has anyone ever had a problem with the alta 17% pulley? is it hard on the supercharger/engine? will it reduce its life span? I just bought a 2006 MCS with 74000 (kilometers) on it and im worried the smaller pulley will just cause me some major issues down the road. any help here would be a great help to me. thx.

 

Honestly if your supercharger is going to fail it will fail with or without a pulley on it. So yes do your pulley the trade off from 15-17% is very small. Heck we even have a 16% for when its hard to decide between the two.
As for the alta pulley we don't use or recommend them. There have been too many problems installing them, but the bigger concerns are the balance of the pulley with the way the center clamps on the shaft. Also the difference in the aluminum and steel.
Check out our WMW supercharger pulley, and if you don't like it we'll point you toward another pulley.

 

Anybody? anything please!

 

Think of it as more of a change on where you get the boost...
So if you redline lots, a pulley is not great...
but for street driving, a 17% is very nice...gets you boost and tq at lower rpms....the 15% is a very slight change....and the jcw pulley is around a 13% give or take....
one thing to understand....sc is a wear item....but more tend to fail from external reasons, not related to pulley size or rotor speed, so the pulley is really a non issue.
DO make sure you car is running well, wilth all mx done....pushing your motor harder WILL exasterbate any existing issues, BUT if all is good, you will smile!!
vendors argue over the merits of different items, 90% of pullies are the same basic desgin...the alta DOES have a uniqe mounting system....enough folks had issues, they put back into production their old one as the "classic"...lol...kinda like new coke, old coke.....
Waymotorworks point onthe pulley is over a period of years, the different expansion rates of different metals could cause isduesrelated to the mounting of the pulley....the oem is heat set, aftermarket is mounted withpreasure mount...mounted carefuled, it is good for life...done wrong, no tq wrench, can be an issue.
Once you drive a mini with a pulley, you will wondewhy they did not come with a pulley...possible just to creat a spot for the jcw package...the motor itself is pretty tough...a cast iron blockbasic desgin...many minis run 210 hp for several hundread thousand miles....some don't....like any car...some folks wail on a car...some fail to check oil.....etc.
Fact....pulleys are safe...i just like the $$ saving kit waymotors sells with his pulley...the fact he provides great support, and is a regular here is a big plus. His site is not a big corporate fancy internet site...he spends his $$ mini's...buying products, testing them, fixing and ACTUALLY turning wrenches on customer cars....has a race car too....mini ofcourse.

 

PS
You notice i have a different pulley....like i said 90% are the same. The one i have is the brand the shop had that day! It was early in my mini modding...before i knew of his package.....

 

Awesome! thanks alot Zippy! I actually have the older pulley, my local speed shop has had it on the shelf for bout 5 years. i picked it up for $40.00 with the belt! Thanks again.

 

I bought the 17% reduction pulley from Craven precisely because I saw Zippy had it, and he seems to know what he's talking about. Been treating me just fine for a couple thousand miles so far.

Sounds like you got a great deal on that, digits!