Expert Engine Builders!

[BrokenTsi]

as I was doing a balance shaft removal, I noticed a balance shaft bearing was missing, it was in my oil pan. The balance shaft hogged out the journal and now I cant press in the block off bearing. It has been like this for 2 years (but I just caught it now) , car ran great, oil pressure was OK too.

One guy said he used a rubber expansion plug, but I'm very very skeptical. Oil and rubber mix these days?

Any ideas on a fix? I'm prepared to do a built shortblock, but I would like to get 1 more year out of my motor before I do.

 

[DJpowerHaus]

Why cant you just JB weld it.. or God forbid.. weld it with a welder? All you're doing is blocking it off.

 

[BrokenTsi]

Its impossible to weld it. I'm going to jb weld it instead. You cant even get your hands up there. It's the front shaft under cylinder 3. I can barely get my finger tips in there with the crankshaft and all.

 

[kalla]

Fixing that kind of problem would be nearly impossible without removing the crankshaft, that's too bad

 

[BrokenTsi]

oh well, ill just build a new shortblock to go with my brand new head then. no biggie.

 

[defrag010]

There's a little access plug on the front of the block. It's that bolt that sits there and you don't know what it does. Undo that bolt, and you have a straight shot to the oil feed hole. You need to buy a tap (don't know what size) and the corresponding bolt to tap and plug the oil feed hole.
I had to do that on my block. Use loctite or JBweld on the bolt.

 

[DsMWookie]

We fit our hand in their and put some quick steal in whole and then a layer of silicone around the bearing put the bearing in place with the whole in the bearing on th EXACT opposite side.

We then used a piece of all thread and went through the front of the block and it goes right through the whole in the bearing and press' on the side with the oil whole. I haven't had any problems out of it since.

 

[Bostedquest]

Cheaper quick, perminate fix...

2 oversized fender washers (big enough to cover 1/8" past the hole)
A big a$$ smooth rubber bushing a little wider than the bearing support.
A nut and a bolt.

Figure the rest...

You want the rubber about 3/16" wider. Why? when you put on the fender washers and put the squeeze to it, it will hold a good amount of pressure against the oil feed retaining it. The washers keep the plug from moving.

 

[BrokenTsi]

We fit our hand in their and put some quick steal in whole and then a layer of silicone around the bearing put the bearing in place with the whole in the bearing on th EXACT opposite side.

We then used a piece of all thread and went through the front of the block and it goes right through the whole in the bearing and press' on the side with the oil whole. I haven't had any problems out of it since.

wow, thats a wicked good idea.

I ended up drilling out the access plug and threading a bolt into the oil hole. But then I decided to get another block and I already have it built and assembled and ready to drop in. But thanks for the ideas.

 

[Big Woo]

If you are talking about the back balance shaft (I.E. the one that is driven by the main timing belt via the oil pump) then you do not need to install the bearing, or block off bearing. The reason for this is that the rear balance shaft is feed oil through the balance shaft it self. There is no oil port from the block to the back balance shaft bearing. Since the shaft originates at the oil pump Mitsubishi decided to feed the rear balance shaft bearing by rifle drilling the back balance shaft.

If you are having trouble with one of the fron balance shaft bearings then you will need to do something to correct it. However I suspect that it is the rear balance shaft since you said that you had no trouble with oil pressure.

 

[anconover]

It was actually the front. We drilled tapped the hole and jb welded a bolt in it. Worked great but he bought a rebuilt bottom end anyways. I dont think he had any real low oil pressure problems because the bshaft was basically seized up and it was blocking the oiling hole enough not to cause any problems i believe. It just stripped the bshaft belt of all the teeth etc.

 

[BrokenTsi]

Actually, my oil pressure was low, but only at idle. After the engine got going, the oil pressure picked up and it was fine. My lifters ticked real bad at idle too even with revised lifters. I decided to get a new rebuilt block anyways so I didnt have to worry about it.