Joined
·
155 Posts
My alternator finally gave up, killed by a bad battery at 210,000 miles. The rebuild shop had one of the clutched versions ready to go on the shelf, so I decided to give it a try. These were stock only on the SVTs built after 4/2004. The alternator itself is the same, the only difference is the switch from a 48mm solid pulley to a 60mm clutched pulley. That is a 25% reduction in alternator speed. Idle is smoother, but the most noticeable difference was a big reduction in rev hang that the SVT is known for.
Pros:
smoother and quieter idle
supposedly less stress on all serpentine components
25% underdrive should let the engine rev a little quicker
clutch lets the revs drop faster while the alternator freewheels
Cons:
cost $50 more
a longer belt is needed (I needed one anyway)
a possible failure point, although you can replace a clutch without removing the alternator from the car
Pros:
smoother and quieter idle
supposedly less stress on all serpentine components
25% underdrive should let the engine rev a little quicker
clutch lets the revs drop faster while the alternator freewheels
Cons:
cost $50 more
a longer belt is needed (I needed one anyway)
a possible failure point, although you can replace a clutch without removing the alternator from the car