Under Pulley
 

Does anyone have any experience using a light weight under pulley on a 986 boxster s
(e.g. Mantis Racing, BBI Tuning) ?

Yes I have data from 3 different units compared to stock on 4 different engines.

The one I tested on ly 911 saturday was good for a 10HP gain at the rear wheels, on my dyno.

Who's product did you use ? And what did the install entail ? Some "tuners" in my neck of the woods have suggested that it's a more involved install than one would think.

Johnny

The unit I installed this weekend was one of our products that I am gathering data from this weekend at an event.. It has not yet been released, ad it is the smallest on the market. I want to determine what temperatures I see with the coolant and power steering fluid and go from there.

The install isn't that hard.. The biggest pain is having to trim down the boss on the block that holds the engine lock, but I made a piloted end mill for this that works great in a drill and makes a 2 minute job out of it..

The other pain is holding the crank while torquing the crank pulley bolt to the specified value.

I can swap one in about 40 minutes start to finish, on a test car in about 25 minutes with the engine hot on the dyno.

"Tuners" generally aren't very good wrenches...

would a pulley make a noticeable power gain on a 2000 2.7?

More than about any other bolt on that we have done so far... Certainly more than a 2K exhaust system.

If things go well this weekend, when do you think your pulley will become available ?

It'll take more time than that.. I want to do some studies in low speed applications with my Wife driving the car daily and monitor battery voltage and coolant temps Vs the stock arrangement.

I am running a Mantis pulley......at the moment

Our 4" version is now fully tested on the street.. After a DE, 4,500 street miles (and a lot at low speeds and in traffic with the A/C and head lights on) and coming within 1/2 of 1 MPH from a Land Speed Record the unit has proven it's self.

I've seen a minimum of 5HP gain (at the rear wheels) with this unit along with LOWER coolant and power steering fluid temps. One engine has seen 8 HP, but it was one of my high revving 3.2>>3.6 modified engines.

Absolutely.. Thats one of the biggest benefits...
We also offer a power steering cooler and modified power steering pumps to eliminate this issue.

Great, when I get the 4 o2 sensors replaced, new tires, a new top, and replace a burnt headlight, replace the window regulartor, I will be all over a pulley. I'm begining to not enjoy my Boxster. Not due to expense, but I do all my own wrenching and I'm sore from the 10 hour H&R coilover install today and the 6 hour 60,000 mile service I did. This car is killing my back. :ah:

With the help of Marc Gamora from Joe Rizza Porsche, we have an inline power steering cooler that seems to pretty much eliminate any power steering pump issues. When I get around to it, I have a self-install guide and it's very inexpensive to do. Cheap insurance.

To answer the original poster's question on under drive pulleys, our 2.9 has had one since day one and has clocked close to 10,000 miles since May with no issues whatsoever. If you see a lot of low speed driving in traffic in warmer climates, that's about the one time I wouldn't recommend going that route.

Then it seems like the modified pump may be your best course of action...

the under drive pulley for boxsters were designed to reduce power steering pump speed at track type engine speeds as far as I know. this would be your primary line of defence. power gain is just a by-product

Does anyone recommend changing power steering fluid?

I had an SVT Contour that had quieter & smoother steering after switching to a synthetic fluid. Was a slow process though, used a turkey baster and changed about 10oz a day. The old fluid also had a strong burnt smell to it.

-james

I run Redline power steering fluid in our car.

The Contour just wasn't the best built car in the world. :-) Mine was not for this world after about 60,000 very hard (yet very well maintained) miles. Rod knock and bad tranny. Too bad cash for clunkers didn't exist then, I could have gotten more for it! Loved that car anyways!

power steering
 

Did you burn the pump or just melted the plastic clip on the reservoir?. I had that happen to me the firs time I took the car to the track, I just modifed the clip to use AN fittings instead of the clip and I haven't had any more problems I have had 5 DE's since

Mine threw at rod at 48k. I've decided that "hand built in the USA" is not a good thing when it comes to domestic brand engines. I have a machine built duratec 3.0 in my Mazda 6, 50k+ and runs great. :)

"I can swap one in about 40 minutes start to finish, on a test car in about 25 minutes with the engine hot on the dyno."


Cool Jake, you could be like, the Jiffy Lube of the Boxster under pulley world. Seriously, when you come up with an under pulley that works well with our cars, I think I would like to have one installed. I will be doing a couple of trips down to Florida this year and your shop looks like it is sorta on the way.

Ed

:)