Balance Shaft Delete?

[Wagon Sailor]

Originally Posted by PatO

T
Why did you disable the balance shaft in the first place?

It had a noisy bearing.

[PatO]

Originally Posted by XC90Mk1

If it’s due to have a balance shaft then personally I would ensure it works unless there is a reason that you know it will be fine.

It’s not just vibration that you may or may not be able to feel, it’s also the longevity of the engine and drive train which may be less should you find that you. Are transmitting harsh vibrations through it.

The conversion of dual mass flywheels was very popular 1 years ago but seem to have died out now.

I can’t see Volvo fitting them personally unless they were needed?

Thank you. I appreciate the comment.

Normally I would agree completely.

The issue I have is that this particular balance unit has a sordid history. When my car engine was released the Volvo VIDA repair manual said this about the balance shaft:

"To ensure correct backlash, the balance shaft housing is shimmed to the engine block at the assembly plant. If the balance shaft housing must be removed, the entire engine block must be replaced."

(My emphasis.) Clearly Volvo considered this a very reliable part. It wasn't. They failed often. So they had to come up with a fix for the balance unit, and also define a field replacement procedure that was reliable.

It was not until early 2019 (6 years after introduction) that they had manufactured parts with a decent fix. The field replacement procedure (TJ 32958.5.0) had a serious caveat:

"It's extremely important to adjust the new balance shaft with the correct tools according to the instructions otherwise the sound may occur again in a short mileage (sic)."

(Their emphasis).

So I am very leery that this is a tenuous fix, and it may quickly fail again. Given all the problems with this car I am looking at all options.

If there are any Volvo tech's around that can comment on this repair procedure (is it now reliable?) I would appreciate it.

Thanks again.