i've been reading up on these two pulleys--does anyone know if there is any significant quality difference with the two brands? my local shop works with helix but i seem to notice more folks using the alta pulley...it looks as if webb motorsports does not carry the alta anymore (at least it's not on the parts site anymore)...

 

Randy Webb was in Kansas City this past weekend installing Alta pulleys at a pulley party. Had a great time at the All British Car Show.

 

They are equivalent. Helix pulley has 6 allen key bolts. Randy Webb can order from whatever source you want even if it is not always listed on his web site.

 

I just had my helix 19% installed last friday. quality is very high.

 

Helix all the way baby, I have had 15% and currently 19%

Mark

 

thanks guys...i figured there probably wasn't much difference in quality, just wanted to make sure. it's my first time adding a pulley (or working with a supercharger at all) on any car i've had...

 

i am in the same boat mudflap, never had a sc before. Went to helix today actually for an intake, pully, sway bar. very very happy with helix and the results. they are great guys to, not that it relates, was just hungover so didnt talk much haha. quality is great i think either way

 

I have only installed two Helix pulleys myself. Both were machined art

 

Please check with Randy before using any pulley greater than 15% reduction.

 

I would email Eric @ Helix or call Helix [Tech Line: 215-739-8800] if have any questions. You have a much better chance of getting a timely response with them. I have delt with Eric at the last two MOTD and he is a great guy to work with and has great products. Love my pulley!

 

gonna stick with the helix 15% pulley and giac ecu flash to start....just waiting on the local shop to call me when the parts arrive...

 

Compared to the stock piece of junk, both the Alta and Helix pullies are art. We did a little pulley party last year and I saw some Helix go on and I installed an Alta on mine. It was so purdy I was tempted to keep it on my desk instead of my stock pulley (for about a second )

 

The Alta Pulleys are 100% stainless steel. The Helix pulleys are two-piece designs, a steel hub, with an aluminum outer piece.

To Quote Helix's web site, "The 2-part modular pulley includes a high-tensile carbon steel (70,000 ft/lb) hub which presses onto the supercharger shaft, just like the factory system. The aircraft aluminum pulley then bolts onto the hub..."

To Quote Randy's web site, specifically about why he recommends using the ALTA pulley, "I have tried all of the reduction pullies on the market, and this style pulley is the best design.

There are several reasons I have come to this conclusion. I'll run through them quickly, but if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call and ask.

First, it is all steel. What that means is that the thermal expansion rates are the same between the pulley, the hub of the pulley, and the shaft of the supercharger. That becomes very important when the temperature deltas can vary by as much as 300F. The same thermal expansion rate means you won't have to worry about the stability of the taper bore fitment on the shaft, or the tension between the hub and pulley.

Secondly, it is stainless steel, so the unit will not corrode over time like aluminum and mild steel do.

Third, it uses a positive stop on the inside of the pulley, so the hub is always in the right spot.

Fourth, the end of the pulley is capped, so as long as the hub is pushed all the way onto the shaft, the pulley will always align itself as it pulls the hub into itself. After having done over 400 pulley installs, I have never seen more than .02" difference between these - the belt is always perfectly aligned.

Finally, this is a taper bore style pulley, rather than a heat and press interference type pulley. This pulley is installed at room (or shop) temperature.

There have been rumors surfacing that the pulley weight is a concern because of its all steel construction. The fact is that the radius of the pulley is so small - less than 1.25" - that the reciprocating weight is extremely minimal. With such a small reciprocating weight, the total weight of the unit makes such little difference, that it could be made of iron with no difference in performance (I've tested the difference between aluminum and stainless steel)."

I just wanted to point out what is different about the two pulleys, and why that might be important to you, before you buy...

 

By the way, I'm not knocking Helix's pulley by any means. I have no idea if the different materials really do matter, especially for a daily driver on the streets. I've heard incredible things about both Alta and Helix's pulleys, seriously. Again, just helping you to make an informed purchase decision for what your needs are...

 

Johhieo: Helix' website is sadly out of date regarding the pulley...Helix' pulley has been two piece, all stainless steel taper ft for almost 2 years.


Randy's assesment of pulleys was made 2 years ago and does not apply to those in today's market.

you can't believe everything you read, eh? notice the mis-use of the term "reciprocating"

 

I've had my Helix 15% on for a year, no problems. When I went to get the pulley installed at Helix, I found Eric to be very personable and knowledgeable.

 

So then what about the Mini-Madness pulley? They say its much lighter then the others. Anyone have experience with it? Or are all aftermarket pullies lighter? Link

 

and what about the Ultrik/MiniMania pulley? That's the one that MINI of Towson installs and stands behind the warranty with.

 

Norm03 just alerted me to this thread and to our out-of-date website in the form of a PM verbal spanking.

I have just updated the site so there should be less confusion. A well-made pulley is a well-made pulley: both the Alta and Helix13 pulleys work perfectly well. We've installed plenty of both.

 

Slacker! What have you been doing, just reciprocating your wheels?

 

I am going with Helix.
Was in his shop last friday and loved all the information and usefull tips he had to offer. (BTW is a really nice shop)

 

Does helix rent/loan pullers to local folks?

thanks!

-jac

 

Great username, fishbulb! Very disrespectful to dirt.

 

Hi. I have pullers for sale($70) or rent(30) . you pay freight both ways for rental , one way for purchase. pm me if you are interested. Jock Holden(ontoit)

 

Doh! I just noticed that - it should read rotational!! I must have been thinking motors when I wrote it (which do have reciprocating mass). Thanks for pointing that out John!:smile:

Helix offers there own brand that is a unique pulley that is a very high quality piece.

For the record, I can install just about any brand out there, and I choose to use the M7, Alta and now Helix pulley.

Why? There are a few reasons.

First, the supercharger shaft is steel. The pulleys above are all steel as well (albeit stainless) which have close to the same thermal expansion properties as the shaft. There are no keys or bolts holding the pulley onto the shaft, it is a taper bore interference fit. That makes thermal expansion an issue to consider. Aluminum has vastly different expansion properties.

Second, all of the above have a positive stop surface on the inside face of the pulley for the shaft. That makes alignment a cinch.

Third, they all have very easy methods of removal. That doesn't sound like an issue now, but what if down the road you want a change (like a TurboKompressor kit for instance)? Now you wish it was a lot easier to swap pulleys (one of the key reasons I don't use the Mania pulley).

Lastly, the aluminum types have a much higher tendency toward corrosion, whereas all of the above units are stainless steel.

There have also been some vendors trying to sell pulleys made of aluminum by stating how much lighter their brand X is. The truth of the matter is, the radius of the pulley is less than 1.25" making the rotational mass just about totally insignificant. We could make the unit out of iron from railroad rails with no appreciable loss in performance over a magnesium unit (we tested the lack of difference in stainless compared to aluminum).

I hope that helps a bit. There are certainly a number of units on the market, and you have to choose wisely. Most are high quality pieces.

If we do the install of any of the above brands, we warranty our work and parts. We have now installed over 650 pulleys across the country!

Hope that helps,
Randy