Underdrive Pulleys, worth it?
08-17-2011, 03:43 PM
#1
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: OK
Posts: 232
Underdrive Pulleys, worth it?
I'm just wondering if purchasing underdrive pulleys is worth it. I'm 17, and have a limited budget but am wanting some more power from my 06 GT and it looked like these were a good idea. Are the Stack racing ones reliable or should I go more expensive and buy BBK?
http://www.americanmuscle.com/stack-...i-pulleys.html
http://www.americanmuscle.com/bbk-udp-2005-3v-46.html
http://www.americanmuscle.com/stack-...i-pulleys.html
http://www.americanmuscle.com/bbk-udp-2005-3v-46.html
08-17-2011, 03:49 PM
#2
The Paranoid One
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Texas
Posts: 5,320
They can be worth it yes.
As with all things sometimes they can cause problems too.
What are your mods so far on your car? There might be better options for you.
The FIRST mod you need with these cars performance wise is a Cold Air Intake with a tune. You need to get a CAI/Tune/and hand held tuner combo.
You need a tune adjustment for almost EVERY single performance mod you do to these cars.
No you do not need a tune with the pulley but for the money and for the future things you do to the car I'd save up for a CAI package with a hand held and a tune like I said.
You more than likely WILL end up wanting to mod more after the pulley. That's just the way it goes. It happens virtually every time with people that start off
only adding one mod. Given that you don't want to have to fork over the money later for the tuner and tunes when you add more mods.
Heck I'd buy the handheld tuner alone and get a free tune without the CAI before I'd get the pulley.
You will still get a gain from the tune alone. About 85% of the gains from a CAI and tune come from the tune and not the CAI.
A handheld tuner with a tune would be a much better investment than the pulley. You would get performance AND an investment in the car's future.
Simply put I would not recommend getting into performance mods at ALL if you are unable to fork over the money for a handheld tuner and tune. You really can't do anything and if you try you will end up messing up your car.
As with all things sometimes they can cause problems too.
What are your mods so far on your car? There might be better options for you.
The FIRST mod you need with these cars performance wise is a Cold Air Intake with a tune. You need to get a CAI/Tune/and hand held tuner combo.
You need a tune adjustment for almost EVERY single performance mod you do to these cars.
No you do not need a tune with the pulley but for the money and for the future things you do to the car I'd save up for a CAI package with a hand held and a tune like I said.
You more than likely WILL end up wanting to mod more after the pulley. That's just the way it goes. It happens virtually every time with people that start off
only adding one mod. Given that you don't want to have to fork over the money later for the tuner and tunes when you add more mods.
Heck I'd buy the handheld tuner alone and get a free tune without the CAI before I'd get the pulley.
You will still get a gain from the tune alone. About 85% of the gains from a CAI and tune come from the tune and not the CAI.
A handheld tuner with a tune would be a much better investment than the pulley. You would get performance AND an investment in the car's future.
Simply put I would not recommend getting into performance mods at ALL if you are unable to fork over the money for a handheld tuner and tune. You really can't do anything and if you try you will end up messing up your car.
Last edited by Blacksmoke; 08-17-2011 at 03:55 PM.
08-17-2011, 04:01 PM
#4
The Paranoid One
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Texas
Posts: 5,320
American Muscle and Brenspeed have great deals.
You are going to be paying alot more. I mean you are looking at about 600 bucks.
That is for a Cold Air Intake, Hand held tuner, and tunes.
BUT you can get the handheld tuner with a tune and wait on the CAI for about 350-375 bucks.
I understand you have a budget.
I would save up a little longer and get the hand held tuner with free tunes from one of these places and go from there later down the road adding a CAI and then forward.
You WILL NOT REGRET IT.
I think you would regret buying the pulley first down the road almost without a doubt. You would be left having to buy a tuner AND the other mods you want
in order for them to work and not damage your car and you would pay A LOT more in that purchase down the road.
A MUCH wiser investment. Like I said you will get in the same area of power gains from the pulley as you would a tune AND you would be set to go when other mods come down the road and you need tune adjustments.
BTW when you buy from these two places, they give you free tune adjustments for life when you buy parts from them. A REALLY valuable and important thing!
Really the rule for modding these cars is to get a tuner as the first step.
We had an 06GT and I went through four years of modding the car. I cannot tell you how mad I would have been if I would have laid down the money for
a pulley first then when I decided I wanted more mods have to fork over BIG cash for the tuner AND the other mod I wanted.
You are going to be paying alot more. I mean you are looking at about 600 bucks.
That is for a Cold Air Intake, Hand held tuner, and tunes.
BUT you can get the handheld tuner with a tune and wait on the CAI for about 350-375 bucks.
I understand you have a budget.
I would save up a little longer and get the hand held tuner with free tunes from one of these places and go from there later down the road adding a CAI and then forward.
You WILL NOT REGRET IT.
I think you would regret buying the pulley first down the road almost without a doubt. You would be left having to buy a tuner AND the other mods you want
in order for them to work and not damage your car and you would pay A LOT more in that purchase down the road.
A MUCH wiser investment. Like I said you will get in the same area of power gains from the pulley as you would a tune AND you would be set to go when other mods come down the road and you need tune adjustments.
BTW when you buy from these two places, they give you free tune adjustments for life when you buy parts from them. A REALLY valuable and important thing!
Really the rule for modding these cars is to get a tuner as the first step.
We had an 06GT and I went through four years of modding the car. I cannot tell you how mad I would have been if I would have laid down the money for
a pulley first then when I decided I wanted more mods have to fork over BIG cash for the tuner AND the other mod I wanted.
Last edited by Blacksmoke; 08-17-2011 at 04:05 PM.
08-17-2011, 04:04 PM
#5
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: OK
Posts: 232
Alright! I mean, you own a snake, I'm taking your word for all this. HAHA! After I had my cats cut, my buddy let me use his tuner to turn off the 02s but wasn't willing to give me the thing. He doesn't even drive a Stang anymore, he drives a Mini Cooper! But he wanted to sell it. I think i'll wait till Christmas before a buy one 
08-17-2011, 04:07 PM
#6
The Paranoid One
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Texas
Posts: 5,320
Like I said we also owned an 06GT and I spent four years modding the crap out of it.
Trust me I know what I am talking about.
Virtually ever person here will agree with me that the tuner is the first step you MUST go with in modding these cars if you want a good plan laid out and want to save money in the future.
By the way... as far as the CAI goes.
MANY people sell them on this site in the classified section and you could easily pick one up later for a great price.
I do not buy major mods used but a CAI is a very simple mechanical item in the way it works so you have no worries about it being faulty or not.
If the tube looks undamaged and the filter does as well.. boom you know its good lol.
Make sure you know the specifications on the one you buy (which is EASY), that way when you get the tune adjustment they know
how to make your tune adjustment they would email you.
Trust me I know what I am talking about.
Virtually ever person here will agree with me that the tuner is the first step you MUST go with in modding these cars if you want a good plan laid out and want to save money in the future.
By the way... as far as the CAI goes.
MANY people sell them on this site in the classified section and you could easily pick one up later for a great price.
I do not buy major mods used but a CAI is a very simple mechanical item in the way it works so you have no worries about it being faulty or not.
If the tube looks undamaged and the filter does as well.. boom you know its good lol.
Make sure you know the specifications on the one you buy (which is EASY), that way when you get the tune adjustment they know
how to make your tune adjustment they would email you.
Last edited by Blacksmoke; 08-17-2011 at 04:10 PM.
08-17-2011, 04:10 PM
#7
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: OK
Posts: 232
I have another question, are 4.10s good to invest in? I don't take my car to the track, like ever. I've been reading 3.73s are good for my type of driving. But when I was looking for cars I test drove an 07 with 4.10s in it and loved how peppy it was.
08-17-2011, 04:13 PM
#8
The Paranoid One
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Texas
Posts: 5,320
4.10's are a GREAT investment.
They add A LOT of ummphh to your car and you will be quicker on the street AND track.
I had 4.10's on the 06GT and LOVED them. I would not go 3.73's unless you were supercharging it down the road. Even then my taste is still for the 4.10's.
You said you loved the feel of the 4.10's
I think you would be disappointed with 3.73's and want more if you got them.
Despite all our mods, we NEVER tracked the 06GT. I could not be happier with the 4.10s and how they behaved on the street.
You will have NO PROBLEM with the 4.10's on daily driving. Gas mi. loss is not a worry either. 4.10's require a tune adjustment.
Get where I'm going with the tuner being the first mod to get now hehe?
They add A LOT of ummphh to your car and you will be quicker on the street AND track.
I had 4.10's on the 06GT and LOVED them. I would not go 3.73's unless you were supercharging it down the road. Even then my taste is still for the 4.10's.
You said you loved the feel of the 4.10's
I think you would be disappointed with 3.73's and want more if you got them.
Despite all our mods, we NEVER tracked the 06GT. I could not be happier with the 4.10s and how they behaved on the street.
You will have NO PROBLEM with the 4.10's on daily driving. Gas mi. loss is not a worry either. 4.10's require a tune adjustment.
Get where I'm going with the tuner being the first mod to get now hehe?
08-17-2011, 04:16 PM
#9
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: OK
Posts: 232
Yeah. I feel like nothing can be done to these cars engine wise without a tune. Gas mileage is a main concern. 17, in high school, working 15 hours a week (don't have time), $3.25 a gallon. It sucks! haha.
08-17-2011, 04:25 PM
#10
The Paranoid One
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Texas
Posts: 5,320
OH when the time comes that you get the 4.10s... there are some important things to remember.
First off... Make SURE you buy the Ford Racing gears brand.
Now this is tricky because Ford and Ford racing also sells a brand called Motive.
However... the ONLY way you can tell they are Motive gears and NOT Ford Racing gears is they have an M at the end of the part number.
DO NOT get the motive gears. They are weaker gears in the strength AND they also are pretty notorious for causing what's known as "gear whine". You don't want gear whine. It is an ANNOYING sound you don't want to have to put up with.
Also.. make SURE you take the car to a shop that has A LOT of experience with putting gears in these model Mustangs. If you have a friend or a shop that does gears in other cars, but does not have experience putting them in these cars... DO NOT take it to them.
These cars are finicky when it comes to how they are installed and if they are'nt done the way they like.. can cause gear whine as well as premature wear.
So take it to a shop that does gear changes in these model Mustangs often.
One last thing...when you first have them installed.
Do NOT go and hot rod the car right off the bat. I don't care what anyone says.
These gears must be broken in and you need to drive in stop and go traffic for about 500 miles before you start hot rodding the car. Otherwise you could damage the gears. Those that say they hot rodded them right after install with no problems are lucky they did not mess up the gears. Simple as that.
Just some things to know before you do the gears.
It also gives me a chance to mention this. ALWAYS do research on the parts you plan to put in your car. That way you know how to properly drive the car if the part requires a break in period, AND you know what signs or clues the car would give you if you ran to any trouble.
I think the best steps to modding these cars is this:
1.Handheld tuner with tunes
2.CAI if you did not buy it with the tuner
3. Gears
4. Maybe pulley or delete plates if you want a bit more power.
Or skip those and go to number 5.
5. This is where you go into what long term goals you want such as if you want to go with some cams, long tube headers, or maybe even a supercharger or turbo if you are really power hungry.
First off... Make SURE you buy the Ford Racing gears brand.
Now this is tricky because Ford and Ford racing also sells a brand called Motive.
However... the ONLY way you can tell they are Motive gears and NOT Ford Racing gears is they have an M at the end of the part number.
DO NOT get the motive gears. They are weaker gears in the strength AND they also are pretty notorious for causing what's known as "gear whine". You don't want gear whine. It is an ANNOYING sound you don't want to have to put up with.
Also.. make SURE you take the car to a shop that has A LOT of experience with putting gears in these model Mustangs. If you have a friend or a shop that does gears in other cars, but does not have experience putting them in these cars... DO NOT take it to them.
These cars are finicky when it comes to how they are installed and if they are'nt done the way they like.. can cause gear whine as well as premature wear.
So take it to a shop that does gear changes in these model Mustangs often.
One last thing...when you first have them installed.
Do NOT go and hot rod the car right off the bat. I don't care what anyone says.
These gears must be broken in and you need to drive in stop and go traffic for about 500 miles before you start hot rodding the car. Otherwise you could damage the gears. Those that say they hot rodded them right after install with no problems are lucky they did not mess up the gears. Simple as that.
Just some things to know before you do the gears.
It also gives me a chance to mention this. ALWAYS do research on the parts you plan to put in your car. That way you know how to properly drive the car if the part requires a break in period, AND you know what signs or clues the car would give you if you ran to any trouble.
I think the best steps to modding these cars is this:
1.Handheld tuner with tunes
2.CAI if you did not buy it with the tuner
3. Gears
4. Maybe pulley or delete plates if you want a bit more power.
Or skip those and go to number 5.
5. This is where you go into what long term goals you want such as if you want to go with some cams, long tube headers, or maybe even a supercharger or turbo if you are really power hungry.