Clutched alternator pulley

[Old Mechanic]

They could save money by making the alternator the idler.

regards
Mech

[erice1984]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

My stuff seems to be doing fine w/o it...

As with many things and so many variables, some engines are okay and others have terrible problems. The crank bolt is also a torque-to-yield (aka stretch bolt) and should NOT be reused. A lot of people I would assume had problems because at one point in time removed or loosened the crank bolt and then reused it. OR drive "spirited" which I doubt many of the users on this forum do.

[Zerohour]

It does appear it was designed to help with shifting and sudden braking.

The internals of your alternator spin at the same rate as the motor, but when you shift the rpms drops can been in the range 2k-2.5K if you "racing" the motor. While its easy for the engine and trans to handle this situation, the alternator driven by belt cannot adapt to the load change. So some of the momentum in the rotating assembly is absorbed by the belt or into the electrical system. Thus shorting the life of the alternator and belts.