Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Today I started the preparing of the balance and camshaft belts replacements, when I discovered this:




There was no balancer shaft belt! The upper shaft one spins freely, no probs! The lower one is a different story! I was only able to spin it with a spanner, I assume the bearings are knackered
So, question is: Can I remove the lower balance shaft without removing the engine from the car?
I think I need to disassemble the whole lot, check the bearings and replace them - if not the whole shaft at all...

I'm pretty sure the engine mount and arm will have to come off as well but I think it's possible

I've heard people say it's possible, personally I'm not convinced and would take the engine out. I don't see how you can do a proper job with the limited access available while in situ.

Pete

Don't some engines run without BS bearings ? I'd be tempted to reinforce the oil pickup pipe and not worry about the balancer belt.

I disagree....if you want the engine to last you need the balance shaft belt....yes some racers remove the belt to gain a little extra power (approx 8bhp) but they will rebuild their engine on a regular basis whereas a car on the road wants to avoid such things. The belt does a wonderful job of balancing the piston side forces at the top of their stroke, this is critical for an engine with such a large bore.
There is a bearing shell iirc about 2/3rds back along the shaft, perhaps this is the problem although I have never heard of a balance shaft seizing up, however I guess it depends on servicing and which oil was used, when I changed mine they showed some wear but not much considering the mileage covered. It's also possible that there's a problem in the front housing too, whichever it is imho it's best to remove the engine, I don't say this lightly as it's a big job with many costs involved.

Pete

I agree but if the OP doesn't want to remove the engine at the moment or the BS cover is damaged he many not have much choice.

Been having a read around it is possible but you will need to hold the engine up and the car, cross member will need to be got out of the way

It may be possible physically but it won't be a proper job...one issue is that the flanges need to be totally clean before using the flange sealant, there is no gasket here, I wouldn't like to do this while under the car with very limited space to work with. If you don't seal it properly you'll be repeating the process all over again, not my idea of fun. I had leaks on both rear balance shaft seals for years on my car but waited until I needed to remove the engine before tackling said leaks permanently..

Pete

Did both mine in situ, used the correct sealant Locktite 574 new rear O rings