EMPI Laser Degree Pulley | Air-Cooled VW Type 1 | Stock Size, Hard-Anodized Black (33-1055-0)

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Regular price $109.99
Product details
  • Vendor EMPI
  • SKU 33-1055-0
  • Barcode 707924363173
  • Fits
    • All Years|VW|Beetle
    • All Years|VW|Super Beetle
    • All Years|VW|Bus
    • All Years|VW|Karmann Ghia
    • All Years|VW|Thing

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EMPI Laser Degree Pulley — Stock Size, Hard-Anodized Black | Air-Cooled VW Type 1 (33-1055-0)

EMPI's top-tier aluminum degree pulley: hard-anodized black for maximum durability, with the degree numbers and timing marks laser-engraved rather than painted or stamped. That is the whole point of this pulley — the marks do not wear off, fade, or disappear under oil film the way printed graduations on cheaper pulleys do. Three years in, you can still read your timing.

This is the stock installation version: standard size, standard grooved, and it goes on in place of your factory crank pulley with no case machining and no sand seal. If you want the sand seal for off-road or dusty conditions, that is a different part in the same family.

A degree pulley earns its keep the first time you set timing. Instead of one factory notch and a guess, you get a full graduated scale to read against the case seam — so you can check total advance with a timing light at RPM, verify your distributor's advance curve, and set initial timing precisely rather than approximately. On a built engine running a performance distributor, that difference is worth real horsepower and real detonation margin.

Vehicle Fitment

  • VW Beetle & Super Beetle: Type 1 upright engines
  • VW Karmann Ghia: Type 1 engines
  • VW Bus / Transporter (Type 2): Type 1 upright engines
  • VW Thing (Type 181): Type 1 engines
  • Dune buggy, Baja, sandrail & VW hot rod: Any Type 1-based build

Note: This is the stock-size, stock-installation pulley — no sand seal. It does not require case machining or a long bolt kit.

Key Features & Benefits

  • Laser-engraved degree marks: Cut into the metal, not printed on it. They will not wear off like the graduations on many competing pulleys.
  • Hard anodized black: A hard-anodized surface, not a decorative coating — it resists heat, oil, abrasion and belt wear far better than paint or standard anodizing.
  • Precision aluminum construction: Machined and balanced to run true, so the fan belt tracks straight and does not walk.
  • Real timing accuracy: A full degree scale lets you check total advance at RPM with a timing light instead of setting initial timing and hoping.
  • Direct stock replacement: Standard size, standard groove — fits where the factory pulley came off.

Technical Specifications

  • Part Number: 33-1055-0
  • Manufacturer: EMPI
  • Material: Aluminum
  • Finish: Hard-anodized black
  • Degree Marks: Laser engraved
  • Size: Stock / standard size, standard groove
  • Installation: Stock installation — no sand seal, no case machining required
  • Sold As: Each
  • UPC: 707924363173

Installation Tips

  • Check TDC against the pulley, not the box: Before trusting any degree pulley, bring No. 1 to true top dead center and confirm the pulley's zero mark lines up with the case seam. Correct any offset once, then use the scale with confidence.
  • Torque the crank bolt properly: The crank pulley bolt is a high-torque fastener. Use the correct spec and a clean, dry thread — a loose crank pulley destroys the crank snout.
  • Mark your working number: Many builders highlight their target total-advance figure with a paint pen so it jumps out under a strobe light.
  • Verify belt alignment: Confirm the crank pulley is in the same plane as the alternator/generator pulley before final assembly.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Does this pulley have a sand seal? No. 33-1055-0 is the stock-installation version — standard size, no sand seal, no case machining needed. EMPI offers separate sand seal degree pulleys for off-road builds.
  • Are the degree marks painted on? No — they are laser engraved into the aluminum, which is why they do not wear off like the printed marks on many other pulleys.
  • Why do I want a degree pulley at all? The factory pulley gives you a single notch. A degree pulley gives you a graduated scale, so you can check total advance at RPM with a timing light and verify your distributor's advance curve instead of guessing.
  • Is it the same size as my stock pulley? Yes — this is the stock/standard size with a standard belt groove, so fan belt length and cooling fan speed stay as the factory intended.
  • What finish is it? Hard-anodized black. Hard anodizing is a surface treatment of the aluminum itself, so it holds up to engine-bay heat, oil and belt wear far better than paint.
  • Is this a genuine EMPI part? Yes — Washburn's Metal is an authorized EMPI dealer, so this is a new genuine EMPI part, not a copy.

WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and reproductive harm. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov. All parts legal for use on pre-pollution controlled vehicles only.


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