BS removal questions.

[gvr4ever]

I stopped taking the t-belt off because I wanted to crack the front BS sprocket bolt free. Only, even with the t-belt on and holding the crank still, the bolts is so tight, it sounds like I could break the t-b (front BS) belt. I guess I just have to go for it, but it sounds bad.

The vfaq BS removal covers removing the front BS, but not so much keeping it in. I told JNZ that I was keeping the front one in and they sent me the plug and spacer gasket anyway. Do you guys just leave the sprocket on without a belt or what? Also, the pictures are kind of hard to see everything, but the text sounds like the front BS sprocket is in the way of the oil pump housing coming off. Is this correct?

 

[grocery_getter]

Take the bolt off and take the sprocket off . Leave the balance shaft in place. Pull your front case. After you are done with the front case install, put the sprocket back on that balance shaft and put the bolt back in.

 

[Kenny_Kline]

Leave it to JNZ to sending the WRONG PARTS AGAIN! The quality of there service has taken a nose dive and I dont see it ever getting any better.

You have to take the front case off. You have to install the sprocket on the front shaft. The guy above me covered it all though. Goodluck

 

[turbowop]

Doesn't sound like they sent the wrong parts, just a couple of extra.

 

[jepherz]

Do you have access to an impact? You may have to drop out subframes, but I just did mine last week and was able to get one on that bolt. I know what you're talking about...

I'm also curious, the bearing on the rear balance shaft has no hole in it. I'm wondering if it has the same dimensions as either of the front balance shaft bearings. If it does, I don't get why nobody uses that bearing instead so they don't have to worry about the hole?

 

[gvr4ever]

Okay, got that front BS sprocket bolt loose. I am stuck at a most embarrassing spot. I can't line up the grenade pin hole on the auto tensioner for the life of me. Water pump, auto tensioner, all pulleys only have 20K miles on them, so I only bought a new t-belt. I'm going to reuse everything else this time.

Any trick to getting the holes to line up? With a mirror and light, I can't even see the hole on the auto tensioner piston. It's just a guessing game at this point.

 

[Barnes]

IMO, if you can't get the pin in. Would be to take it off, rotate the piston so the hole is the right way, then ever so slowly compress it in a vice or big clamp. Make sure to pad the piston so it doesn't get messed up. Put the grenade pin back in. THEN reinstall the tensioner, then tighten the t-belt to what feels like is right(not too tight, not too lose, idea is to get the tensioner to relax ever so slightly after it has sat for a bit). Take the pin out, rotate 6 times, let sit for 10-15mins, then check the tensioner to tensioner arm clearance.

 

[gvr4ever]

Okay, I'm getting down to it. Just wanted to ask something. The vfaq says to leave the rear BS bearing in. Assuming that it's not already damaged, can this thing ever vibrate out?

 

[jepherz]

No, there is no way one of those could ever vibrate out unless it has already been spun. No need to worry about it.

 

[gvr4ever]

Update to the vfaq. The alternator needs to be removed and the engine needs to be lowered to get the rear (oil pump) BS out. Not sure how you guys do it. I removed the t-belt, put the engine mount back, then removed the oil pan. Now, the engine needs to be lowered again because the rear BS is stuck. Can't clear the body. No big deal, but I wasn't expecting that.

 

[gvr4ever]

Okay, it's going. I got the stubby installed, used blue and red loktight and torqued like the vfaq said too. Then, I started removing the old oil housing gasket. I thought I found a corner that would get a good start, but of course it just tore. I've been working at it for awhile with a gasket scraper, but dang. I thought I'd get a good start on putting things back together, but this damn *&^^%^ing POS gasket is holding me up. I kind of gotta disagree with the vfaq that this is a weekend job. Maybe if 10 hour days are put in, but I was slaking off and visiting with fam this weekend. I'd have the oil housing, oil filter housing, and oil pan back on if it wasn't for this damn gasket. Oh well.

Not posting just to bitch, but maybe let other people know of some hang ups. Overall, this job is very doable. If your not a major mechanic, have a full shop, do this all the time, I recommend maybe looking at it as three smaller jobs, or the whole thing can look too big.

Start with taking all the timing belt stuff off, then put the engine mount back on. Then think of the oil pan as a second project, and last, the BS part of it.

 

[Kenny_Kline]

you still have to put it back together...

 

[gvr4ever]

^^^^ True. For me, that goes a LOT faster. Not sure why. I stop to bag and tag stuff. Have stuff mapped out for different length bolts and what not. The hardest part is already being sore and tired.

 

[turbowop]

IMO, having to scrape off that damn old gasket is the biggest bitch of the job. Especially if it's been on there for 17 years.

 

[gvr4ever]

Yes, the gasket is the hardest part. It held me up the longest, pissed me off the most. I tried a standard gasket remover, chemical gasket remover. No dice. In the end, I tried a razor blade scraper. The kind to remove window tint and what not. It worked the best by far. I wish I would have thought of it sooner.