If you take the fan off that pulley just acts as an idler, doesn't really hurt anything unless the bearing is bad and you don't want to replace it or you're going for 'took the back seat out of my mom's civic' level weight reduction (and most of us put ridiculous bumpers on these things so it's kind of moot, though if I end up throwing this FE in a Miata like I've planned it'll be the first thing to go). Doesn't really matter but if I ever go back to a clutch fan the pulley is still there waiting for me.