictures!
You've just gotten me more excited about getting mine installed.
I'm going to be replacing the belt with a Goodyear as well.
Originally Posted By: stang5
I have steeda UDP on my mustang , I installed all 3 pulleys with lots of short trips and sitting in traffic no issues to report. don't forget to put a dab of silicone sealant on the crank shaft key way..
Will do - thanks a lot!
Originally Posted By: Astro14
Falcon - you're in one of those places where I wouldn't underdrive anything...Kuwait summers are going to tax everything that those pulleys are driving: waterpump, alternator, compressor...
You might get a performance gain, you might not, but running those accessories slower in your summers, where it gets up to 120F, in traffic, risks a dead battery, overheated engine, or overheated passengers...in your climate, a cooler running engine will give more power...so make sure everything is working correctly first.
The OEs, including Ford, test in Death Valley to verify that the car will perform adequately in desert heat. They validated that the acccesory speed they engineered (for various reasons, including noise, MPG, RPM limits, etc...) will work in that kind of heat, as well as Alaskan cold.
Underdrive is for guys in the mild climates, looking to squeak out a few cheap HP...you live in the extreme...I would leave the accessory drives stock, while looking at an AT cooler, oil cooler, and bigger radiator!
Cheers,
Astro
Astro,
I have to say it took me a whole 2 years to get around to purchasing these. I've been half hearted the whole time, because of the exact reasons you outlined.
To be honest, my daily commute is a minimum of 90 km (56 miles). Much of it is highway, but our highways do get congested during peak hours. I try my best to avoid peak hours, and even if it's a longer drive, take the longer routes because they are less prone to congestion. It also gives me an opportunity to push the engine a bit, so the car sees 160+ km/h (100+ MPH) on a daily basis.
In the end, my curiosity had me give in, and I bought them purely because I wanted to try them out. What made me "justify" the purchase was my plan to switch to 3.73 rear gears with an LSD.
I have a buddy over in Saudi Arabia who's got these on his '07 Crown Vic. I didn't know he had them till I mentioned getting mine. He had the alternator pulley on, and he said the only time he noticed a drop in voltage was at night when the lights and AC was on and he was at a traffic light with the transmission in drive and the brakes engaged. Then again, congestion is not a problem where he lives in the outskirts of Jeddah.
Being an export model, my car's come with much of the features standard on police and taxi models - engine oil cooler, transmission/power steering fluid cooler, heavy duty calipers, 130 amp police alternator, heavy duty steering pump, etc. Ford really did a good job optioning up the car. I try to go further by using a PAO based engine oil, but haven't really got any other options other than hydrocracked for the A/T, power steering and rear end.
I'll experiment with them, and see what changes they will result in. Worst case scenario, I can revert back to stock.
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
I have had great luck with these on cars in the past. never a hiccup, and all accessories still worked great. On a Neon it even cured a harsh AC engagement issue.
Note that the 6.1 in my car is underdriven from the factory compared to the 5.7.
Thanks for sharing! I've got my fingers crossed!
I think the 3.73s will be quite helpful when they're on as well.
