Preface, I am relatively new...HERE. Not to forums, Honda engines, or engineering for that matter. I have an issue to debate and this seems to be the place to tackle it. Issue: the excessive paranoia that is the use of a non-dampened crankshaft pulley on a Honda engine will cause it to fail.
In theory I agree with this notion. Yes the rubber ring in a stock pulley is designed to dampen vibration. I have read a number of theories on the issue and while all are plausible, and none of them seem to be supported by what I would call "real world" evidence. Call me the devil's advocate. Maybe I am in the dark. Link me to some examples. Help me out.
In practicality, I dispute the notion that your Honda engine will fail because of the removal of the damper. I'd argue that daily driven cars are not abused enough to show any ill effect of having a billet aluminum pulley installed, at least not within a engine's normal life. What does this mean? It means, the amount of life you stand to lose by removing the damper is negligible compared to the added joy you got from driving it that entire time. If you had a lot of added joy, you were in all likelihood driving harder which would certainly cause the need for a rebuild at some point regardless of what pulley was on it. Likewise, a more sane driver would not likely incur enough stress to cause damage that the driver would notice in the car's lifetime they could attribute specifically to the damper being gone. In other words, beating on the engine (in racing or on the street) causes more damage than the damper prevents. Note, the fluidampr part and anything sfi approved is really made for RACING. Racing is more stressful than street driving. The blanket recommendation of race parts for the street is, well, wrong.
Furthermore, while the K-series is an awesome power-plant, nothing makes it so special that it is somehow more impacted by the tried-and-true power mod of lightening accessory drivetrain components. It is an engine, and a damn well built one. If anything past engines would be more susceptible to the dangers of removing the cranker damper. Aluminum pulleys historically have not caused failures for Honda owners. Because if they did, wouldn't UR be out of business? Or, are the people driving engines with light aluminum crank pulleys too stupid to realize their engines are failing, and the engines are too stupid too, because they fail to fail? I've read the theory. I've read the warnings. I've read the dangers. I think it is all a scare tactic propagated by people who have an inherent need to lead others away from danger and be the preemptive savior.
Are there any documented cases of engine failure due to elimination of the damper in the crankshaft pulley? I'd love to see them. Because while an obsessive-compulsive engine builder might argue the outcome of removing the damper, most of the rest of us are different, and are not paying a price.
Prove me wrong, please
Marcus
**********Update 6/21/2012: In 10 pages and two and a half years nobody has convincingly made a case that there is actually an issue running an aluminum pulley on a K-series. I have been running a UR set on my TSX for more than 20K miles, driven daily, also taking a track day, and with regular oil sample tests am finding no reason not to run an aluminum pulley for the power benefit.
In theory I agree with this notion. Yes the rubber ring in a stock pulley is designed to dampen vibration. I have read a number of theories on the issue and while all are plausible, and none of them seem to be supported by what I would call "real world" evidence. Call me the devil's advocate. Maybe I am in the dark. Link me to some examples. Help me out.
In practicality, I dispute the notion that your Honda engine will fail because of the removal of the damper. I'd argue that daily driven cars are not abused enough to show any ill effect of having a billet aluminum pulley installed, at least not within a engine's normal life. What does this mean? It means, the amount of life you stand to lose by removing the damper is negligible compared to the added joy you got from driving it that entire time. If you had a lot of added joy, you were in all likelihood driving harder which would certainly cause the need for a rebuild at some point regardless of what pulley was on it. Likewise, a more sane driver would not likely incur enough stress to cause damage that the driver would notice in the car's lifetime they could attribute specifically to the damper being gone. In other words, beating on the engine (in racing or on the street) causes more damage than the damper prevents. Note, the fluidampr part and anything sfi approved is really made for RACING. Racing is more stressful than street driving. The blanket recommendation of race parts for the street is, well, wrong.
Furthermore, while the K-series is an awesome power-plant, nothing makes it so special that it is somehow more impacted by the tried-and-true power mod of lightening accessory drivetrain components. It is an engine, and a damn well built one. If anything past engines would be more susceptible to the dangers of removing the cranker damper. Aluminum pulleys historically have not caused failures for Honda owners. Because if they did, wouldn't UR be out of business? Or, are the people driving engines with light aluminum crank pulleys too stupid to realize their engines are failing, and the engines are too stupid too, because they fail to fail? I've read the theory. I've read the warnings. I've read the dangers. I think it is all a scare tactic propagated by people who have an inherent need to lead others away from danger and be the preemptive savior.
Are there any documented cases of engine failure due to elimination of the damper in the crankshaft pulley? I'd love to see them. Because while an obsessive-compulsive engine builder might argue the outcome of removing the damper, most of the rest of us are different, and are not paying a price.
Prove me wrong, please
Marcus
**********Update 6/21/2012: In 10 pages and two and a half years nobody has convincingly made a case that there is actually an issue running an aluminum pulley on a K-series. I have been running a UR set on my TSX for more than 20K miles, driven daily, also taking a track day, and with regular oil sample tests am finding no reason not to run an aluminum pulley for the power benefit.