Does anyone have any insight on how to remove balance shaft bearings with engine in the car or perhaps a lead as to where I can get the special tool to do it? I have contacted the dealership, and have been told the tools for this have been discontinued and that the replacements will be available maybe next month (which really sucks).

 

Cam bearing installation and removal tool.
You just need something the size of the bearing which will be a cam bearing tool.

 

are we talking bearings or seals?

 

I used a long screw flat head screw driver to pop them out. If you know anyone that works in a machine shop you could have them make you a round piece that fits the center Diameter and will push on the part, tap a hole in the center of the piece so you can screw a rod into it to beat the new bearing into place.

 

bearings.

 

Are you refering to special to MD998713? If not, where can I get this tool and will it allow me to remove both bearings or just the front one?

 

Were you able to get both bearing's out with this method, or just the front one?

 

Since you've not gotten many responses yet, I'll give you my experience from earlier 4g63s, with the understanding that you'll have to see if it works for you. First, I should point out that this job is many times more of a pain in the car than with the block on a stand and the crank out of the block. I can't tell you if you can drop the motor far enough to get the higher of the two shafts out in the car, not having done this job in an Evo. You'll have to check to see if you have enough clearance to pull the shaft out of the block after lowering the motor below the unibody on that side.

First, we're talking about the bearings on the non-oil pump sprocket shaft. The bearing closest to the case can be removed with a flat blade screwdriver, carefully, by punching around its circumference. Be careful not to scar the block itself. The balance shaft, once removed, can be reversed and used to tap out the deep bearing. The problem is getting the new deep bearing back in, particularly with the engine in the car (assuming that you've not removed the crankshaft) The most accurate way is to make a custom tool out of aluminium plate. It will need to be the same size as the inner diameter of the bearing, have a lip machined on it so that the bearing can be pulled into the block but stop when the lip contacts the outside edge of the block, and have a threaded hole in the center, so that you can insert a threaded rod through a pulling plate, through the front cover, through the bearing hole, and into the tool. You'll have to load on the bearing, then hold the tool up into the block with a long support, so you can catch the threaded rod and get the thread started. You use two jam nuts on the threaded rod, thread the rod into the puller, and as you turn the threaded rod with the support on the outside of the block, it will pull the bearing into the block hole smoothly and carefully. It helps to machine a "snout" on the front of the tool so that it will self center into the hole as it is pulled by the threaded rod.

The factory tool is similar in concept, but consists of a long (12" or longer) steel rod, with the steps machined into one end of the rod. It is used in a punch fashion with a driver, and is pushed INTO the block through the "front cover" side of the block, rather than pulled BACK towards the "front cover" side of the block. I prefer the pull, as it is a more even and controlled tool use, but either will do the job.

REMEMBER that the replacement bearings must be installed so that the oil hole is 180 degrees rotated away from the oil hole in the block. It must be done this way to block the oil holes that used to lubricate the balance shaft, so you won't lose major oil pressure through those holes when the shaft is gone.

Hope this helps.

 

Yes this does. Just to clarify, I have already removed the balance shafts themselves. However, I do have another question. I have been told by a DSM builder that I really only have to remove and reverse only the front bearing and this will still create the desired effect. Is this true, is he blowing smoke, or is it simply based on preference?
Question two is in reguards to the block itself. I was under the impression that there MIGHT be a lip behind the bearing that prevents it from being inserted to far in the block. Is this actually the case, or am I just paranoid?
Next question is, I do not have to touch the bearing on the oil pump side, yes?

BTW, are you on CRN?

 

I broke down and looked at the EVO FSM for you. If you have one, the procedures are shown on pages 11B-47 and 11B-48. The process is essentially the same as for DSM 4g63T motors. For those who have not previously done this procedure, let's call the shaft connected to the oil pump the "rear" shaft, and the shaft with its own balance belt the "front" shaft.

The rear shaft is internally lubricated. There is a hole through the center of the balance shaft from the oil pump end that connects to the rear bearing, so the rear bearing has no oil hole, because it does not need one -- the oil comes through the center of the shaft and out to the bearing via that route.

The oiling setup for the front shaft is different. It is externally lubricated via pressurized oil from the oil pump through passages in the block, and so the bearings have to have holes that match up with the oil passage holes in the block for the oil to reach the bearing surface of the balance shaft.

After the removal of the REAR balance shaft you unbolt it from the oil pump and replace it with a stubby shaft (or, if you're reallly concerned about support on the rear of the pump, with a shaft that has the eccentric lobe of the balance shaft "turned down" on a lathe so that the shaft is straight). Whichever option you choose, you don't have any oil passages to block off, because there were not any to start with, so you're fine on that one.

With the FRONT balance shaft, there are external oil passages, so if you don't reinstall bearings rotated 180 degrees so that the bearings block the factory oil passages you will have a dramatic loss of oil pressure through the system. Why? Because the shaft was previously providing resistance to the oil pressure coming through the passages in the block, but the shaft is no longer there, so without it, you just have two 1/4" or so holes releasing oil pressure, unless you rotate the bearings to block off the holes. If you don't want to do the hard work on the front balance shaft bearing removal and reinstallation, some people leave the FRONT shaft in the block to block the oil passages/bearings, but leave off the belt. That's not the optimum solution, but it will work in a pinch.

Bearings are inexpensive. I always use new bearings to reinstall, so that any damage or change in size from removal does not compromise the process of reinstalling. You DON'T want these bearings to be misinstalled, since they affect oil pressure directly and substantially.

I am not aware of any lip behind the bearing, nor is any lip mentioned in the FSM. There is no lip in prior 4g63 blocks.

 

Yes, I have the manual. Thank you again for your help.

 

No worries. If you're in Colorado, and need any additional help, check out RMDSM or CODSM, or send me a PM.