EBAY underdrive pulley review

dawm · Post by **dawm** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 8:36 pm

i have mine installed, havent noticed it yet, but thats cause im still pussy footing it around, and well a larger cam, longtube and new exhaust eh.. i dont think ill be able to speak as for the good of the UDP. install wasnt too hard, we just heated up the center piece with a torch and quickly slapped it on. one of my helpers accidently dropped my pulley froma bout 4ft.. it bounced but wasnt damaged enough to throw belts (whew!!!) i wouldnt get a colored one really, the coating isnt gonna last long, so in the long run it will prolly look like shit with parts worn down to metal and no coating. i have one just like the one pictured in BRR's last post (red) its a MEGAN Racing pulley which is the same thing as the OBX pulley (both companies buy from the same supplier which they repackage/rename) which is a knock off of the UR pulley.

03neonRT · Post by **03neonRT** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 8:39 pm

So i should be looking at what for install time...an hour, two hours?

dawm · Post by **dawm** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 8:57 pm

it took us a couple hours cause the puller kept slipping off the stock pulley. and we had the miller tool too!.. but yeah id say an hour or two without any major problems.

its simple really. jack the car up, take wheel off, remove splash shield, remove belts, pull stock pulley off, heat up (torch/oven) udp, slide it on, let it cool, install outer udp pulley, torque crankbolt,install new belts, install splash shield, install wheel, lower vehicle

BlackRoseRacing · Post by **BlackRoseRacing** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 6:14 am

Lil update....
Since Jan 26th I have had this pulley installed, no flying belts, no discoloration, and after going into the computer and reseting all the monitors, adaptives, everything I could to reset the computer totally..the CEL does not start to flicker until im over 6krpm, wich does not happen too often.
So I recomend this to anyone looking for a cheap alternative for a UDP.

03neonRT · Post by **03neonRT** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 6:04 pm

So how long did it take for you to get the UDP from this guy...its been over a week and i havent gotten my UDP or even shipping confirmation. Even though i paid that extra $2 for 2nd Day Air...lol.

neonlight18 · Post by **neonlight18** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 11:01 pm

i think i will be looking into getting this UDP much cheaper and from what u say its been worth it, although mine is an ATX im pretty sure it will give me al ittle extra power...

03sxt · Post by **03sxt** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 7:23 am

I can't believe this thread never dies.

Everytime I visit the forums (which is quite often), someone has something else to say about it.

BlackRoseRacing · Post by **BlackRoseRacing** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 7:13 pm

http://stores.ebay.com/always-bargains-performance-part

^^^
Thats where I got mine from...2-3days.....
The pic I posted earlier was one I found quick on ebay, here is a pic from the guy I picked mine up from:

03neonRT · Post by **03neonRT** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 7:19 pm

Well damn i spent more on mine and i still dont have it...

*Edit* Just got my UDP this morning! Now i just need to go out and get the new belts and hopefully install it by this weekend.

marakka · Post by **marakka** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 9:10 am

After reading this whole thing I can see the pluses and minuses of using an UDP. I've never really given it much thought.... but someone brought up the rubber thats on the stock crank pulley.

Now.... Whats another common term for a crank pulley? Harmonic Balancer. Granted larger V8 engines utilize a HB for balancing out the lop from going back and forth between each bank of cylinders firing..... I'm sure that the rubber thats on the stock pulley is put in place to help balance out the engine. If the engine is vibrating enough that it is throwing codes for misfire, I would be a little weary of it.

I own a 2005. I have just over 14k on it now. I live in Germany also. My Neon see's 100+ mph on a daily basis. I drive for miles on end at 100+ mph also. I think I'm in a different situation where the higher rpm's that I run could cause accelerated damage to my lower end internals. Lets face it guys... .most of us don't do much extreme driving. And if you think hitting the interstate and driving for an hour topping out at 120 is extreme...... I'll slap you. *LOL* But I really don't want to be the person to find out that these things can actually damage the car given the right circumstances.

Food for thought......

BlackRoseRacing · Post by **BlackRoseRacing** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 9:23 am

^^^
Thanks for the info

The only reason the 2002's have the problem though is due to a very sensitive(over sensitive) knock sensor or misfire monitor. In 03 the changed the monitors to be less sensitive. So it might be causing severe problems it might not.
The harmonic balancer on a neon is designed to help minimise harmonics at high rpms(5500rpm and up) The UDP and the belts properly installed will also help minimise some of it but not all of it. If installing hard motor mount inserts "add" vibration to the car, then it would also "Add" vibration to the motor and cause damage, but no one really has come back with any full blown proof.
UDP's have been on the market for years....and power per dollar its still one of the best bolt ons to date.

marakka · Post by **marakka** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 10:15 am

Well... in theory adding vibration through solid motor mounts would be bad. But thats not the same case as taking out the harmonic balancer. The HB works in the same way that wheel weights do on your tires to help balance them out. There's an added amount on a certain position to help cancel out the rotational pull that small imperfections make. Without that added amount, what happens to a tire? You get flat spots, cupping or excessive wear on the tire. That can also be said of main bearings, rod bearings and crankshafts.

UDP's have been around forever. That much is true. But the question here isn't about a UDP's performance. Its about its quality. Looking at a picture online, they look strikingly identical. I'm just a skeptic about it is all. i'd love to pick one up and slap it on when I do my other engine mods, but I am really afraid to do so. I've got a sizeable investment in this car and I don't want to turn it to a heap ya know?

BlackRoseRacing · Post by **BlackRoseRacing** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 10:31 am

^^^
Thats cool

I started this thread for anyone who was skeptacle on buying one. Your input on the UDP in this topic is greatly apreciated. Your info you added is going to hopefully help others with there questions also. Thanks for the input

marakka · Post by **marakka** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 10:22 am

Yup yup.... Just my .02 about it. I might still do it since its such a cheap part. I'm sure I could recoupe most of my money on it if I don't like it anyway.

anomalous0 · Post by **anomalous0** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 3:25 am

I love my eBay underdrive pulley. Definitely a seat of the pants feel, like a CAI but better. It was almost impossible to get it on though. I had to spend hours with a torch and hammer (and by the way, hammering it onto the crank didn't seem to hurt my crank any.) Most noticeable is that acceleration seems smoother and......happier. Almost like the car WANTS to go faster instead of lagging.

BlackRoseRacing · Post by **BlackRoseRacing** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 4:43 am

^^^
My mechanic had the pulley on in a matter of seconds using the DCx installer, no heating or cooling was needed....

anomalous0 · Post by **anomalous0** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 3:38 pm

I'm just mad because with all of the random trouble spots this install took about twice as long as my magnum cam swap and valve spring upgrade.

SlvrACR · Post by **SlvrACR** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 7:28 pm

I did this UDP on my friends RT. We heated it with a torch for like 5 secs and slide on like butter. Once cooled that thing was ON there lol. He loves it and it is a mirror image of my Unorth one minus $$

kc2005ptgt · Post by **kc2005ptgt** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 12:08 am

SlvrACR wrote:it is a mirror image of my Unorth one minus $$ and all the research and development

edited for clearity

j/p

I bought the unorth one also, and I felt really good about putting it on my car - piece seemed solid and looked very well built. I felt the difference right off the bat; these are deffinately recommended mods for bang per buck for the neon... another great mod is a 60mm tb

SlvrACR · Post by **SlvrACR** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 6:40 am

LOL ya

gilly02le · Post by **gilly02le** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:30 pm

I've got the obx ebay udp and I have had no problems whatsoever.. comparing it to an unorthodox, it is identical, minus the writing for the brand on the side. Only thing your not getting is belts.. which you can get yourself anyways, so i say go with the ebay udp, save your coin!

anomalous0 · Post by **anomalous0** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:42 pm

one point to take note of, depending on where you live, you may end up spending $40 on belts, since it's hard to find the sizes you need

grindpunk16 · Post by **grindpunk16** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 12:56 am

the stock harmonic balancer does not really do anything on this slouch of a motor. the only real thing it is good for and i have 2 motors to prove it is to take any detination vibration away from the oil pump rotor and absorb it. i have blown 2 motors turbo because i never thought of it that way. on a plain jane na setup you shouldnt have any detination what so ever if you do something is fucked up. im to tired to make since right now, the stock neon motor is very balanced from the factory that there is no reason to worry about it

JK · Post by JK » Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:57 am

I am looking to pick up one of the ebay UDP and now can't find them. don't see them on ebay, not listed on Megans website and OBX website is down, am I missing something ???

This is for my beater 1gen, I see the 2gen pulleys on ebay

grindpunk16 · Post by **grindpunk16** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 10:25 am

so the 5040500 dayco belt will work with this udp?

i noticed between the megan racing pulley and the af/x racing pulley there is a concederable amount of difference between size between these pulleys they feel like the same weight but the megan one is much bigger than the afx. the acess. pulley is as big as the alternator one pretty much. have you felt a difference between the stock and this?

anomalous0 · Post by **anomalous0** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 1:47 pm

my 40500 size belt is starting to squeal. After I looked for one all day, too. Am also getting shaking noise from pulley, plan to get some grommets and dampen it though.
Side note: I weighed the pulley on a postage scale and it's just under 2 lbs, just as claimed

BlackRoseRacing · Post by **BlackRoseRacing** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 9:36 am

JK wrote:I am looking to pick up one of the ebay UDP and now can't find them. don't see them on ebay, not listed on Megans website and OBX website is down, am I missing something ???

This is for my beater 1gen, I see the 2gen pulleys on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/UNDERDRI ... enameZWDVW

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/UNDERDRI ... enameZWDVW

asanti · Post by **asanti** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:22 pm

Tossing in my .02, I've had my AF/X UDP installed since '02. Aside from having voltage drops to 10.5-11 volts only in the winter with EVERYTHING ON (heat, defroster, lights wipers, etc) I've never had any problems with it. It's definitely worth the money.

Later
Allex

hybrid-Srt2001 · Post by **hybrid-Srt2001** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 11:42 pm

how much do the belts cost ? if it's more than like 25 dollars i might as well spend a few extra bux and get the udp from modern

anomalous0 · Post by **anomalous0** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 12:10 am

I just want to do a followup: It turns out that all the problems with my pulley were my fault. I damaged it in the installation since I didn't ice the crank and didn't have a torch (though I think the fit was a bit too tight even so), so after it had been in the oven a while I pounded it on with a hammer, which sank the bolts that connect the hub portion to the pulley portion into the thin pulley portion, which gave it room to wiggle which slowly opened up the holes. I ordered a new one, iced the crank, torched the new pulley, slid on in half a second. 3 months and no problems whatsoever, and I have my power back now that my knock sensor isn't going crazy from the pulley. It's an awesome piece for the price, perfectly balanced, I think there are slight variations between them (the second one I have has an extra groove in the P/S A/C portion so it will work on a PT cruiser also, it also fits better,) and I'm sure you can get the belts online much cheaper, I just had to spend the money because I couldn't afford to wait and went to National Anal Penetration Auto (NAPA) as they were the only place that had the size I wanted in stock. It also turns out that a more common size would have worked just fine.
All in all, get it over the modern pulley unless you've just changed your timing belt and aren't planning on doing anything that involves taking it off while you own the car, since you can just unbolt the pulley section of this.