Balance Shaft Bearing help

[rickt84]

I pulled my oil pan this weekend, and I found a bearing just chillin there. It is not a main or rod bearing, being that it is 1 peice. I believe it is one of the balance shaft bearings. There are 2 'tabs', on 1 end that fit into 2 'slots' on the other end.

My biggest question is what would cause the bearing to ripped out the way that it was? I will post pics, asap, I am at work right now.

Any and all help is appreciated. Best way to get ahold of me is email [email protected]

Thank you

 

[coreyj]

from my understanding, things that cause that bearing to come out are high mileage, overdue oil changes, extremely high revs.

i wouldnt drive the car until you get a new bearing put in because it will just eat away at the block like mine did and some serious modification will be required to plug the oil hole later on if u keep driving it like that.

 

[rickt84]

Thats what I was thinking was oil pump failure, the oil is regularly changed/checked. That eliminates low oil/lack of changing oil. Only had the car for a few months, and I babied it when I got it, never launched in my possesion, and high reving is out. 160k miles on the block may have done it though, .

The car is ripped apart in the garage right now, I only put maybe 50 miles on it when I found the sparkles of doom. I am just glad it wasnt a main bearing.

Right on thanks for the advise.

 

[Indian]

Atleast it didnt shatter into tiny pieces floating around in your oiling system.

 

[rickt84]

Atleast it didnt shatter into tiny pieces floating around in your oiling system.

Thats what I'm screamin! I did have the sparkles of doom though, but you're right, at least it stayed in 1 pc and not chunked!

 

[BrokenTsi]

If the bearing fell out, especially a whole bearing, then I would say the block is damaged. Bearings dont just fall out. The journal in the block is out of round for whatever reason. Those bearings are in there pretty tight. Exactly which bearing is it?

 

[coreyj]

^^^ if thats the case then this may be required like mine will.

Behind the tubo, there is a set screw sealing the clearance hole used at the factory when drilling the oil feed hole between the main oil galley and that offending bearing bore.

You can insert a properly sized drill rod or bit into the hole that is long enough to reach through the bearing bore and into the oil feed hole to the edge of the main oil galley.

The length of this needs to be from the end of the set screw to just entering the oil galley.

A drill bit of Diameter 7/32" or 5.5mm and length of 3.17 inch will work. Grind the length off the cutting end if a bit is used and insert non cutting end into the hole with the

cutting end at the set screw end.

This method does not require removing the oil pan as long as your bearing has removed itself from the bore. If your pan is not off now, you can, after removing the set screw,

insert a wire through the set screw hole and see how far it will go. If the bearing is removed it should go about 3.75" If it is not removed it wil go about 1/2 inch.

Why do I know how to do this?

The cause of this problem for me was the balance shaft beat the bearing bore oblong.

Terry

 

[rickt84]

If the bearing fell out, especially a whole bearing, then I would say the block is damaged. Bearings dont just fall out. The journal in the block is out of round for whatever reason. Those bearings are in there pretty tight. Exactly which bearing is it?

Very true. It is the balance shaft bearing, rear one (closest to flywheel).

Seeing as how, since I have the oil pan ripped off, I might as well go ahead an install the BSEK, is this really going to matter? For 1, and 2, I need to find out what caused the bearing to 'come' out. Here are a cpl pics

^^^ if thats the case then this may be required like mine will.

Nice, I will keep this in mind, thank you!


Like I said before, now I just need to figure out what would cause this to happen....


Edit:
Update:
I looked on the underside of the block, and played with the balance shaft, and I found where the bearing should have been, there is definite scoring, but I dont know to what extent.

But the 2 main questions still remain:
1. Is the damage (if any/much) caused by the spun balance shaft bearing really going to matter, with a BSEK installed?
2. What caused this?

Secondary question is:
Is there a way to check if the oil pump is going bad, or is bad? I am hoping that was the issue, and not something 'sneakier'.

Thank you guys for all your help!

 

[rickt84]

Not trying to bump this thread, but still no answer to the questions:
1. Is the damage (if any/much) caused by the spun balance shaft bearing really going to matter, with a BSEK installed?
2. What caused this?

 

[rbwtrans]

As long as there is no oil feed hole in it then it's one of the rear ones that's fed from the shaft coming out of the oil pump. BSE will resolve the issue. I'm running an engine in my Laser that had done the same thing. BSE, no problems.

 

[rickt84]

As long as there is no oil feed hole in it then it's one of the rear ones that's fed from the shaft coming out of the oil pump. BSE will resolve the issue. I'm running an engine in my Laser that had done the same thing. BSE, no problems.

F*ck yeah man, you just made my day! I have a BSEK kit I found off craigslist, fellow dsm'er, for 25, instead of 50! I am so excited! Thank you!


Did you ever figure out why the bearing came out the way it did?

 

[96eclipzGsT]

How many miles do you have on it. I rebuilt mine at 178000 and the rear BS bearing was about to fall out of the block just like this. Do you have the motor out? I don't think you can get the front BS out without dropping the motor down a little, and then you have to offset the bearings for that one.

 

[rickt84]

How many miles do you have on it. I rebuilt mine at 178000 and the rear BS bearing was about to fall out of the block just like this. Do you have the motor out? I don't think you can get the front BS out without dropping the motor down a little, and then you have to offset the bearings for that one.

I bought the car in October, the guy said the motor was rebuilt 9k miles b4 I bought it. I do know that the head was rebuilt, but I am thinking not the bottom end. 160k on the odometer, so I would guess that theres at least 100k on the block, if not the full 160k. The block is still in the car. As soon as I get the BSEK, I am going to check in @ vfaq.

You guys are the sh*t, I love this forum, the ppl here f'in rock!

Since I have had the car I have only put 3k miles on it, or so.