Hello one and all,

Pulley install took me 4 hours.

Took me about an hour to get the SC pulley bolt off. I had a big screwdriver and a... ahem... rubber soled sandle to help me take it off. It was a pain in the bleepity bleep to get off. Lets just say the swearing begun early.

I also had trouble getting the stock pulley itself off, i pounded a bit with my hands (firmly yet gently) and finally got it off. Stupid me, I measured the gapping of the stock pulley but forgot what it was by the end. If I remember correctly, it was about .25 to .30.

So, reverse the steps, code 3 is on, and all shims were REMOVED since even after tightening the bolt to roughly 14.5 ft/lbs the gapping was pretty close to .29 or so. Belts properly aligned (double and triple check) and the test drive. Performance was great, midranged seemed MUCH improved.

However, I started smelling things. Very subtle things. Like a hint of burning rubber.

So I hightailed it back to the garage and parked. And listened. And smelled. I smelled near the pulley and the best way I could describe it was the smell those old electric hot wheels smelled like after running them on the track over and over again. The belts looked fine, I could find no sign of wear. The pulley sounded ok on initial startup but started sounding like it was scraping or something, despite spinning freely by hand without causing the black... thingy to spin with it.

The questions:

1. Why does my pulley sound like sandpaper and smell like electric hot wheels? Hard to say, I know... It seems to be gapped within spec, as the code 3 instructions say .20 to .30 is OK. Am I being too OCD about it, or is there cause for concern? I have no shims (though billvp was kind enough to send one my way that is arriving soon).

2. The torque wrench I have is in ft/lbs, so I could only guestimate at 14.75 (for 20 nm). Could someone tell me if anything between 14 and 15 is sufficient? The reason I ask is it's analog, and I was attempting to pry and tighten at the same time, which I couldn't get it exactly at 14.75.

3. For the pulleys that don't have grooves, are you just supposed to line it up center as best you can and thats it?

4. Is it normal for code 3 pulleys to have varying gapping across the outer edges? Gapping on the pulley has much more varience than the stock pulley, in some areas about .29 and others about .24 or so. Just want to check in case I have a warped pulley or if this is normal.

I am meticulous in details, though I am questioning my methods. Everything looks good, but with the pulley measurements being so precise im worried that I mucked something up. And from what I've read, its better to find problems early before you shred a belt, etc.

Thanks for sticking with this long read.

 

I had trouble too. I didn't like the idea of putting so much side pressure on the snout so I ran to Sears and bought a strap wrench. Then it was a piece of cake. (I haven't used it since) I used the old style torque wrench with no problem. As long as you don't get it too tight; 13 to 15 is fine. (you can't over tighten it because it will break) My stock pulley had less clearance than the Code 3 but I can't remember the measurement. My Code 3 was extremely uneven on the clutch side, something like .010 on one side to .018 on the other. But it works fine, I believe it wore in flat after some usage. I'll measure the clearance this afternoon to be sure where it ended up. It's real easy to be off with the belt and not realize it, double check it. Mine never has slipped, left a black powder or smelled of burning rubber. Mine is installed with no shims. If the belt is off it will become obvious quickly ... at the expense of the belt. It won't hurt the pulley. You might check the belt on all the pulleys, it may be off on any one of them.

Les

 

That smell and the noise you reported makes me wonder if the bearing in
your pulley is bad or going bad. I've run a Code 3 for nearly 2 years, off
and on for the 1st year and steadily over the last year with no problems or
smells (well, I sometimes get a little chirp when the pulley engages, but not
all the time).

Instead of the screw driver and wedge block, get a strap wrench to hold
supercharger drive wheel in place while you loosen or tighten the pulley
bolt. They work great for this purpose. I would also recommend that you
check the pulley mount for anything that might cause the pulley to stick
to the mount and buff it out. The pulley can be a real bear to get off
when it's stuck, but a little vibratory wiggling usually gets it clear. Wear
gloves while trying to pull it off. Better grip and better protection for your
hands.

Hope you enjoy the Code 3 as much as I have. Good luck.

Coyote

 

I used a strap wrench as well with great success. My original pulley had two shims and the code 3(2nd gen) installed with no shims - no gap issues. It is usually different for each car.

I agree with the others that it could be the belt rubbing on one of the other pulleys.

Also, which doesn't help you but great reference to the hot wheels race track. Brought back some great memories!...... "I smelled near the pulley and the best way I could describe it was the smell those old electric hot wheels smelled like after running them on the track over and over again."

Good luck.

 

Thanks for the replies all.

I'll go back and triple check alignment of the belts. If some people are running with gap differences as high as mine with no problem there shouldn't be cause for worry.

Regarding the bearing, I double checked and made sure before i put it on that it moved freely without catching or rubbing, though I'm assuming when it's spinning at 13,000 RPM it be much more amplified.

Will report back with another test drive later. I just hate to get down the road only to have the belt explode while doing 70 on the hwy...

 

I just measured the clearance on mine ..... Code 3 quality control wasn't very good. On one side I have .011 clearance and on the other .020. But it disengages and engages flawlessly. If your belt is off a rib somewhere it shouldn't fail right away. It will begin to fray on the edge first and you will see it if you check every day.

Les

 

Hi Les,

Your clearances seem awfully low! What do you mean by "disengages and engages" flawlessly? How are you checking this?

I just went for another ride, no burning rubber smell, belt looks ok and the ribs are all lined up properly. The only thing that is still bothering me is the pulley is still audible outside of the car (even with the hood down) and I don't recall hearing this before. It sounds like a constant metal grinding on metal. Not obnoxiously loud, but a few levels louder than I recall the stock pulley being.

With that said, I was worried the pulley was too close to the backplate, causing touching somewhere. However, if your clearances are as low as .11 and you don't have problems, I'm starting to second guess that theory. The lowest clearance I've measured is .19.

Coyote mentioned a possible bad bearing, though from what I've read a bad bearing is supposed to sound pretty darn loud, and I wouldn't consider this noise to be that bad. Not sure though...

Also, not sure if this matters, but on initial startup (cold) the pulley sounds fine. After a hard drive, the noise I described sounds much more audible.

???

 

When you first start the car the pulley free wheels. If you watch it you will see it's rotating slower than anything else thats spinning. You can stop it with your hand if your brave (or foolish) enough. I was. Mine doesn't chirp and engages transparently. The clearances on the Code 3 pulleys were all over the place. Lots of buyers were concerned and some returned them if memory serves me correctly. You can find lots of threads with people asking for shims. When I got mine, (new) I was unhappy and almost returned it. But I decided to try it first and after 2 years, more or less, it's still on. I have a loud bearing noise but it's one of the fans. I have no grinding noises from the Code 3. If you decide to try stopping the pulley after start up (out of curiosity) please don't use your hand. It doesn't take much pressure to stop it from free wheeling so use a rubber mallet or leather something or other. I refuse to divulge why I stopped it in the first place.

Les

 

I'm assuming the concerns were unwarranted if the pulleys run fine, though I understand the cause for concern!

Some additional info:

When I put my ear toward the top of the pulley, I don't hear much. But as soon as I put it up next to the front of the pulley (the bolt), the scraping noise becomes quite clear indeed. Bearing?

I guess I will have to install the stock pulley again and listen, then install the C3 and see if it's abnormal.

Will keep everyone posted.

 

From the memory of an old man.... I think the bearing for both pulleys is the same. If so a switch may be in order.

 

I hope you're not talking about the idler pulley??

 

i have spoken of this on many c3 threads... dont concern yourself on the measurement clearances. get the backside of the pulley as close as possible without touching anywere. then torque it and recheck. if you hear any grinding of metal at the front of the pulley its a bearing . remove the pulley press out the old bearing press in the new. hpautowerks has the replacemnet bearing or theres a thread on the c32 section of mbworld were a guy has a bunch for sale for around 25$

 

MJ, you really shouldn't be shwacking at that pulley to get it off the shaft. Go to Harbor Freight and get a $5 puller and do it right. That shaft is riding on bearings way back in the S/C snout and you are putting a lot of shock at the other end of it when you hit it.

 

heres a link forn the bearings from mbworld
NSK Supercharger Bearing For C32 and SLK32 or Crossfire STR6 - MBWorld.org Forums

 

I would agree you have a bad bearing in the mix.....and both my stock pullies come off pretty well....no pounding or puller needed....my code 3's were left in the fridge overnight before install...makes for sliding on and off a lot better when shimming...I am running 0 shims right now, but I inspect them before playing everytime...and am thinking of adding a shim back in...but all is fine, so I may not touch them....good luck...

 

An update:

When I got my tune, Jerry at Eurocharged listened to the noise I was trying to describe to all of you. I had no shims installed, and he told me that it was rubbing slightly on the backplate and it wouldn't hurt anything. I didn't like the constant grind noise, so I decided to go for round 2 today and add a big shim to the mix (thanks to billvp).

My clearances are now greater than .32.

Before I added the shim, the car, from a COLD start had the grinding noise present. Just a constant drone of metal rubbing on metal.

After I added the shim, the car, from a COLD start did NOT have this grinding noise anymore, but DID have an intermittant (we'll say twice a second) noise for about 2 minutes after starting. I can't even describe this noise, though it did not sound like grinding. After the car warmed up, I took it for a spin. When I parked it, I heard the GRINDING noise again, but not the intermittant noise I was just describing.

Seems I can't win here. When the car is cold, I don't hear grinding but I hear a strange rut rut rut rut noise for a few minutes. When the car is warm, I dont hear the strange noise, but I hear the metal grinding.

 

as i have said repeatedly forget the clearance #'s. install the pulley with no shims and torque. spin the pulley and if it touches the clutch anywere remove and add a shim. repeat the torque and spin process. do this until the pulley is as close as possible without touching anywere. your done. if theres still a grinding sound you have other issues be it bearing or the clutch assy itself.

just so you know my final clearance was over 40. mine pulls 19 psi boost and is quiet as a mouse. those c3 # for the spacing is just a recommended space

 

I'm not too concerned with the clearances anymore, just put it down for future reference.

Do you have to lube up the part the clutch after you're done setting the pulley on there? My fingers touched it quite a few times, I'm wondering if it's grinding because it's not lubed.

I guess I'll put the stock pulley back on and see if I screwed anything up.

The only thing I can say with a 100% confidence is that the grinding is most certainly coming from the very front of the supercharger pulley. Putting my ear anywhere else muffles the sound, putting my ear right in front of the pulley almost hurts it's so loud.

I've listened to youtube videos detailing bearing failure and none of them sound like the grinding I am hearing.

If I were to take the stock bearing out and swap it into the C3, how do I pop the bearing out? I heard you need a special tool, do I need to purchase this or would any auto shop have it?

Thanks again for following up.

 

process of elimination. if you put the oem pulley back on its the pulley. if the sound is still there you have another issue.
if it is the pulley the bearing would be the place to start. dont use the oem bearing, go to the mbworld c32 section theres a guy selling bearings for 25$ or hpautowerks has the replacement bearing for 50$
to reove the bearing remove the circlip and set the pulley in a press. press out the old bearing pres in the new. reinstall circlip and your done.
be careful with the pulley in the press its aluminium and can be damaged.
mist shops would charge about 25$ to press a bearing
no lube on the clutch or the pulley shaft. the pulley rides on the bearing
check the spring clips on the back of the pulley. they attach the magnetic plate to the pulley and see if any of the pop rivets that hold the clips on have been damaged.

with the pulley off you can spin the s/c shaft and listen for any noises. it should spin freely and quietly.

 

Yep, my thoughts exactly. Process of elimination works wonders.

So I went out there to remove the C3 and install the stock pulley. I am getting faster, 1st time it took me 4 hours, 2nd took me 2, and this time only took me 1. Thank goodness.

The verdict: the stock pulley is WHISPER QUIET. No metal grinding, no abnormal noises. Before I put the stock one back on I tested the bearing on both of them and the stock pulleys bearing felt so much smoother than the C3. Best I can describe it is the C3 felt a little grindey and only slightly tougher to turn (more resistance). I will say though that the difference is so small that I would NEVER think it could cause such a difference in noise levels.

So, as all of you have been saying all along, it looks like it's the bearing.

I also noticed a tiny intermittent chirping sound coming from the idler pulley (the one right next to SC pulley). Only could hear it with my ears near the engine bay.

I'll go ahead and buy a replacement and have a shop replace the bearing for me and report back.

Thanks to all for the help.