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best place to buy good pulley set

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Old Jan 15, 2014 | 03:43 AM
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best place to buy good pulley set

want to get a good pulley set for my car where should I buy from and what belts should I get I currently have the greddy set but all the others are stock thanks in advance
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Old Jan 15, 2014 | 08:32 AM
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What do you expect from a pulley set? In most cases, people shouldn't get, nor do they need pulley sets.
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Old Jan 15, 2014 | 10:05 AM
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Some people may correct me but IMO a pulley is a pulley. As long as it's round and has the proper bolt and groove pattern any pulley will be as good as the next - dependant on whether or not the material is suitable.

Sure you can spend the extra money on a fancy pulley kit from SR motorsports or other companies like that but an eBay kit should be just as good.
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Old Jan 15, 2014 | 11:18 AM
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i run and recommend the Pettit kit.

one area w an aftermarket kit to monitor is the waterpump pulley. given the fact that it is driven off the (flat) back of the belt and it is aluminum it should be considered a maintenance item.

i will bet that around 50% of them slip at higher rpm/. the aluminum pulley striations wear smooth and transfer aluminum to the belt and create slippage.

many of the kits slow the alternator which isn't necessarily optimal depending on your mods.

howard
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Old Jan 15, 2014 | 03:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Mitchocalypse
Some people may correct me but IMO a pulley is a pulley. As long as it's round and has the proper bolt and groove pattern any pulley will be as good as the next - dependant on whether or not the material is suitable.
To follow up on Howard's post, underdrive pullies do just as they say, underdrive the accessories. While this is desirable for tracked FD to help with cavitation on the water pump, it may not be desirable on the street (especially for those who like cool A/C's and large stereo equipment).
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Old Jan 15, 2014 | 04:26 PM
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+1 to what Mahjik said
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Old Jan 16, 2014 | 05:24 AM
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+2 to what Mahjik and gracer7 said.
BUT...if all you're looking for is cosmetics I took a chance and bought a set of these TF Lightweight Aluminum Pulley Kit Mazda RX7 FD3S 13B which seem to be working fine. They're stock size... i.e. NOT under-driven.
Of course the lightweight performance increase is BS, but they do look kinda nice and I've not had any issues other than maybe a nominal/small increase in belt noise. And you can't use/install the WP pulley w/o removing, or at least loosening, the t-stat housing due to the pulley's wall thickness. I just left the stock one on. Watching the belts closely but haven't seen any sign of abnormal wear. ~ 3k so far. FWIW
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Old Jan 16, 2014 | 05:34 PM
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There are better areas to spend your cash in, especially if you don't need the alloy pulleys to fix a specific problem (water pump cavitation on the track, etc)
The stock pulleys work well for a street car and look neat with a good degrease and fresh coat of glossy black
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Old Jan 16, 2014 | 05:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Sgtblue
+2 to what Mahjik and gracer7 said.
BUT...if all you're looking for is cosmetics I took a chance and bought a set of these TF Lightweight Aluminum Pulley Kit Mazda RX7 FD3S 13B which seem to be working fine. They're stock size... i.e. NOT under-driven.
Of course the lightweight performance increase is BS, but they do look kinda nice and I've not had any issues other than maybe a nominal/small increase in belt noise. And you can't use/install the WP pulley w/o removing, or at least loosening, the t-stat housing due to the pulley's wall thickness. I just left the stock one on. Watching the belts closely but haven't seen any sign of abnormal wear. ~ 3k so far. FWIW
The main pulley is smaller, thus the whole system is under driven.

I couldn't install the water pump pulley as what he mentioned.
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Old Jan 16, 2014 | 07:00 PM
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Originally Posted by SA3R
There are better areas to spend your cash in, especially if you don't need the alloy pulleys to fix a specific problem (water pump cavitation on the track, etc)
The stock pulleys work well for a street car and look neat with a good degrease and fresh coat of glossy black
You think they'd be okay being sand blasted with the bearings in? Maybe taped up at least.
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Old Jan 16, 2014 | 07:27 PM
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RX7 store has a nice polished set that is pretty inexpensive. If you want it for cosmetics I would get that set and run it with a Pineapple idler.
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Old Jan 16, 2014 | 07:57 PM
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Originally Posted by rlee429
The main pulley is smaller, thus the whole system is under driven.

I couldn't install the water pump pulley as what he mentioned.
Mmmm.... IIRC I put all the pulleys up against their OEM counterparts...same diameter.
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Old Jan 16, 2014 | 08:15 PM
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Touge Factory , Ralco RZ, rx7store are all the same Chinese pulleys and they are all under drive main requiring an idler if the smog pump is removed. The accessories are stock diameter, however they are being under driven by the smaller main pulley
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Old Jan 16, 2014 | 11:57 PM
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I've run those without the main pulley. I don't like to change the main.
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Old Jan 17, 2014 | 06:44 AM
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^Have a Garfinkle idler and stock belts. Now that I think about it, I did have to take up a bit more w/the tensioner than before. Wasn't much though and no issues with accessories. Chinese?....absolutely. As I said, I took a chance. A set for less than one pulley from Pettit I figured if I only used one I hadn't lost alot. We'll see with more miles/second driving season. But so far... so good.
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Old Jan 17, 2014 | 07:20 AM
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Originally Posted by Rotary Experiment Seven
RX7 store has a nice polished set that is pretty inexpensive. If you want it for cosmetics I would get that set and run it with a Pineapple idler.
Another vote for stock or stock sized aftermarket pulleys with a Pineapple idler here.
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Old Jan 17, 2014 | 09:02 AM
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Originally Posted by Sgtblue
^Have a Garfinkle idler and stock belts. Now that I think about it, I did have to take up a bit more w/the tensioner than before. Wasn't much though and no issues with accessories. Chinese?....absolutely. As I said, I took a chance. A set for less than one pulley from Pettit I figured if I only used one I hadn't lost alot. We'll see with more miles/second driving season. But so far... so good.

Point is you can buy them on eBay for $99 from China and get the same parts
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Old Jan 18, 2014 | 06:22 AM
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Originally Posted by Banzai-Racing
Point is you can buy them on eBay for $99 from China and get the same parts
No, I think your point is you don't like them...apparent because they came from China. Got it. And I haven't seen them that cheap. IIRC mine were ~ $140 shipped. Maybe you can post a link for others?
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Old Jan 18, 2014 | 09:15 AM
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Wrong Jim, I have the Ralco RZ pulleys on my 20B, been running them for 4 years.

Have you not figured out how the internet works yet? Go to eBay and search "RX7 pulleys"
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Old Jan 18, 2014 | 02:02 PM
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Yes Chris, I've a little experience with the internet. That's why I paid ~$140 vs. $240 for the same pulley set from Ralco ---> http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ralco-RZ-Pulleys-Set-93-95-Mazda-RX7-1-3L-Rotary-/120459808536?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Model%3ARX-7&hash=item1c0bf6cf18&vxp=mtr
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Old Jan 18, 2014 | 06:43 PM
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Trust me I didn't spend $240, not did I buy them on eBay. Are you done yet or are you still looking for an argument? So far you have been wrong nearly every time you have posted in this thread.
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Old Jan 19, 2014 | 10:38 AM
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^Rrrrright. Yeah, I think I'm done.
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