update : balance shaft belt went kplop and got tangled in timing. with NO damage to head or other components. YES!!! currently have timing in pieces awaiting a new timing belt and tensioner. wondering if balance shaft removal is possible with only access to timing side of engine or do i need to yank the whole operation outta there. because if so i would like to pull em now instead of later. someone with some nobility step in and set me straight. thx guys.

I believe you have to pull the pan and the front cover (oil pump) off the install the BSE kit. A messy job, oil all in your face and everything, unless you have access to a lift.

It sounds ridiculous, but I prefer to pull the whole engine before doing anything from the tbelt in. Everything is much easier with the engine on a stand. After you pull a couple, it really only takes a couple hours.

If you're going to pull the assembly while on the car, i recommend taking out the drivers side motor mount. It gives much easier access to the lower portion of the timing side of the motor while it's sagging. Good luck

You don't have to take the oil pan off, though it does make it easier. I'm with J though. Taking the engine out would really sweeten the job. I took mine out with the engine out of the car and it was a cinch. I know miami took his out with the engine still in the car and he didn't have a whole lotta fun doing it.

They get easier after you do a couple but the first one is definately a royal pain.

Out of the car is a lot easier and cleaner of an operation. Definately buy all the replacement gaskets along the way as having to pull the cover a second time to track down leaks is a royal pain.

If you do it in the car, loosen the subframe bolts so that you can sink the engine down a few inches for clearance.

There should be a good Vfaq on it too.

thx guys. i ended up throwing it all back together with the shafts in and no front b.shaft belt, cuz i didn't have an impact to take off the crank pulley. but yeah with a little vfaq research i found that i will definitley be pulling the shafts, but not until i pull the motor in the fall to rebuild it.

i agree J, i almost always pull the motor because it is easier to do a more thorough job without killing your back. but this time it was stuck in my parking lot at my condo and i didn't want to mess around with trailering it to the shop.

lol sorry that was from me, smrtkd69, i didnt know casey was logged in here.

If I'm hearing you right, you are going to have some nasty vibrations going on. If you leave both shafts in and leave the belt to the front b-shaft off, that means you have just the rear shaft spinning. The counter-weights are no longer countering anything and will cause some serious vibration. But thats cool if you can live with it.

So you've got both shafts still in but no belt? Giving you the shaft attached to the oil pump spinning but nothing to balance it?

I guess the 'out-of phase' installs would be worse but are you experiencing any of the similair symptoms? Really rough idle and low vacuum?

this is the second time ive had to leave a motor like this due to my lack of funds. first was my auto awd with a fully balanced motor so i couldn't feel a thing. the bastard had like 5k on the motor and the shaft siezed. LAME! but ne ways this one i cant feel a difference at all either as far as vibrations, and for right now i have an inconsistent idle but i believe its due to crappy denso plugs and the timing be a tad off. o yeah and a leaky intercooler that i still havent replaced.

on a good note it seems to rev a bit quicker, even though the rear shaft is still intact.