Balance Shaft Removal Kit

[SoCalMzda3]

Hey guys, I found the BSR kit at marcy motorsports...im wondering if anyone has bought the kit yet, and if you have...

1. How long was the install?
2. What kind of power gains did you see?
3. Does this have any effect on warranty with dealer?

Thanks guys

 

[Badger Biker]

AzMZ3 has done this, so hopefully he will post here.

From what I remember: Install is pretty intensive. You have to cut the AC compressor belt to get at everything, and that's a $46 part. There's a lot of stuff to take out, but you remove 18lbs of weight, 6 of that is rotating.

Great gains to be had with things revving faster, with very little increase in the cabin vibrations.

Warranty stuff ... well, I'm not sure. Sorry

I'm ordering my kit tonight

 

[AzMz3]

Hey guys, I found the BSR kit at marcy motorsports...im wondering if anyone has bought the kit yet, and if you have...

1. How long was the install?
2. What kind of power gains did you see?
3. Does this have any effect on warranty with dealer?

Thanks guys

Install was about 3 hours with me by myself. And that was taking my time with everything. I used jack stands that made it alittle harder.
It has been dyno tested on a 2.3L Focus to give 3HP/3TQ
But as stated it does help rev faster and is just alot smoother and better to drive....to me anyway.
I still have yet to notice any additional vibrations, even the wife did not know I did anything till after she drove it.
As for warranty. They will not even notice unless you let the dealer change the oil, remove the oil pan, transmission or timing cover. But I'm sure they might say something if you have your car towed to the dealer with a blown block and the balance shafts gone.

 

[KpaBap]

did anybody think of the impact on reliability, seems like a really, really stupid thing to do to an engine

what, did mazda make it too smooth or something? changing your gear oil to a lighter weight would give you similar gains in power

someone explain to me how this is a good idea

how many balance shafts does the 2.3 have?

don't take this as trolling or flaming

 

[KpaBap]

and yes, it will void your warranty so fast you won't even know what hit you, you're making the engine less balanced which will shorten its lifespan

 

[AzMz3]

and yes, it will void your warranty so fast you won't even know what hit you, you're making the engine less balanced which will shorten its lifespan

I think you need to read up on what the balance shafts are before you stick with what ya just wrote.

There is no impact on reliablity....we don't need them, they are only for NVH. They do not balance the engine.
There is no balance shafts on similar 2.3L Ford/Mazda engine.
And "NO" changing you gear weight willnot give you the same effects.

It is just one unit inside the oil pan that is gear driven. It rotates the oppisite way of the engine to cancel out vibrations.

So far after removing mine I have not noticed any extra vibrations, so "yes" Mazda did make it too soft.

 

[KpaBap]

I guess Mazda engineers should just eat their degrees because they put useless things there whose only purpose is to decrease power then. And yes, changing to a lighter weight gear oil can and will free up some unmeasurable amount horsepower, just like the balance shaft removal. You do realize that a 3hp gain can be had simply by waiting to dyno later in the day when it's cooler, right? And then there's that pesky margin of error...

 

[deezntsz]

He's just stating that it will give you about 3 hp but it is mostly a drivability issue all the way. Will be doing soon also.

 

[AzMz3]

I guess Mazda engineers should just eat their degrees because they put useless things there whose only purpose is to decrease power then. And yes, changing to a lighter weight gear oil can and will free up some unmeasurable amount horsepower, just like the balance shaft removal. You do realize that a 3hp gain can be had simply by waiting to dyno later in the day when it's cooler, right? And then there's that pesky margin of error...

Here we go! (shrug)
I'm sorry but you do't have anything useful to add to this post, please do us all a favor and stop! You obviously don't know what you are talking about!
Thank you ansd have a nice day.

 

[Dexter]

Hes right though...you need to get the baseline, and do the delete kit and dyno it ASAP to get the most accurate results and even then you have a margin of error.

 

[tgv121281]

I'm gonna regret asking this question in the midst of all this fury....BUT...
Can someone explain in detail and in rookie terms what a balance shaft IS, what its purpose is, and then do the same for the removal of a balance shaft?? I've heard alot of people mention this and I'm clueless...also now a little hesitant from the posts below about shortening the life etc... I mean this may be ignorant, but pretty much any mods we do to the engine kinda shortens the lifespan no??? I cant see anything like turbo, NOS, and other things help the engine last longer....I know if you use/install it right there's not much risk etc etc etc...I'm just saying...its a risk we all take knowingly b/c we want our cars to go faster.....this is just my 2 cents...if I'm way off just spank me and call me susan!!!

 

[AzMz3]

Hes right though...you need to get the baseline, and do the delete kit and dyno it ASAP to get the most accurate results and even then you have a margin of error.

Why do I need to get a baseline. They have already been dyno tested on a 2.3L Focus and will soon be tested on a Mazda3. And what margin of error are you talking about?
I have yet to state that they make so and so much hp/tq on the Mazda3.

 

[AzMz3]

I'm gonna regret asking this question in the midst of all this fury....BUT...
Can someone explain in detail and in rookie terms what a balance shaft IS, what its purpose is, and then do the same for the removal of a balance shaft?? I've heard alot of people mention this and I'm clueless...also now a little hesitant from the posts below about shortening the life etc... I mean this may be ignorant, but pretty much any mods we do to the engine kinda shortens the lifespan no??? I cant see anything like turbo, NOS, and other things help the engine last longer....I know if you use/install it right there's not much risk etc etc etc...I'm just saying...its a risk we all take knowingly b/c we want our cars to go faster.....this is just my 2 cents...if I'm way off just spank me and call me susan!!!

I answered all of your questions above. Those who are saying that it will make the engine unbalance and shorten it's lifespan do not know what the Balance Shafts are.

 

[Dexter]

Why do I need to get a baseline. They have already been dyno tested on a 2.3L Focus and will soon be tested on a Mazda3. And what margin of error are you talking about?
I have yet to state that they make so and so much hp/tq on the Mazda3.

every car is different. two of the same stock car will put different numbers on the dyno. also other factors effect the dyno like temperature

 

[AzMz3]

every car is different. two of the same stock car will put different numbers on the dyno. also other factors effect the dyno like temperature

This I know. And? I never stated that they will make this amount of HP. I still don't see your point.
So what there are factors that effect the dyno, everyone knows this. This is how companies market thier product to people that want to see dyno plots. You should know this being a vendor.
I'm not beinf an ass, just giving you a hard time. Anyway the Miata guy screwed up this post by not "searching" and finding out what balance shafts are and do.

(cool)

 

[deezntsz]

http://www.marcymotorsport.com/html/tech/mm-bsrk-23d.htm
here are the instructions if that is one of the things you wanted tgv.Give Walter Marcy a call and I know he can answer your ?'s and will give you the right answers he is a good guy and knows his stuff man. Number is on website. Susan. J/K man I really don't see how this will effect the engine life it was added to make less vibrations and noise from those right, so if it never had it like other engines then should not be much or any difference in life span from one without it. IMHO

 

[Dexter]

This I know. And? I never stated that they will make this amount of HP. I still don't see your point.
So what there are factors that effect the dyno, everyone knows this. This is how companies market thier product to people that want to see dyno plots. You should know this being a vendor.
I'm not beinf an ass, just giving you a hard time. Anyway the Miata guy screwed up this post by not "searching" and finding out what balance shafts are and do.

(cool)

alright nevermind (shrug)

 

[Mr. Win]

who remebers when msp owners were first like this?

Did you know you that washing and waxing your car before long trips has shown to add about 3mpg...

 

[Badger Biker]

I think this has been tested on the 2.3L Focus engines for quite some time now.
I haven't heard of any problems yet, and I found this to be a rather interesting read on the subject: http://www.focaljet.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=978739&page=&fpart=2&vc=1


I believe some of the other 2.3L Engines in the Ford Lineup come w/o a balance shaft as well. The ranger is one of them, and ... I can't remember the other. I don't think Walter Marcy would be releasing anything that would seriously fark up an engine either, but that's just my opinion.

 

[goldwing2000]

The 2.3L Ranger/Mustang/T-bird/Pinto engine shares absolutely nothing with the MZR 2.3L engine (besides two numbers and a decimal).

The balance shaft was put on these motors for the same reason they used bubblegum motor mounts, inch-thick carpet padding, rubber-mounted steering columns, etc.
It's all to keep whiny yuppies from bitching about NVH. There is zero "value-added" in the areas of performance or engine longevity. In fact, as previously noted, both the balance shaft and soft mounts actually limit or even decrease performance.

It's the price you pay for living in the world today. People buy an economy car and expect it to feel like a Cadillac. If the manufactures want to sell cars to the masses, then they listen to the people who complain the most. Tuners/hot-rodders don't bother complaining to the companies, they just change the cars around to the way they want them. Hot rods won't sell to the masses (not since the 60's) and insurance companies won't cover them, so the factory doesn't bother building them anymore.

Life sucks, get a helmet.