Very unhappy customer (NST pulleys). [Archive] - Toyota Yaris Forums

Black_griffin6

08-21-2013, 04:34 PM

Hey everyone;

About a year ago I installed the Micro image lightweight crank pulley, and the NST waterpump and alternator pulleys.
Well a few months ago I noticed a clicking noise from my engine bay, it didn't happen all the time and I thought it was just a loose bolt from the exhaust after I redid my header.
Recently the clicking/tick noise became so loud I HAD to check it out.
First I thought it was the belt, as it was coming from that area and the noise got faster when I rev the engine.
I knew it wasn't a valve because I checked the engine out with the mechanic's stethoscope.

Turns out it was my water pump pulley. It had actually cracked all the way through the metal in more then 3 places and was causing it to vibrate and shake violently, making a terrible clicking and tapping noise.

I know NST is no longer a vendor here, so i'm wondering if anyone knows if there is a warranty on this kind of thing? And what is a good way of getting in contact with NST? I've looked on their website and haven't found much in terms of customer service.

Out of all my things i've ever bought, this has to be the only thing that's ever failed on me yet.
I'm happy to report the MI pulley is doing great though. :biggrin:
So i'm still running the MI pulley and the NST Alt. pulley, but i've put the stock WP pulley back on and it's been doing great ever since.

Will post pics of the pulley later.

UPDATE: 8/24/2013 Pictures now here: http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showpost.php?p=711639&postcount=3
I also have sent NST an email, haven't heard back yet, but will keep you guys posted.

cali yaris

08-21-2013, 05:00 PM

glad the crank pulley is working good. I don't think the water pump pulley swap makes any difference, except for looks.

Did you call NST? keep us posted. and yes -- PICS

PHONE... 281-917-0221
Monday - Friday 12pm - 6pm CST

E-MAIL... info@NonStopTuning.com

Black_griffin6

08-24-2013, 04:48 PM

These are the pictures of the WP Pulley.
WARNING: These pictures are very large to show detail, if you have a slow internet connection, you may experience a lot of lag.

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/495/qcg7.jpg

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/3816/xehk.jpg

http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/489/diws.jpg

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/4701/htk2.jpg

cali yaris

08-24-2013, 05:03 PM

great pics.

Did you call NST?

Black_griffin6

08-24-2013, 05:10 PM

Not yet.
I've sent them an email with the pictures. I'll wait a little bit to see if I hear back from them. If not i'll give them a call.

I appreciate your help Garm. :3

Bluevitz-rs

08-24-2013, 11:36 PM

GeeZ, how did it not just fall apart is beyond me!

Black_griffin6

08-27-2013, 07:45 AM

GeeZ, how did it not just fall apart is beyond me!
I know. I keep looking at it and i'm wondering how it is still intact, it's cracked all the way through in several places.

I just heard back from NST in an email. They said it is NOT covered under warranty, and that it is caused from the bolts being over torqued.
They want me to email them back with my phone number and call about a replacement, not sure if I want a replacement though. This has really kind of put me off from their WP pulley. :\

What really annoyed me about their email was they said they have seen this before and they never sent a warning out to anyone "Hey, don't over torque the bolts (or whatever they found that caused the problem) because this can happen." Because if I left it on there it would have probably shattered while I was driving and left me stranded somewhere with a broken WP pulley, and I can't drive like that.

Bluevitz-rs

08-27-2013, 09:09 AM

Did they send torque specs with the pulley set?

Black_griffin6

08-27-2013, 09:14 AM

No, they just said it was caused from over torquing.
I even put it on with hand tools and wrenches, I didn't think it would be so tight that it would damage it.

I would just copy and paste the email, but I can't access it at work. I'll have to post it later tonight.

Bluevitz-rs

08-27-2013, 10:29 AM

Then how were you supposed to know what torque value to use?

cali yaris

08-27-2013, 11:19 AM

I sell a lot of parts, and very few ever include torque settings, *especially" parts that re-use stock bolts, etc. You're supposed to look them up.

I'm not saying it's right not to include those numbers, and I'm not suggesting that's the cause of the failure here.
I'm saying the vast majority of companies don't do it.

ilikerice

08-27-2013, 11:28 AM

Torque value is usually based on the bolt to insure it doesn't stretch if over tightened, or threads get pulled apart.

Like Garm said, you are suppose to use what the torque required from a yaris repair manual.

Also, I don't think its a torque issue either. If it was over torqued, I think the bolts would have broken before the pulley would have.

My NST water pump pulley got damaged also. My issue was the belt was wearing out the pulley causing very deep grooves eventually causing it to squeel. I went ahead and took it off and put the stock one back on. I will try to get some pics later if I remember when I get home.

Black_griffin6

08-27-2013, 12:32 PM

My theory is that the NST pulley is not balanced properly, which causes it to slightly vibrate and move when it turns.
The vibration although not severe at first causes it to break over time, especially if you do any spirited driving.
I could be wrong, but maybe that's what happened.

@ilikerice: How come you didn't say anything before? Maybe I just missed your thread in which you talked about it. XD
I'm glad i'm not the only one with a problem with the WP pulley.
I do know that NST had said not to post any negative comments on forums or social media, ect. They probably don't want a bad reputation.
However, if they sold me a solid product, there would be no need to tell me that kind of thing. >______>

tooter

09-08-2013, 04:48 PM

cali yaris

09-09-2013, 01:02 AM

^ Isn't the stock water pump pulley is also a solid unit?

shinlee

09-09-2013, 02:51 AM

I've got 50,000 miles on my Aluminium NST (blue!) Water, Alternator, and Crank pullies. They are actually the only parts I've kept on my yaris when I parted out the rest of my bolt ons, just because they are simply phenominal.

tooter

09-09-2013, 11:40 AM

^ Isn't the stock water pump pulley is also a solid unit?

Yes... and it's protected from crank vibration because it's being driven by the damped stock pulley on the crank. For that matter, the alternator pulley is also, although it has a relatively small rotating mass.

cali yaris

09-09-2013, 12:53 PM

^ You think that vibration, transferred by a rubber belt, broke a water pump pulley?

That is extremely unlikely. It's more likely that it would compromise the water pump's bearings first -- IF that were happening at all.

We know the OP didn't use a torque wrench; so we'll never know the exact cause of the failure. We can armchair discuss it forever, but with that fact the cause will never be certain.

tooter

09-09-2013, 03:04 PM

^ You think that vibration, transferred by a rubber belt, broke a water pump pulley?

No. I only know that solid undamped crank pulleys vibrate. What happens after that is anyone's guess.

Astroman

09-10-2013, 01:15 AM

I wanted to update that now my Yaris has a cracked NST water pump! I put mine on more than 90k miles ago and my car has been unused for the past 9 months. After a rough start and replacing a dead battery and what I thought was a bad thermostat I noticed that after a few hundred feet my water temps were so high I threw a CEL and my hot light came on. After hearing clacking I looked thinking of this thread and sure enough in one spot it's cracked! Not happy with NST and I KNOW FOR A FACT MINE WASN'T OVER-TORQUED because I've had it problem free for 90k miles!

B2FiNiTY

09-10-2013, 01:31 AM

sounds like it simply wore out.

90k miles is pretty good usage for an aftermarket part if you ask me.

cali yaris

09-10-2013, 01:33 AM

I think their "hard anodizing" may have weakened the metal or made it brittle. It's pretty thin where is bolts to the motor.

tooter

09-10-2013, 01:46 AM

Bluevitz-rs

09-10-2013, 08:18 AM

Sounds like they designed it too thin or didn't machine it right.

Astroman

09-10-2013, 01:47 PM

Are you running the stock crank pulley?

I'm running the full NST-lite pulley set problem free until yesterday. The wp pulley had a wear groove of about 1/16" and I wouldn't have known it was cracked if I hadn't been having overheating issues. My overheating turned out to be no coolant in the radiator.

Bluevitz-rs

09-10-2013, 04:54 PM

Where'd the coolant go?

weedtank

09-10-2013, 07:40 PM

We all know the moral of the story here..

Black_griffin6

09-11-2013, 02:50 PM

I'm very surprised at the responses this thread has gotten.
I think i'm more surprised I haven't heard of this happening before.
Definitely sounds like a design flaw in NST's pulley's, something is making them brittle and weak.
I was going to try and get another one from NST, but since everyone else seems to be having the same responses...it might be best to stick to OEM.

goliath1812

09-11-2013, 03:23 PM

makes me want to check my w/p pulley.....i hope it's ok! it's been on for quite some time.

Terrorize

12-29-2013, 12:15 AM

I had a similar experience in that there was a lot of belt squealing and vibration....and then the belt eventually snapped. Turns out it was the NST WP pulley as well...after reading the problems you had I was going to switch back to OEM and this happened. :mad:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1502441_10153632243880463_501523124_o.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1502441_10153632243885463_1297674383_o.jpg

tooter

12-29-2013, 03:41 PM

I had a similar experience in that there was a lot of belt squealing and vibration....and then the belt eventually snapped. Turns out it was the NST WP pulley as well...after reading the problems you had I was going to switch back to OEM and this happened. :mad:

Sorry to hear that, Terror... This is why I like the stock crank pulley because it damps crank vibrations.

Greg

Bluevitz-rs

12-29-2013, 03:57 PM

I've been running my Perrin crank pulley for 8 years and have 140000 km on it with absolutely no issues. I've seen the stock pulleys fail too where the rubber rots and the outer part falls off, so six of one half dozen of the other.

tooter

12-30-2013, 01:56 AM

Fair enough, Blue. There will always be different opinions drawn from each of our own personal experiences.

Greg

TOLMACH

12-30-2013, 11:39 PM

^ (pics above)

Wow ((

JimKellyfan

01-02-2014, 07:31 PM

I have heard too many downs and not enough ups for any pulley changing. Stock for me.

cali yaris

01-02-2014, 10:16 PM

I have heard too many downs and not enough ups for any pulley changing. Stock for me.

I don't think any downs from our Micro Image crank pulley. I'd like to keep our product separate in terms of reviews, unless someone has broken one of ours -- then I want to hear about it. Lumping all the crank pulley options together doesn't fit the evidence, in my opinion.

fnkngrv

01-03-2014, 10:14 AM

I don't think any downs from our Micro Image crank pulley. I'd like to keep our product separate in terms of reviews, unless someone has broken one of ours -- then I want to hear about it. Lumping all the crank pulley options together doesn't fit the evidence, in my opinion.

Exactly. Just because different vendors make the same product doesn't mean they should all be praised or scorned in the same way. That would be bad form.

jpmck03

01-03-2014, 01:17 PM

I don't think any downs from our Micro Image crank pulley. I'd like to keep our product separate in terms of reviews, unless someone has broken one of ours -- then I want to hear about it. Lumping all the crank pulley options together doesn't fit the evidence, in my opinion.

Very true.

Also, I don't think that I'd ever hear, "uh, you overtightened the bolt that holds on your pulley, not our problem..." from MI.

That a.) sounds like a load of BS, b.) is a prime example of mediocre customer service, and c.) something you'd probably never have to deal with with a MI pulley.

cali yaris

01-03-2014, 02:57 PM

^ Unless you did overtighten it. :laugh:

TOLMACH

01-03-2014, 08:49 PM

^ That does not seem funny

Sorry

CrankyOldMan

05-06-2015, 08:07 PM

Well, put me in line for the NST failed crank pulley team. Sheared off the hub itself and spun around a few times. Good thing the lock pin fell out and wasn't stuck in the hole. Back to OEM I go...

xnamerxx

05-07-2015, 05:28 PM

I might have a MI crank pulley for sale pretty soon.

CrankyOldMan

05-07-2015, 05:51 PM

Word. PM me if it's available.

invader166

05-08-2015, 01:55 PM

Wow. And here I was actually considering to buy a set of pulleys from them. Boy has my opinion of them changed.

CrankyOldMan

05-08-2015, 02:45 PM

Wow. And here I was actually considering to buy a set of pulleys from them. Boy has my opinion of them changed.

Keep in mind that I've had mine on for about 3 years, have had a Blitz supercharger for the last 2 years, and drive it like I stole it all day every day. I don't do hard launches on green lights, but I accelerate with a sense of urgency and also autoX regularly. I'm still satisfied with the purchase, just wanted to chime in and share the failure mode of the product.

nookandcrannycar

05-08-2015, 03:00 PM

fnkngrv

05-08-2015, 03:01 PM

Keep in mind that I've had mine on for about 3 years, have had a Blitz supercharger for the last 2 years, and drive it like I stole it all day every day. I don't do hard launches on green lights, but I accelerate with a sense of urgency and also autoX regularly. I'm still satisfied with the purchase, just wanted to chime in and share the failure mode of the product.
See this is critical. Everyone expects things to last forever when it comes to anything Totoya which includes aftermarket bolt-ons. It all hinges how you take care of it. Cae in point is boosting a stock 1nz. You can run 6psi for YEARS and YEARS. this will net you roughly 150-160whp. This level of performance in this chassis is very fun yet stable. Start going up to 8psi+ and that longevity begins to pull back. You could go 25k miles or even 75k miles or more depending on how you maintain and treat the system. A pulley is made with certain alloys for certain tolerances. If you use it hard then the lifespan is shortened. You make a calculated risk. These statements I make here are general and in no way supporting anything. Just plain facts.

fnkngrv

05-08-2015, 03:02 PM

I remember from a past thread that they are located somewhere near me in Texas, but I've thought it is quite odd that their website only provides e-mail as a means of contact...no mailing address, no physical address, and no phone number.
Mike has a small shop which generally focuses on racing events so his availability is somewhat limited. I will give him that.

nookandcrannycar

05-08-2015, 03:55 PM

Mike has a small shop which generally focuses on racing events so his availability is somewhat limited. I will give him that.

:thumbsup:

WeeYari

05-08-2015, 04:10 PM

Wow. And here I was actually considering to buy a set of pulleys from them. Boy has my opinion of them changed.

My NST Underdrive pulley has been on since Sept '09 clocking 149,000 kms. Short of getting down in there and taking x-rays of it, I'd have to say it is still sound.

fnkngrv

05-08-2015, 04:12 PM

My NST Underdrive pulley has been on since Sept '09 clocking 149,000 kms. Short of getting down in there and taking x-rays of it, I'd have to say it is still sound.
My old one has been in service since july 08.

CrankyOldMan

05-08-2015, 05:34 PM

It failed at WOT, pretty close to redline. Can't say that I wasn't demanding an awful lot of it. :biggrin:

invader166

05-08-2015, 06:02 PM

See this is critical. Everyone expects things to last forever when it comes to anything Totoya which includes aftermarket bolt-ons. It all hinges how you take care of it.

That's exactly it! I'm without a dought guilty of believing that. I'm sure there's more people out there that think the same way, because "hey, i'm replacing part xxx with an aftermarket bolt-on, surely it must be better, because (in some cases) it costs more than the original".
You're absolutly right! Aftermarket manufacturers do offen have different tolerances and standards than the original manufacturer and it really is unfair to try and compare the 2.

Ultimatly it's up to each of us to decide if we want the extra risk.

invader166

08-25-2015, 10:07 AM

Wow. And here I was actually considering to buy a set of pulleys from them. Boy has my opinion of them changed.

Man do I feel like a total hypocrite right now.

After some deliberation, I decided to jump on the lightweight pulley wagon.
Here's the new water pump pulley that I received from NST. It's a bit different than the older style, and it closely resembles the OEM pulley.

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k137/invader166/Mobile%20Uploads/1440479480926_zpsv2lv01nz.jpg

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k137/invader166/Mobile%20Uploads/1440479527200_zpsjjjugf7l.jpg

I also took the liberty of weighing it:

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k137/invader166/Mobile%20Uploads/1440479581809_zpswg1lxv4s.jpg

Bluevitz-rs

08-25-2015, 07:01 PM

What's the stock pulley weigh in comparison.

Sent from my iPod Touch

invader166

08-26-2015, 01:07 AM

What's the stock pulley weigh in comparison.

I believe it's 14 oz. Not 100% sure though...

Edit: Swapped pulleys today and measured the OEM one. It's 12 oz.

why?

08-30-2015, 06:01 PM

Crap happens. I drive like someone who wants to get good gas mileage, and I've had the 3 piece set in for over 5 years and probably 50,000 miles and they've been great. This includes new england winters, me not ever washing anything because I really don't care and some occasional enthusiastic driving.

Thankfully none of these issues damaged anything besides the pulley's.