Cracked power steering pump pulley

[10BANGER]

Has anyone seen/experienced this before. While swapping out my radiator hoses and an oil change I noticed this crack across the pulley with metal pieces in bedded on the serpentine belt. This can't be normal.





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[XSnake]

Actually it's pretty common. Call up PartsRack and order the billet pulley AND the billet PS mount while your working on the PS system.

[Steve-Indy]

While pulley problems are common on Gen II's (and broken P/S pump brackets on Gen I's and II's)...I would not say that this is a common problem on Gen III's.

Has the Viper ever had front end damage?

[XSnake]

While pulley problems are common on Gen II's (and broken P/S pump brackets on Gen I's and II's)...I would not say that this is a common problem on Gen III's.

Has the Viper ever had front end damage?

Sorry, didn't even look and see what section this was posted in.

[10BANGER]

While pulley problems are common on Gen II's (and broken P/S pump brackets on Gen I's and II's)...I would not say that this is a common problem on Gen III's.

Has the Viper ever had front end damage?

Never had any front end damage. The pulley appears to have a welded seam design which has separated, I'm assuming this because the crack appears to be too clean down the middle.
I was looking at new pulleys online I can see the seam on the pictures. This looks like a two piece pulley.

[Nine Ball]

I don't think it is a crack, likely just the manufacturing process. I'm pretty sure mine looked like that even when new.

[10BANGER]

I don't think it is a crack, likely just the manufacturing process. I'm pretty sure mine looked like that even when new.

I'm having a hard time believing that not knowing where the in bedded metal fragments came from however, the pieces are consistent to the material missing off the pulley.
The mfg process looks like a machined forging with a flat extruded piece roll formed, welded then machined again for the grooves/ribs. They might of cut this (extruded piece) one too short and they back filled it with weld. Now the weld has failed. That's my assumption.

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

We have sold 1000+ of the billet replacements for the Gen 2 OE (plastic), but we have sold only ONE pulley for SRT10; and that was OE steel and just last week! Yours certainly appears to be defective.

the OE Gen 3 pulley is MSRP $74.......... VOA price $55, but by the time I order/ship it you would wait 7-8 days...... You might as well buy locally?

[Turk]

I don't think it is a crack, likely just the manufacturing process. I'm pretty sure mine looked like that even when new.

I agree with Nine Ball, that does not look like a crack, also it doesn't look like that seam was ever welded, so I have a hard time believing that the weld fell off. I've seen other cars with this seam, and as long as there is no burrs then it shouldn't need replacing.

[10BANGER]

Well, I replaced the belt and got her all back together now since there was no burrs or sharp edges on the pulley. I still can't explain the metal on the belt though.
I'll be checking the belt for damage and go from there.

Thank you all.

[10BANGER]

Jon,
A billet one would have been nice.

Thanks

[PaulP]

Put a goodyear gator belt on i just did, looks like all the pulleys are made this way, the goodyear gator back belt has groves with notches in it so it won't lock in debris like a normal belt would.

[C.J]

Rock Auto has the Gatorbacks.

[Fatboy 18]

I don't think that is a crack in the pulley, looks more like its come out of the factory that way

[10BANGER]

I don't think that is a crack in the pulley, looks more like its come out of the factory that way

I'm surprised something this noticeable got by inspection. This is something I would suggest looking into in case you have a defective pulley or a damaged belt like mine.
I checked my MAX CARE extended warranty and the PS pump is covered.

[Viper Girl]

Hey Demoe,

I don't remember my Gen III looking that way at all. With 100 degree temps around the corner... I'd change it out now rather than later, even if you went with OEM over billet. It'd blow to be stuck somewhere with a popped belt in the heat.

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

Jon,
A billet one would have been nice. Thanks...

Need + Demand = Volume Product................

[Viper Girl]

look at how this pulley split... It looks like it easily could have started like yours to me Demoe... with the straight line across the pulley.
see this thread http://driveviper.com/forums/threads...ey-replacement

[Nine Ball]

From that same thread linked above, you can see his power steering pulley in this photo has the same line across the top. Realize that those pulleys were likely supplied from various manufacturers across the range of Gen 3 years. The line isn't a "crack", mine had that when it was still new. Doesn't affect the pulley function at all.

[Fatboy 18]

Case rests ,your Honour

[Bugman Jeff]

That's just how the pulleys are made. The ribbed strip is rolled as a flat piece with forming dies, bent into a hoop, and welded to the hub. It's the cheapest way to make a ribbed metal pulley and, provided it's made correctly, the seam does not affect functionality. It's very common to see serpentine pulleys made this way on many cars, not just Vipers.

You can tell by how rounded the edges of the seam are that it's been like that for a very, very long time. The metal bits in your belt very likely did not come from the pulley.

[Fatboy 18]

Just get rid of all that old black stuff and put this lot on

My Engine

[10BANGER]

Nice Fatboy,
I haven't found those for a Gen 3.

Just get rid of all that old black stuff and put this lot on

My Engine

[Fatboy 18]

Contact Mark at Ipsco or JonB Partsrack


http://www.ipsco.org/Viper.htm

[10BANGER]

Great, I feel a lot better now knowing I won't be having to take a trip to the dealership.

From that same thread linked above, you can see his power steering pulley in this photo has the same line across the top. Realize that those pulleys were likely supplied from various manufacturers across the range of Gen 3 years. The line isn't a "crack", mine had that when it was still new. Doesn't affect the pulley function at all.