Lewis7789 2002 Protege5 build thread (tons of pics)

Status
Not open for further replies.
I don't care how far off topic this thread gets because we're all friends here but let's keep the Miata talk to a bare minimum, please and thank you.
 
So at lunch today I heard a strange metal on metal sound at idle under the hood. I came back to work and it sounded like it was coming from my pulley. And sure enough, the pulley sheared the 2 screws and broke the welds Josh laid and the sproket plate was just barely hanging on. I babied it home so I could work on it in the garage. I put the stocker back on and it's running fine again. But I can already feel just by pulling it back into the garage it doesn't rev as quickly as it did with the lightweight pulley.

Before:
pulley.jpg


After:
pulley-3.jpg


Now I have to debate on buying another one, have Josh weld the plate to the holes or just keep the OEM crank pulley on... Hmm...

edit- a new pulley from UR is listed as $809 and a 6-8 week wait because it's special order. Holy s***!
 
Last edited:
Take it to a machine shop and have it replicated. Probably about $300 or so with better quality.
 
How'd that happen!?

Because race car. Lulz. I don't know. The "trigger plate" as it's apparently called doesn't do anything other than trigger the crankshaft sensor the position so I don't know why they would break like this. Unless I don't have the aluminum flanges grinded down enough and it was rubbing or something? I'll have to double check when I get a new one.

Take it to a machine shop and have it replicated. Probably about $300 or so with better quality.

You mean the whole pulley? Well after some research RR Racing makes one, or at least did, for $130 shipped. I emailed them and asked if they still have them in stock. Then I'll red loctite the s*** out of the trigger plate screws.
 
...I don't accept cats I haven't met in person. (Except for a few exceptions, like Cres, heh-heh) And I delete cats i no longer hang out with or talk to. But I doubt I'll load them to FB. I've been busy since Mid-Ohio but will upload them tonight and send you the links.

Google+ fixes all these problems with Circles.
 
a new pulley from UR is listed as $809 and a 6-8 week wait because it's special order. Holy s***!

What in the world, I would have never guessed it would be that much! I'd just leave the screws out and use the screw pilot holes as spots for spot welds and just weld the boogers out of it. I've never welded aluminum, so I don't know, but I'd guess it's a bit more tricky that steel. It sure is a heck of a lot cheaper than a new one, though!
 
So at lunch today I heard a strange metal on metal sound at idle under the hood. I came back to work and it sounded like it was coming from my pulley. And sure enough, the pulley sheared the 2 screws and broke the welds Josh laid and the sproket plate was just barely hanging on. I babied it home so I could work on it in the garage. I put the stocker back on and it's running fine again. But I can already feel just by pulling it back into the garage it doesn't rev as quickly as it did with the lightweight pulley.

Before:
pulley.jpg


After:
pulley-3.jpg


Now I have to debate on buying another one, have Josh weld the plate to the holes or just keep the OEM crank pulley on... Hmm...

edit- a new pulley from UR is listed as $809 and a 6-8 week wait because it's special order. Holy s***!

Forgive my ignorance, but what's different between those two pics? They both don't look pretty :S
 
im curious as to what forces that plate is seeing, it shouldnt be making contact with anything enough to shear those screws, so weird it sheared the screws and the welds
 
azuelke, yeah I don't know what either of those are. I are old. haha

Cheese, the top pic is the before pics of the screws holding the plate on that I asked Josh to weld the tops off, then I ground the welds smooth. The bottom pic you see two of the screw heads are missing and the other two the welds are loose. the plate was rattling so I heard it and removed it. It's very common for these aftermarket pulleys on the KL to come loose.

Justin, I don't know either. When installing an aftermarket pulley you have to grind away some of the aluminum fins around the pulley to clear the trigger plate. I triple checked I ground enough material off and test fitted a few times before installing it. But the timing belt cover was a b**** to get back on when I had to swap out the passenger side motor mount so I think the plastic guard was sticking out a bit, as you can see from the black marks outside of the plate. But the plate shouldn't rub on anything or have any pressure on it so what force was it seeing that it sheered the bolt heads off? Very strange indeed... I checked everything out before I installed the OEM pulley and didn't see anything weird. I'll probably order another one from RR Racing for $130 shipped and Loctite the s*** out of the screws. It's depressing when you have to de-mod, even if it was for only 3-4 hp, I can feel it in the low end of the power band. :(
 
Cheese, the top pic is the before pics of the screws holding the plate on that I asked Josh to weld the tops off, then I ground the welds smooth. The bottom pic you see two of the screw heads are missing and the other two the welds are loose. the plate was rattling so I heard it and removed it. It's very common for these aftermarket pulleys on the KL to come loose.

That makes sense now, that doesn't seem like a very good design :S

At 6000RPM you bet there's going to be some nasty forces on that thing, especially if it isn't perfectly balanced.
 
why not buy an OBX for liek $70, same design including the crappy screw setup, i doubt the one RR sells is any better than that one.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back