Racing pulleys are engine accessories that can be smaller or larger than the standard component, allowing more power to be directed to the drive tires. They are usually placed on the crankshaft, water pump, and alternator, and made of thicker steel to prevent cracking. However, they should not be installed on street-driven vehicles.
A racing pulley is an accessory engine pulley that is either smaller or larger than the standard component, depending on the pulley. Often sold in a set, the racing pulley allows the engine to produce more power to the drive tires than a comparable stock pulley setup. Usually placed on the crankshaft, water pump, and alternator, a race pulley compensates for accessory speed relative to high engine race speeds. Along with the change in pulley diameter, the pulley surface is often improved to better retain the drive belt at high running speeds.
When a smaller drive pulley is fitted to an engine, it decreases the speed at which the engine turns engine accessories. This, in turn, allows more engine power to be directed to the drive tires, creating more top speed for the vehicle. Often the water pump racing pulley will be larger than the stock part to prevent overheating when running slower on the race track during caution periods. The danger of pushing coolant too fast through the engine and radiator is that the radiator may not have enough time to absorb the heat from the fluid if the wrong race pulley is used.
A vehicle’s alternator is perhaps the main beneficiary of the racing pulley. If it is allowed to spin at higher race speeds, the alternator will most likely burn out and go bad. The alternator is only effective in producing power until an engine reaches a certain speed; Once that speed has been exceeded, the alternator begins to overheat and damage the internal workings. It is the engine manufacturer’s job to determine what the proper driving speed should be for any component and to install the appropriate race pulley.
The thickness of the competition pulley is also critical, and the typical pulley is made of a thicker steel than a standard pulley. This prevents cracking not only from the harsh racing conditions the pulley operates in, but also from motor harmonics emanating from the high-speed motor. Harmonics are sound waves that can actually destroy motor bearings and other critical components like pulleys. When installing a more built race pulley, cracking is not usually an issue. Due to the reduced function of engine accessories at speeds equal to highway driving speeds, high performance pulleys should never be installed on a street driven vehicle.
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