I bought this
pulley supposedly used in the classified section of the I-Club Forums.
It was in excellent condition however and included two new-looking belts.
I paid almost $100 less than the vendors sell them new.
Installation was easy for the most part. You first have to remove
the two black plastic belt covers on top. Then loosen the alternator
and a/c belt tightener bolts to get the two belts off.
Once the belts
are off, the pulley itself is held on with a single 22 mm bolt. This
is a fairly large size to find a socket for. Most metric socket sets
do not go above 19 mm. But I did find one of these for sale
individually at Ace Hardware. Attached to a ratchet, the socket may
not go onto the bolt easily because of the fans. But if you do some
twisting and turning, it will go on. There is no human being that's
strong enough to loosen this bolt with only a ratchet/socket. I
placed an aluminum pipe over it and bent the pipe. I eventually got
it off with a square steel pipe from Ace (4 trips that day). Be
careful what you leverage your body against when trying to loosen this
bolt. One individual dented his left fender with his hand.
Installation
is in the reverse order. I was really amazed at how heavy the stock
pulley is. When you compare it to the lightweight pulley, you'll
really notice the difference.
I noticed an immediate gain in torque across the entire band. I
have not seem any dimming of lights or other electrical devices yet.
Highly recommended!
