pulley blow up?

[BB73Challenger]

Well, I have has plenty of things break before, but a first was to have a pulley grenade on me today!

I took my car out to bring it home last night and as I pulled into the drive, I heard an odd squeak. Popped the hood and everything seemed OK. No noticeable damage or loose items.

Drove to work... fine.

On my way home, I start to hear a light knock. Boy I'm almost home, better not drag my feet. I leave from a stop light and hear a clunk. Uh oh, check my gauges... hmm..., didn't pitch a belt, it's still charging, only a block away better get her home.
Open the hood...

what the..

[BB73Challenger]

By the way, the "clunk" was the chunk in the second picture that flew off and hit the underside of the hood.

Looks like I'll be in the market for a quality steel stamped pulley 

[Bullitt-]

Not cool.... at least no fan trough the radiator  where did you get the Made in Taiwan  POS?

[BB73Challenger]

You know I bought both the water pump and crank pulleys a few years ago, and I THINK I remember who it was, but to be honest unless I could say yes I got it from "..." I don't want to just blurt a name out and possibly slander an innocent vendor.

I wonder now to, as you said the rad is OK, and that's because I run a dual electric fan set-up. Would not having a fan bolted to the front of the pulley cause some sort of weakness due to just the 4 screws holding it in place and not a fan?

[6packCuda]

Holy Cow! Good think it didn't dent your hood. I wouldn't think not having a fan on there would weaken it any.

[dodge freak 2]

Tell the truth now..how many times have you hit 7000 rpms 


There was no reason for that expect it was made super cheap.

[bb71challenger]

Never even heard of that happening. Man that sucks, like stated above, what would have happened to your hood if it had let go at about 7k? I bet your pulley would be sticking through the hood, definitely not good. I didnt even know that pulleys were repopped.

[ntstlgl1970]

"Would not having a fan bolted to the front of the pulley cause some sort of weakness due to just the 4 screws holding it in place and not a fan"?

IMO It might have something to do with it. Just about any car with a stamped steel w/p pulley has some sort of "washer" on the front of it to clamp the pulley to keep it from flexing (if the pump doesn't drive a fan). The import pulley might also be a lighter gage steel which contributed to the failure.

[dutch]

     there will be a lot more stress to the bolt areas with no fan on it...  those are clearly fatique cracks.
I`d go with billet pulleys. Never seen this happen before though.

[bb71challenger]

Doh, didnt notice the missing fan and extension. Yeah that stuff missing would be a huge factor in the failure imo.

[Changin Gears]

Had this happen on my race car a few years ago.  Didn't know it had happen until I got back to the pits and it was handed to me.  A slick had a mark on it where I had run it over.  Was shifting 7800 at the time.  It only drove an alternator.

[LAA66]

 Ouch!! All in the same run?

 My dad told me a story about a harmonic balancer coming apart while his friend was tuning (revving) the engine. He ended up with plates in his head from the pieces hitting him.