The MI LW Pulley "Not a Big 'Car Guy'" Review - Toyota Yaris Forums

jpmck03 · 06-30-2012, 10:41 PM

Intro

This is my review of the new MicroImage Light Weight Crank Pulley, which is in the same vein as my previous review of the MI SSK. Long story short, I'm still a "noob" when it comes to cars and mods, but I'm learning.

__________________________________________________

The Install

For this install I decided to go over to my buddy's house and borrow both him and his more extensive selection of tools from his garage. It was also a big help having someone else there to lend a hand and to hold things in place when need be. I'm sure that I could have easily done this install by myself, and I'm far from mechanically inclined.

Compared to my last install (the MI SSK last year) this one is very straight forward and you've got a lot of room to move around and get tools to where you need them. I mean all there is to do is:
jack up the car and remove the passenger-side wheel,

remove the plastic wheel liner,

loosen two alternator bolts and move the alternator,

take the belt off of the crank pulley,

remove and replace the crank pulley, and

put everything back together in reverse order.

The best part about it: I managed to pull off the whole install with just hand tools!

__________________________________________________

The Ride Back

I had read that that first rev you take after installing it will be awesome, and let me tell you it is. Personally, I think that you can definitely tell that some power has been freed up for the engine to transfer to the wheels instead of that heavy OEM pulley (on a side note, the difference in weight between the OEM pulley and the MI pulley is night and day!).

Acceleration seems to be improved a bit, and it feels like a pretty decent power increase for being such a simple bolt on mod. Floored it, and it seemed like the engine had a little bit more to give when getting up to speed. Another thing I noticed was that the revs seemed to "float" a little bit while shifting, instead of dropping like they did before, which I definitely like!

Also on my ride back home I kept it at my usual steady 65 on the interstate and saw that I could maintain that speed at around 2800-2900 RPM instead of 3000-3100 RPM. Hopefully this translates to a couple extra miles per gallon on my commute to work/school!

__________________________________________________

Overall

Overall, I'd have to say that this is one of the "must have" mods for anyone that's starting out with modding the Yaris, or is moving from cosmetic mods to ones under the hood. The install is relatively easy, and the payoff in performance (according to my posterior dynamometer) is pretty noticeable.

9/10 Driving Smiley Guys!

cali yaris · 06-30-2012, 11:55 PM

Thanks, wow 9/10 that's good.

We should post the torque spec for the crank pulley bolt, but I can't recall it off the top of my head. It's VERY tight, maybe 96 ft/lbs?

jpmck03 · 07-01-2012, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cali yaris

Thanks, wow 9/10 that's good.

We should post the torque spec for the crank pulley bolt, but I can't recall it off the top of my head. It's VERY tight, maybe 96 ft/lbs?

Install was easier than the SSK. Now that install was a tight squeeze! This was a walk in the park in comparison.

I'm 99% sure that it's 96 ft-lbs. Right now it's on "as tight as we could get the damn thing without breaking our arms" ft-lbs. Going to get my last "cover my ass" oil change at a shop this week as the 3 year warranty on the car is about to end, so I'll have them check it while it's on the lift.

Golddeenoh · 07-01-2012, 12:41 AM

I think when I was looking it up I found that the bolt was listed at 95ft-lbs. Mine seemed to be way lower than that when I took it off, but when I put it on I went somewhere just north of 90ft-lbs before the rope i had tied between the control arm and the pulley broke. but if you find something else that says the bolt should be something else please post it

jpmck03 · 07-01-2012, 12:59 AM

^ Ha, we used 550 cord looped between the pulley and the control arm too! Mine also seemed like it was a lot less than what it should have been. One decent tug on the breaker bar and it broke free.

auxmike · 07-01-2012, 03:04 PM

Wow, I thought it was really hard to break that bolt free, interesting.....
How much is the pully and what's it made of?

jpmck03 · 07-01-2012, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by auxmike

Wow, I thought it was really hard to break that bolt free, interesting.....

Either I'm very strong (which I'm not) or I got lucky and it came off easily (I think that's closer to the truth).

Quote:

Originally Posted by auxmike

... How much is the pully and what's it made of?

Right now it's on sale for $139 over on MicroImage. Don't know how long that price is good for... maybe Garm'll chime in and let you know.

It's made out of aluminum and the OEM one is made of steel.

matthewai · 07-02-2012, 10:52 AM

hey do you think this would be a good mod for a/t or does it make more of a difference on m/t ?

jpmck03 · 07-02-2012, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matthewai

hey do you think this would be a good mod for a/t or does it make more of a difference on m/t ?

I think it doesn't make a difference, as the transmission isn't really mated to the crank pulley or any of the accessory pulleys.

Should be good on an auto as well.

cali yaris · 07-02-2012, 12:45 PM

We are currently still running the "introductory" price of $139 shipped:

http://shop.microimageonline.com/MI-...LWCP-Yaris.htm

why? · 07-02-2012, 06:35 PM

it is a good mod for everyone. No reason for the stock one to be so bloated. Light weight one makes the car feel better.

jpmck03 · 07-02-2012, 07:15 PM

I've found out that it's really noticeable on those hills where you're going, "Ah, this hill sucks, it's lugging in 2nd gear, but I'm going to fast for 1st..."

Definitely a nice boost in power when you need it the most.

Crazy Butcher · 07-05-2012, 07:57 AM

I cant wait to receive mine, im anxious to see what It'll do.

drunix · 07-12-2012, 04:02 AM

It took about 90 minutes to install, started at 10pm and was out for a test drive before midnight. The drive was 5 minutes (low fuel warning blinking ominously), mostly to see if anything was going to fall off.

According to my kitchen scale the MI pulley is 12 ounces and according to my bathroom scale the stock Toyota pulley is about 48 ounces.

I will be driving 250 miles on Friday, hilly coastal roads. I will write another note on impressions when I get back. I think this is a good comparison test as I did the same drive last Sunday.

I am still not used to working under a car that's not constantly filthy. My MGA gave itself continuous rust inhibiting undercoat treatments.

Brian

Golddeenoh · 07-12-2012, 12:31 PM

did you torque it down to 95ft-lbs, that is the factory suggested torque for the pulley bolt

cali yaris · 07-12-2012, 01:01 PM

thanks for the post, looking forward to your review. good point about the MGB, I have a Datsun Roadster that was like that until I fixed the "last" leak.

drunix · 07-12-2012, 11:36 PM

Yes. I have a 1/2 drive torque wrench.

I used the rope to the control arm trick mentioned earlier in this thread to break it loose. That did not work for taking it up to 95 ft-lbs for installation, the rope is too stretchy to get a reading on the wrench.

To keep the engine from turning I stuck a socket extension through one of the holes in the pulley, braced it against the block and held it with the other hand.

As other people mentioned, I don't think it was torqued up that high originally; I'd guess the factory installed it with about 50-60 ft-lbs.

This is the first car I have owned with an automatic, I am used to simply putting it in gear and blocking the wheels to keep the engine from turning.

It's a pretty part, too bad no one will ever see it.

auxmike · 07-12-2012, 11:42 PM

Can the MI pulley handle road salt like we see lots of in the NE?

06-30-2012, 10:41 PM	#1
jpmck03 View User's Garage Drives: 2018 Volkswagen GTI Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: PA Posts: 893	The MI LW Pulley "Not a Big 'Car Guy'" Review Intro This is my review of the new MicroImage Light Weight Crank Pulley, which is in the same vein as my previous review of the MI SSK. Long story short, I'm still a "noob" when it comes to cars and mods, but I'm learning. __________________________________________________ The Install For this install I decided to go over to my buddy's house and borrow both him and his more extensive selection of tools from his garage. It was also a big help having someone else there to lend a hand and to hold things in place when need be. I'm sure that I could have easily done this install by myself, and I'm far from mechanically inclined. Compared to my last install (the MI SSK last year) this one is very straight forward and you've got a lot of room to move around and get tools to where you need them. I mean all there is to do is: jack up the car and remove the passenger-side wheel, remove the plastic wheel liner, loosen two alternator bolts and move the alternator, take the belt off of the crank pulley, remove and replace the crank pulley, and put everything back together in reverse order. The best part about it: I managed to pull off the whole install with just hand tools! __________________________________________________ The Ride Back I had read that that first rev you take after installing it will be awesome, and let me tell you it is. Personally, I think that you can definitely tell that some power has been freed up for the engine to transfer to the wheels instead of that heavy OEM pulley (on a side note, the difference in weight between the OEM pulley and the MI pulley is night and day!). Acceleration seems to be improved a bit, and it feels like a pretty decent power increase for being such a simple bolt on mod. Floored it, and it seemed like the engine had a little bit more to give when getting up to speed. Another thing I noticed was that the revs seemed to "float" a little bit while shifting, instead of dropping like they did before, which I definitely like! Also on my ride back home I kept it at my usual steady 65 on the interstate and saw that I could maintain that speed at around 2800-2900 RPM instead of 3000-3100 RPM. Hopefully this translates to a couple extra miles per gallon on my commute to work/school! __________________________________________________ Overall Overall, I'd have to say that this is one of the "must have" mods for anyone that's starting out with modding the Yaris, or is moving from cosmetic mods to ones under the hood. The install is relatively easy, and the payoff in performance (according to my posterior dynamometer) is pretty noticeable. 9/10 Driving Smiley Guys! __________________ my {(retired) ride} - {mi ssk: review, diy} - {mi lw cp: review, diy} - {foglight install} - {painted emblem: experiment, diy}

06-30-2012, 11:55 PM	#2
cali yaris ULTIMATE View User's Garage Drives: 07 Yaris Turbo Join Date: May 2007 Location: Canoga Park, CA Posts: 14,859	Thanks, wow 9/10 that's good. We should post the torque spec for the crank pulley bolt, but I can't recall it off the top of my head. It's VERY tight, maybe 96 ft/lbs? __________________ Micro Image forums, online store and shop are now closed. It was a great eight year run, but it was time to focus on other things. I'm still selling parts on eBay under micro*image seller ID and customers can still make requests for anything specific.

07-01-2012, 12:41 AM	#4
Golddeenoh Takes corners too fast! View User's Garage Drives: Absolute Red 2009 Yaris HB Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Columbia, SC Posts: 830	I think when I was looking it up I found that the bolt was listed at 95ft-lbs. Mine seemed to be way lower than that when I took it off, but when I put it on I went somewhere just north of 90ft-lbs before the rope i had tied between the control arm and the pulley broke. but if you find something else that says the bolt should be something else please post it __________________ mods:15''Drag DR21 w/Nitto NeoGen 205/50R15, Tanabe DF210 lowering springs 1.6/1.8, TRD Rear Sway Bar, Tanabe Front Sway Bar, Micro Image Short Throw Shift Kit (both in and under), 8.64lbs flywheel, F1 Stage 4 Clutch, AEM Cold Air Intake (Red), Megan Racing Header, DC Sports Axle Back Exhaust, Micro Image Crank Pulley, NST lite Alternator Pulley, ARP Manifold Stud Kit,Tanabe Front Strut Tower Brace, ScanGuage II, Micro Image Silicone Radiator Hose Kit (Red), NRG Carbon Fiber Shift Knob (round), 2009-2011 Toyota Yaris Liftback Foglight kit, NRG Grounding Kit (Red), Hella Horns(Red),CF Hood

07-01-2012, 12:59 AM	#5
jpmck03 View User's Garage Drives: 2018 Volkswagen GTI Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: PA Posts: 893	^ Ha, we used 550 cord looped between the pulley and the control arm too! Mine also seemed like it was a lot less than what it should have been. One decent tug on the breaker bar and it broke free. __________________ my {(retired) ride} - {mi ssk: review, diy} - {mi lw cp: review, diy} - {foglight install} - {painted emblem: experiment, diy}

07-01-2012, 03:04 PM	#6
auxmike Drives: 2008 HB, A/T, Power W/L/M Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: LI, New Yawk Posts: 2,063	Wow, I thought it was really hard to break that bolt free, interesting..... How much is the pully and what's it made of? __________________ Never take eyes off opponent - Bruce Lee

07-02-2012, 10:52 AM	#8
matthewai Drives: it is kinda stock Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: united states Posts: 1,258	hey do you think this would be a good mod for a/t or does it make more of a difference on m/t ? __________________

07-02-2012, 12:45 PM	#10
cali yaris ULTIMATE View User's Garage Drives: 07 Yaris Turbo Join Date: May 2007 Location: Canoga Park, CA Posts: 14,859	We are currently still running the "introductory" price of $139 shipped: http://shop.microimageonline.com/MI-...LWCP-Yaris.htm __________________ Micro Image forums, online store and shop are now closed. It was a great eight year run, but it was time to focus on other things. I'm still selling parts on eBay under micro*image seller ID and customers can still make requests for anything specific.

07-02-2012, 06:35 PM	#11
why? Only Happy When it Rains View User's Garage Drives: Yaris LB Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: harnett county NC Posts: 4,097	it is a good mod for everyone. No reason for the stock one to be so bloated. Light weight one makes the car feel better. __________________ Colin Chapman disciple

07-02-2012, 07:15 PM	#12
jpmck03 View User's Garage Drives: 2018 Volkswagen GTI Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: PA Posts: 893	I've found out that it's really noticeable on those hills where you're going, "Ah, this hill sucks, it's lugging in 2nd gear, but I'm going to fast for 1st..." Definitely a nice boost in power when you need it the most. __________________ my {(retired) ride} - {mi ssk: review, diy} - {mi lw cp: review, diy} - {foglight install} - {painted emblem: experiment, diy}

07-05-2012, 07:57 AM	#13
Crazy Butcher Drives: Yaris 2008 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: EmptyHell(mtl) Posts: 43	I cant wait to receive mine, im anxious to see what It'll do.

07-12-2012, 12:31 PM	#15
Golddeenoh Takes corners too fast! View User's Garage Drives: Absolute Red 2009 Yaris HB Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Columbia, SC Posts: 830	did you torque it down to 95ft-lbs, that is the factory suggested torque for the pulley bolt __________________ mods:15''Drag DR21 w/Nitto NeoGen 205/50R15, Tanabe DF210 lowering springs 1.6/1.8, TRD Rear Sway Bar, Tanabe Front Sway Bar, Micro Image Short Throw Shift Kit (both in and under), 8.64lbs flywheel, F1 Stage 4 Clutch, AEM Cold Air Intake (Red), Megan Racing Header, DC Sports Axle Back Exhaust, Micro Image Crank Pulley, NST lite Alternator Pulley, ARP Manifold Stud Kit,Tanabe Front Strut Tower Brace, ScanGuage II, Micro Image Silicone Radiator Hose Kit (Red), NRG Carbon Fiber Shift Knob (round), 2009-2011 Toyota Yaris Liftback Foglight kit, NRG Grounding Kit (Red), Hella Horns(Red),CF Hood

07-12-2012, 01:01 PM	#16
cali yaris ULTIMATE View User's Garage Drives: 07 Yaris Turbo Join Date: May 2007 Location: Canoga Park, CA Posts: 14,859	thanks for the post, looking forward to your review. good point about the MGB, I have a Datsun Roadster that was like that until I fixed the "last" leak. __________________ Micro Image forums, online store and shop are now closed. It was a great eight year run, but it was time to focus on other things. I'm still selling parts on eBay under micro*image seller ID and customers can still make requests for anything specific.

07-12-2012, 11:36 PM	#17
drunix Drives: 2010 Yaris 3D LB Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Astoria, Oregon Posts: 12	Torque Yes. I have a 1/2 drive torque wrench. I used the rope to the control arm trick mentioned earlier in this thread to break it loose. That did not work for taking it up to 95 ft-lbs for installation, the rope is too stretchy to get a reading on the wrench. To keep the engine from turning I stuck a socket extension through one of the holes in the pulley, braced it against the block and held it with the other hand. As other people mentioned, I don't think it was torqued up that high originally; I'd guess the factory installed it with about 50-60 ft-lbs. This is the first car I have owned with an automatic, I am used to simply putting it in gear and blocking the wheels to keep the engine from turning. It's a pretty part, too bad no one will ever see it.

07-12-2012, 11:42 PM	#18
auxmike Drives: 2008 HB, A/T, Power W/L/M Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: LI, New Yawk Posts: 2,063	Can the MI pulley handle road salt like we see lots of in the NE? __________________ Never take eyes off opponent - Bruce Lee

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