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the COMPREHENSIVE thread on NST (NonStopTuning) Pulleys

81K views 1K replies 216 participants last post by  OMGOrangeSi 
#1 · (Edited)
It looks like we have threads popping up constantly with questions regarding pulleys.

So I decided to take some time to try and put up a good thread in which we can cover most of the topics that normally come up, FAQs, along with user reviews and data. This last bit (user reviews and data) I feel are most important... so pulley owners, PLEASE take a few minutes out of your very busy days and post your experiences with us in this thread. I am very confident that your fellow board members will find your reviews very very helpful.

First, I will post some general info regarding NST Pulleys, how they work, and why they help to free up power and torque.

Second, I will list some FAQs that have come up in past threads with info and answers.

Third, it is your job pulley owners, to post your first hand experiences, comments, and data with us.

Most of this data can also be found on our website, www. NonStopTuning .com, but I will post some of it here for your viewing pleasure!


MIKE @ NST
www.NonStopTuning.com
 
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#2 · (Edited)


Think of it this way, underdrive means to slow down. Underdrive crank pulleys found at NonStopTuning are designed to slow down engine accessories and reduce parasitic loss.

Crank pulleys, attached to the outside of the crankshaft, are the source of power for a car's accessories. The alternator, power steering, water pump, and air conditioner are all belt driven units, attached to the crank pulley, that use horsepower from an engine to provide their own services. This draw of power by these accessories is called parasitic loss. NST Underdrive Crank Pulleys increase an engine's horsepower by reducing the power required to drive these external accessories. By replacing factory pulleys with CAREFULLY RESIZED units, some of the accessories are slowed enough so that their performance DOES NOT suffer, but just enough so that more horsepower is sent to the wheels and put to the ground. Where horsepower should be!

The R&D team at NST is dedicated to developing kits that provide great gains for track days and continue to deliver proper accessory output for everyday street use.

NST equipped cars do better on the track, benefit from increased accessory life on the street, and also deliver better mile-per-gallon fuel efficiency.


NST was the first company to design and develop pulleys for the 8th gen Honda Civic. We offer the most comprensive line of pulleys for these cars, and we also have the ability to build custom pulleys for any custom application. NST offers more than 100 different pulleys for Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Lotus, Volkwagen, etc on www. NonStopTuning .com. When you buy from NST, you are buying from the leader in sport compact pulley development.


NST Currently offers the following pulley kits for the Honda Civic...

NST21915K Honda Civic R18 Crank Pulley Kit
Please click here for more info: NST - The Leader In 8th Gen Civic Pulleys


This kit underdrives the accessories, EXCEPT THE ALTERNATOR, by about 15%. This kit is also roughly 70% lighter than the OEM pulleys that it replaces. All of this leads to better acceleration, better throttle response, and better fuel economy.


NST22015K Honda Civic Si K20 Crank Pulley Kit
Please click here for more info: NST - NonStopTuning - The Leader In Civic Si K20 Pulleys


This kit is designed for naturally aspirated or turbocharged applications and underdrives the accessories, EXCEPT THE ALTERNATOR, by about 15%. This kit is also roughly 70% lighter than the OEM pulleys that it replaces. All of this leads to better acceleration, better throttle response, and better fuel economy. Look in the September issue of Import Tuner Magazine's Power Pages for their independent review and dyno testing.


We also offer NST22000 Civic Si K20 CR-Lite Crank Pulley
Please click here for more info: NST - NonStopTuning - The Leader In Civic Si K20 Pulleys


This pulley is our lightweight, OEM diameter, crank pulley designed for use with any supercharged application. This pulley will neither underdrive nor overdrive a supercharger setup and can be used along with NST22022 Alternator Pulley for further weight reduction and better overall performance. Naturally aspirated or turbo owners who may be on a budget, or do not want to replace an entire KIT of pulleys, should also look at this pulley as an option.


MIKE @ NST
www.NonStopTuning.com
 
#330 ·
We also offer NST22000 Civic Si K20 CR-Lite Crank Pulley
Please click here for more info: NST - NonStopTuning - The Leader In Civic Si K20 Pulleys


This pulley is our lightweight, OEM diameter, crank pulley designed for use with any supercharged application. This pulley will neither underdrive nor overdrive a supercharger setup and can be used along with NST22022 Alternator Pulley for further weight reduction and better overall performance. Naturally aspirated or turbo owners who may be on a budget, or do not want to replace an entire KIT of pulleys, should also look at this pulley as an option.
This says otherwise.
 
#3 · (Edited)
1. Will I need to buy a new belt if I am using NST Pulleys?
A. The NST R18 Kit does require the use of a resized belt. We offer GATES belts on our website. We also list these universal belt numbers, you can look for the correct belt number and take this number to your local AutoZone, PepBoys, Advanced, etc. if you prefer to buy your belt locally.

A. The NST K20 Kit is specifically designed for use with the OEM belt. You can use your OEM belt as long as you have a good, healthy, belt. Please remember that all belts are normal wear and tear items and should be replaced at roughly 50,000 miles.

2. Will/should NST Pulleys lead to any squeaking or noise from the belt?
A. A properly installed kit, along with the porper belt size, and a healthy belt, should NOT lead to any noise. Belts should be inspected from time to time and replaced at proper intervals. Belts should not be sprayed or cleaned with any chemicals. Dust or debry can be cleaned with a brush or a can of air.

3. Do NST Pulleys actually add HP/TQ?
A. NST Pulleys do not technically add power, they free up the power that the engine makes by way of great weight reduction and the slight underdriving of the accessories. The great weight reduction leads to improved HP and TQ curves in the low, mid, and high range... this is something very few bolt on modifications can do. These pulleys also improve throttle response and fuel economy, both of which can not be measured on a dyno but can definitely be seen on the road, or track.

4. Are there any independent dyno charts available to prove these claims?
A. Yes, there are several sources of independent dyno charts for NST Pulleys. Viewers should be careful to look for AREA UNDER THE CURVE when looking at these dyno charts. You can see improvements in low, mid, and high range HP and TQ. This is something most other bolt on modifications can not do...

I. Import Tuner Power Pages. September 2008 issue. Civic Si K20 Kit.
http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/bolt...20-kit-featured-import-tuner-power-pages.html

II. 8th Civic .com thread...
http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/bolt-ons-all-motor/32517-nst-pulley-pre-post-dyno-must-see.html

III. 8th Civic .com thread...
http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/engine/23858-nonstoptuning-nst-k20-si-kit-diy-pics-dynos.html

5. Can NST Pulleys cause my engine to run lean?
A. The above pulleys can not, in any way, change the air/fuel ratio of a naturally aspirated or turbocharged engine... as pulleys have nothing to do with the flow of air, exhaust, or fuel. ECU reflashes, intakes, exhausts, or header systems are what normally affect air/fuel ratios.

6. Can I use the Underdrive Crank Kit on my supercharged K20?
A. The NST K20 Kit, NST22015K, is designed for use with any naturally aspirated or turbocharged application. Underdriving (slowing down) a supercharger is not ideal, because a supercharger is basically a pump driven by a belt that is attached to the crank pulley. An underdrive crank pulley would lead to less boost. We have designed what we call the CR-Lite Crank Pulley, NST22000, for you supercharger owners. You can add our Alternator Pulley, NST22022, for further weight reduction and better overall alternator output at idle.

7. What colors do you offer?
A. All NST Pulleys are HARD ANODIZED. This is the most durable method of anodizing in the industry, and very few brands are actually hard anodized. This process adds a hard layer to the outside of the aluminum and helps to make the pulley as durable as possible. We currently offer Red and Graphite Gray anodized pulleys.

8. How hard is installation? Can you provide tips or a DIY guide?
A. There is a good DIY guide on the forums for the R18 Kit and I will see what I can do about getting you another good DIY installation guide for the K20.

In the meantime, installation should not be too difficult if you have previous experience with wrenching on your civic. Chances are if you did your own intake, header, or exhaust, that you should be able to tackle this in a couple hours with the proper tools.

Ofcourse if you are the least bit hesitant, or uncomfortable with trying this yourself, you should seek the assistance of a trained professional. NST can not be held responsible in any way, shape, or form for any damage due to improper installation. DIY installations are performed entirely at the risk of you, the end user.

Having said all of the above, may I recommend a tool to help the DIY guys...
Crank Pulley Holding Tool for Honda and Acura

This is a very handy tool and holds the OEM crank pulley in place so that you can remove the crank bolt without the pulley spinning in place. I have personally used this tool with a couple of cheater bars and extensions. It works every time!

9. How do your pulleys stack up against the competition, ie. UR pulleys?
A. I get this one all the time. Both UR and NST offer the best pulley options in my opinion and I have great respect for UR. Here is an entire thread on the topic...
http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/bolt...racing-pulleys-vs-nonstop-tuning-pulleys.html
Feel free to look through the pages and decide which one would be best for your needs.

10. Do you ship to international customers?
A. Yes, we ship packages to customers all over the world! We use the services of USPS Global Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation and ship packages to North America, South America, Europe, Asia, etc. on a daily basis. Our online shopping cart is capable of processing any order and will calculate the exact shipping fee at the time of each order.

More to come soon...


MIKE @ NST
www.NonStopTuning.com
 
#4 · (Edited)
This one deserves an entire book, but here goes...

Q. Will NST Pulleys lead to premature engine failure?

I cover this topic at least several times a month but I don't mind, I understand that your cars are a very large investment for all of you and I prefer that you be intelligent and informed about all your modifications. So here we go again... Please take a few minutes to read everything I have posted here, as I worked hard on trying to give you a good explanation on the topic...

In the past many engines were externally balanced. There was an external balancer attached to the outside of the engine, on the crank snout, used to balance the engine externally. The crank pulley in such engines would then be attached to this balancer. Removal of this balancer is a bad idea. These balancers were most often used on large (6 to 8) V shaped engines of the domestic muscle car era.

Take a look at any modern (1980s and beyond) Honda, Toyota, Nissan, or other japanese inline 4 and you will find no such balancer. These engines are all internally balanced, and this process has improved even further since the late 1990s. So the topic of a BALANCER does not apply here.

What you will find on many modern engines is a harmonic damper. This is a small rubber band, litterally less than 2mm, less than 1/8th of an inch, thick that is built into the crank pulley. OEM crank pulleys are often called DAMPERS. Try placing an order for a crank pulley at your dealer and your invoice will read damper. This rubber is used to absorb something called NVH, noise/vibration/harshness. Suffice it to say, this rubber is actually not very good at performing its intended purpose after as little as a few thousand miles. What happens to rubber after a couple years of humidity, weather, snow, rain, etc? It often becomes brittle, hard, and crunchy. Can something with these properties actually absorb vibrations very well?

Many many NST customers, including people on your own forums, have reported smoother running engines with NST pulleys. Especially at idle. How is this possible if the rubber is such a vital and super important piece??? Perhaps the rubber is not as important as it is cracked up to be???


Furthermore....


On the topic of the rubber damper, engine vibrations, or possible threats resulting from elimination of this rubber piece...

On a relatively understressed near stock motor with bolt ons or low amounts of boost like what most of the people on this forum probably run, a solid pulley will not have any life threatening consiquences. The factory pulley with a 2mm (less than a 1/8th inch) damper is primarily there for wide band NVH (noise vibration harshness) supression from the engine and driveline. Removing the damper and replacing it with a solid pulley may lead to minor addtional NVH but will not harm the engine. In fact, most people claim their engines seem to run smoother with NST pulleys.

The engineering reasons are that most modern engines have a short, strong crank with, a relatively high natural frequency. The dangerous second harmonic that can cause damage occurs at an rpm that this sort of engine will never see, in the area above 10,000 rpm. Even the stock damper is not tuned for attinuation at this sort of rpm so the argument is somewhat of a moot point.

Now weak engines that are pushing the limit with LOTS of revs, wimpy cranks, super long strokes, lots of boost and dwelling in the upper rpm ranges for long periods of time can benefit from a damper designed to deal with this sort of operation but our engine is not like this, and probably very few people with this motor on this forum push the envelope that hard. How many 2.0 Liter, 500HP, 12,000RPM motors do we have on these forums?

As far as I can tell, our engine has a strong and stiff bottom end that is well built for our intended use. It has an internaly balanced crankshaft which is less like to break due to torsional vibration.

There are a lot of Honda, Toyota, and Nissan guys who use underdrive crank pulleys in road racing series like NASA or SCCA. Road racing is much more punishing on an engine than other motorsports. The engine is subjected to run times lasting roughly 30 minutes with the engine always in the upper ranges of its rpm limit. One race weekend is the equivlent of hundreds of 1/4 mile passes. These guys would not use NST pulleys if they were not reliable.

NST sponsors the first ever wheel to wheel Scion tC NASA Road Race car. The same car is also very competitive in the Grand Am series and has factory backing from Toyota, Scion, and TRD. This car has been using pulleys from NST with great results since day one.

NST has sponsored several drift cars participating in the professional US drift series, Fromula Drift. Several of our cars have also competed in the NOPI Drift series. To make things better, NST products are also used in autocross, time attack, and drag cars. These cars have been using NST pulleys with no issues of any kind for the past few seasons.

We could go on and on...

Is a solid crank pulley harmless to all engines? No it is not. As I said... small, super high reving engines, when modified way past the simple bolt on stages may have problems. These engines reach critcal harmonics, past the 10,000 rpm range, an rpm only reached by certain RACE engines.

A mildly modded inline six will most likely be fine but one subjected to high rpm for long periods of time (90% of its life) with lots of boost will probably suffer. In this case , the stock balancer/damper is probably not adequate either.

Some of the older american V8 engines are externaly balanced and it is critical not to use a solid hub pulley not designed for these applications, or damage to the engine could result. You will not find solid NST pulleys on our website for such engines.

Our engines and most around here do not fall into the above catagories. Rest assured that your engines will not blow up and die or have a reduced life in street and even racing use with these parts.

I would bet that every "expert" that tells you otherwise has little personal, practical, real world experience with the subject; as it applies in your case.

Again, I understand that your cars are a very large investment and that you depend on them as your daily means of transportation, so I do not take your questions personally. But please remember... No NST product is designed to cause you any harm or grief. We are not in business to sell junk. PERIOD.


MIKE @ NST
www.NonStopTuning.com
 
#6 ·
Again, I have spent a good amount of time in thinking about and putting this thread together. So I hope that you guys will take a few minutes to read through all the information provided.

I will continue to add FAQs as they come to mind, or as more questions arise.

And those of you who actually own NST or any other brands of pulleys... PLEASE take a few minutes out of your busy days and post your thoughts and comments with your fellow board members in this thread.

Tell us what brand of pulleys you own, what you like or dislike, your real world reviews, thoughts, and comments.

Let's go!

:vtec:
 
#9 ·
If you have ever installed pulleys on a car before it shouldn't really be that hard. But than again our engine bay is cramped...

Anyways I got a question. You said the pulleys are for N/A or T/C applications. Since Comptech S/C is a roots type and pretty much runs like N/A will the pulleys work with the Comptech S/C and have any benefits from it?
 
#23 ·
Good question, I added this to the FAQ section...

7. What colors do you offer?
A. All NST Pulleys are HARD ANODIZED. This is the most durable method of anodizing in the industry, and very few brands are actually hard anodized. This process adds a hard layer to the outside of the aluminum and helps to make the pulley as durable as possible. We currently offer Red and Graphite Gray anodized pulleys.

No new colors are scheduled at this time.
 
#21 ·
I see that you are in Florida. I can not comment on your region, as we do not yet have any Authorized NST Retailers in your state. We are in Houston Texas, and at this time, I can only comment on our region. Hopefully someone from your area can chime in with a suggestion.

Good luck and have fun with all your projects!

:vtec:
 
#25 ·
I have ordered a set of NST pulleys for my Si, just waiting on them to come back into stock.

As a mechanic with roughly 14 years working on f/i motors, I use pulley kits on every build I have been involved in. I like the fact that NST uses only a slight under drive and then in turn compensates for the alternator. The kit looks high quality, and I am excited to install them.
 
#27 ·
Thank you sir!

We design our kits with the understanding that many of our customers use these kits on daily driven street cars. With this in mind, we design kits that will increase performance on the track and will work very very well on the street.

Be sure to report back in this thread after you install your kit, we would greatly appreciate it.

:dancingcoolsmiley:
 
#30 ·
great write up! it even has a conclusion and summary in the end. my friend who is also a forum member here has it installed on his csx. ill tell him to put his thoughts here.

purchasing them soon from ya. if you may please add prices shipped? that would help too

like lower 48 states + apo hawaii alaska and ofcourse, CANADA lol
 
#31 ·
Hey Mike, any way there could be an updated DIY for the Si pulley install? The most detailed DIY on this site (with text and pictures) no longer has their pictures appearing - broken link. I think I have the install under control (gonna attempt soon!), but would be nice to have the added help. Thanks!
 
#33 ·
I have NST pulleys for about 3 months now. I havent had any issues with them,, so far quality and reliability is awesome. After the install, i noticed some positve changes.. car feels better at revving. It was my first time installing pulleys so i cleared a whole day and installed them There are 2 biggest challenges (as for me). Removing crank bolt and 3 alternator bolts. I had Craftsman 590lbs air gun and it didnt do anything at all. So... as many guys here recomended, i used breaker bar. I was really scared to do this but it worked as a charm. To remove 3 alternator bolts..all you need is a few tools and some patience. I am 100% satisfied with the product. If you arent too comfortable with the tools or not really mechanically skilled, i would recommend to find a friend to help you or take it to the shop. Its not like i am a mechanic or super good with a tools, but its just my suggestion. The good thing is, you dont have to worry about quality and built of these pulleys because its awesome. Plus, as you can see, NST representative is always here to help. Hope it helps a bit...
 
#42 ·
I have added the following to the FAQ section...

8. How hard is installation? Can you provide tips or a DIY guide?
There is a good DIY guide on the forums for the R18 Kit and I will see what I can do about getting you another good DIY installation guide for the K20.

In the meantime, installation should not be too difficult if you have previous experience with wrenching on your civic. Chances are if you did your own intake, header, or exhaust, that you should be able to tackle this in a couple hours with the proper tools.

Ofcourse if you are the least bit hesitant, or uncomfortable with trying this yourself, you should seek the assistance of a trained professional. NST can not be held responsible in any way, shape, or form for any damage due to improper installation. DIY installations are performed entirely at the risk of you, the end user.

Having said all of the above, may I recommend a tool to help the DIY guys...
Crank Pulley Holding Tool for Honda and Acura

This is a very handy tool and holds the OEM crank pulley in place so that you can remove the crank bolt without the pulley spinning in place. I have personally used this tool with a couple of cheater bars and extensions. It works every time!

Good luck and have fun with all your projects everyone!
 
#45 ·
I've removed the crank pulley from 3 of 4 Hondas I've owned (2 for timing belts and my Si to install the NST pulleys) and two other '07 FG2s. First one I tried different air wrenches and didn't succeed until I rented a 3/4" 1000+ ft-lb model and boosted it to my compressor's max of 150 psi. Second one I used the "put it in gear and have someone step on the brake while you struggle your butt off beneath the car with a 24" long breaker bar with a 36" long pipe slid over the end for enough leverage to finally crack the torque" which basically sucked as much as the first method but didn't cost me as much. FINALLY when I installed my NST kit a few weeks back I decided to try the "starter trick". I posted about this in the DIY thread but to sum it up it was so easy I busted out laughing once I did it. I used this method for the other two Si's we did in my garage a few days later and it worked like magic then as well. Search the thread and do it this way. The rest of the install is pretty simple, especially if you pull the cross member that sits above the radiator to give you easy access to the alternator for those of us that don't have the "shell" wrench to lock out movement from the alternator while cracking the torque on the nut.

Anyway, I noticed an improvement right away in first gear (the benefit of reduced mass is proportional to how quickly you are accelerating the mass, so first gear is where you're going to get the most benefit) and have not noticed any sort of problem. You might consider using the OEM crank pulley as a discus, paper weight, barbell, etc because the weight reduction is amazing.

It's one of those mods that you totally forget about after a few days because you don't hear, feel or see it working. You just have reduced driveline inertia giving you better acceleration/less fuel consumption.

Besides that, they look great! If you have the Ingalls Stiffy ETD than you'll have to do some minor modifications to the bracket to get clearance as you can see in the pictures below.





 
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