[Kracka]

My other thought is, can the little stock pulley with a rubber ring really do much good at absorbing vibrations when there is the much larger and solid flywheel at the other end of the crank?

I've also read about the vibrations potentially damaging the oil pump, but, does the stock damper even affect the oil pump since that's driven off the timing belt and not accessory belt?

Maybe I'm just confused as to what vibrations the dampened pulley is actually absorbing that couldn't otherwise be absorbed by the rubber belt and tensioner. How exactly is it able to protect the engine bearings from vibrations?