Unfortunately I don't spend as much time on the L' forums as I do on the various F-body forums, so I'm kind of "Mod illiterate" when it comes to my Lightning....so, please bear with me regarding this elementary question.

While researching my next L mod, I realized that not all pulleys are created equal. I noticed that one Vendor offers 4lb pulleys WITH a cage, while 2-3 others do not. What is the advantage/Disadvantage to either of these setups? (besides the obvious price disparity). Will the cageless pulley cause problems? Has anyone done damage with the less expensive cageless pullies?

I would like honest, objective opinions on these questions if possible. Thanks.

 

I personally use the 4# JDM because I like the fact that it retains the crankshaft support bracket. After running a blower on my 96TA and experiencing the eventual wobble my lower pulley developed, I wanted all the protection I could get. It also looks the most like the stock setup if that is important to you.

I have friends with both the 4# JL and the 4# PSP pulley. Neither have had problems with theirs so far. Of the two cageless pulleys, the PSP had a thicker lip and looked to be constructed better.

Best of luck in whatever you decide . . .

 

I agree with Flash, I will not use a pulley without a cage. I figure Ford put it there for a reason. One other thing to concider is the front oil bearing, no one knows what the long term effects will be on the bearing. If it wears out will your truck have a drop in oil pressure?

These are questions only time will tell so thats why I say use a cage.

 

No problemo...at 20,500 miles now and I'm on my third cageless-pulley--only changed to get more boost--now at 5 lbs--added. I like the fact that I've removed about 9-10 lbs(?) of 'cage' off the front of the eng.

Dan

 

I run a cageless JL pulley and I love the weight difference. With the new pulley being aluminum not steel I think the cage is useless. It was there to support the heavy stock pulley.

 

That cage was installed from the factory to help take the additional load off the main bearing caused by the blower belt...when you install a larger pulley you increase the belt tension even more. I would highly recommend that you continue to use it regardless of which lower pulley you choose.

 

alot of people run lower pulleys without the cage and have had no problems.

I have a cage on mine and prefer it that way for 2 reasons: it retains the stock look and incase that cage is there for a reason I'm covered (for reasons stated above).

 

The factory pulley is made up of 3 parts. One part is the CAST IRON center hub. The second part is the STEEL outer ring. The third part is the RUBBER center core that ties the other two parts together. Because of this, the factory pulley is extremely heavy. The cage design supports the weight of the factory pulley.

The blower belt puts minimal stress on the crankshaft, because our trucks use a spring loaded belt tensioner. The tensioner absorbs the majority of the load from the blower. Our cageless pulley weighs only 3 lbs, and does not add any stress to the motor. We've pulled apart plenty of engines that had been running cageless pulleys, and have never seen an indication of extra bearing wear.

I don't have any problems with people who feel more comfortable using the cage design. But there is no reason to discredit the cageless design (not saying anyone here has yet). We designed the cageless pulley over 3 years ago, and thousands of people are running them with no problems, whether it's our pulley or one of the many copied versions.

 

Also if you need to change the other belt you don't have to remove the outer pulley cage to do it.

 

I sold my non-caged pulley solely to obtain a caged one.. No boost increase, just the cage. people are saying no problem at 20K. Let's revisit this at 75K and see what the concensus is?? I don't care what type of tensioner you have, the supercharger creates an excessive radial load on the end of the crank. I've nothing to gain financially by harping on one pulley or the other and this doesn't indicate any allegiance to any particular tuner. Having an engineering back ground I'll opt for the caged one. Ask yourself... if it's to support the pulley weight then why isn't the torque convertor caged?? It's supported by the rear of the crank and weighs a half-dozen times more... I'm not trying to down any tuner but on the same hand I'm not going to say something I feel is not true just to help sustain sales for someone.

 

That's a great example. Most converters can weigh close to 50 lbs. That's 50lbs of weight pulling down on the crank and the bearings, 100% of the time. A roots blower only putting "stress" on the crank when it's in boost, doesn't even come close to the stress a converter puts on the crank, so I guess that's one more reason you don't "need" a cage.

 

I like being cageless I believe high boost is much more of a concern with stock rods than having a cage or not.

 

I run the cageless pulley set-up. I remember all of the arguments associated with cage/ non- caged pulleys. If you planned to manually adjust the belt then i could see a reason for concern on the crank bearings.
Just because a part is more expensive doesn't make it better or more well designed.
Do a search for engine rods and you'll see what i mean by all of the voodoo associated with rumors and opinions.....not actual facts.

I like my L just as much as anyone else on this board and would never install a part that i had to think twice about after examining the evidence.

Anthony

 

"That cage was installed from the factory to help take the additional load off the main bearing caused by the blower belt..."

Sorry but it wasn't. and no flame intended.

The poor design of the crank is why the cage is there, same reason for the rubber mount in the hormonic balancer. All this was even explained in the beginning of the Lightning SC motor design way back in 1999. This engine has a bad vibration at about 5700 RPM's that would shake the motor to death if held there for a prolonged time, admitted by Ford, henceforth the current cage, and rubber mount.
The belt tensioner supplies a minimal amount of stress on the Front Main Bearing, no more than someone tightning a belt on a older model car by hand.

Either install will be just fine, the cage will fool the dealers into believing you haven't changed the lower pulley and that's the only advantage it offers.

Oh, and I forgot to say; Which ever you choose you will be wrong as always on any of the forums I visit. But it is your choice

 

This may sound stupid, but how is the blower causing stress on the motor? if thats the case, then I think all your accessories need to have a cage on them TOO! the blower acts the same way as the alternator, or any other pulley. Think about it guys, now go outside and feel your pulley and tellme that you honestly think that LOOSE a$$ belt is going to wear out your bearings! give me a break, some of you guys are crazy!

the cageless pulley's are only going to cause any damage if you have that belt cranked all the way down so tight that your snapping belts and 99.999% of you guys don't have to worry about that.

Also think of this, do you really think that cage helps the stress that much? That pulley is still connected to the crank no matter what.