I think something was missed here. Aluminum may be lighter, but they idea
is to make the actual pulley wheel as thin as possible (to dissipate heat).
Aluminum when heated becomes very soft unless it's alloyed with some other
kind of metal or mineral. Yes, we are only talking rubber here, but rubber
running around millions of times in a circle will wear even treated aluminum
down much faster than it would it's "weight equivalent" in steel or stainless
steel. If you truely wanted tough and light, an aluminum/titainum combination
would be best but that is REALLY expensive stuff.
I'm not a metallurgist or thermodynamicist, but for heat tolerance and
hardness factors, I'd be betting on steel/stainless steel for best performance
per ounce of material. I also wouldn't be worried about my pulley's
getting gouged when that screwdriver or wrench gets dropped onto them while
working on the motor. A nick in your pulley will destroy belts (and balance).
This is all just an opinion folks so you should use whatever you feel is best
for your motor.
Shaun
Tustin, CA
-----original message-----
<< This is an alternate method. I chose to machine mine out of a solid block
of
billet aluminum for simplicity and tooling costs. Steel takes longer to
machine, and tooling costs are higher... As for the toughness of the outside
of the pulley, it's only rubber we're working with here .. If my memory
serves
me correctly, many aftermarket pulleys are simply clear coated, right? A
anodized hardcoat should calm any concerns about their pulley wearing out.
>>
Also a heavier method. I would think that the lighter they can be, the
better.
Brad
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