Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club

Rather than start a poll I thought I would ask this straight out, partly because I just F&#)'ing snapped the upper bolt of the tensioner inside the block and I keep reading this and that about viability of the silence shafts.

* The lower runs an auxiliary oil sprayer (light duty) that may or may not have long term affects on the motor.

So has anyone elected to 'blank' their balance shafts or just run without the belt?

The gears that drive the balance shaft are not an auxiliary oil pressure pump, despite being housed in the oil pump casting. The oil sprayers are fed directly from the main oil gallery, the same as the main bearings. The balance shaft drive gears appear to be there purely to reverse the direction of the lower balance shaft's spin. So no worries about losing your oil sprayers.

When I first got it I drove my van for about 5000km not knowing it didn't have a balance belt, and it don't recall thinking that it was particularly harsh for an old diesel. But once I'd fitted the belt I definitely remember thinking it was like a different van- not so much the engine being less vibratey, but more that it was much quieter. Not so much engine boom in the body, and half of the rattles stopped.

I think you could definitely drive without a balance belt and get used to it. But it really is more comfortable with the balance belt working.

I did my first timing belt on my delica 7 years ago and the balancing belt was at the bottom of the pan. Torn in half. I didn't notice one bit. It looked like it was broken for a while . The biggest fear is if it breaks it could go through the timing belt which would be a disaster.

My balance belt shredded and got eaten by the timing belt causing it to skip a notch and pistons hit valves blew apart the camshaft tie downs etc. No bent valves though which is nice. Poopy that i had to pull the head to find that out tho