| Message |
There is no harmonic dampener in the aftermarket pulleys. The pulley on your engine (Stock) is not simply a one-piece pulley. IT is actually two pieces joined by a layer of rubber. The outer ring (where the belts ride) is seperate from the inner hub. If you look closely you can see the gap (about 1/16th inch thick) and even take a small flathead screwdriver and poke into the rubber, if you doubt.. :)
This design is there for a reason, it dampens tortional vibration of the crank. Each time a piston fires, the crank twists between that connecting rod journal and the end where teh flywheel attaches. Cylinder #1 produces the most twisting of the crank as it is located at the other end. Think of the crank kinda like a spring, imagine the ends of a shock absorber spring being twisted in opposite directions. When the crank twists dirung the power stroke, it rebounds, and this is vibration. Just how much the crank vibrates is dependent on how much power the engine is putting out. The more power, the more it twists, the more it vibrates, the more the bearings suffer. The stock harmonic dampener is "tuned" to the natural harmonic frequency of the crank. The natural harmonic frequency is the frequency of the "ding" you would hear if you struck the crank with, say, a hammer. :) Just like a tuning fork. Well, by tuning the harmonic dampener to that frequency, instead of the crank resonating, the dampener absorbs the vibration, thus preserving your engine's bearings. There is a lot of contention about this subject on this site as us guys who are taking the proven physics into consideration (as well as the fact that ALL automotive manufacturers spend billions of dollars putting these on engines) are being asked to "prove" this theory. I'll leave the decision up to you, but I will tell you there are other people out there (in the automotive R&D industry) who are a lot brainier about this stuff than any of us shadetree guys here. :)
My CarPuter Headquarters:
[ ashleypowers.com ]
agpowers@bellsouth.net |
 |
