spazegun2213

So I getting further and further into the world of 944 racing and I met a guy last weekend that seems to be the local expert on ITS 944s. He has raced them for a long time and seems to know a bunch of tricks to extract power from our beloved 2.5L.

He told me that the more accessories the engine has to power the less HP I will put to the ground. I realize this is true and I know a bunch of people running no A/C with a relocated alternater, and no power steering. He also mentioned running with no balance shaft. I thought he had gone mad, but after doing a little investigation, I started to think this could be done.

What do you all think about this? have you heard about someone doing this? Also other than there being more vibration would there be any problems with the engine? Would this give me more power (he seemed to think like 15+hp from this)?

greenshoes3

wouldnt your motor mounts go out prematurly sp? then?

Serge944

If he thinks he can gain 15hp from no balance shafts, he is severely mistaken. There is no load on the balance shafts. Sure, it's extra mass that your motor has to turn, but the moment of a balance shaft isn't very large. The added vibration isn't worth the fraction of a hp which you may gain, in my opinion. It will cause hardware you didn't even know existed to loosen and some parts to wear prematurely.

xsboost90

harmonic vibration will rattle your bearings and wear them premature- at least ive heard that. yeah basically no load on that belt.

Rock

My balance shafts were off in the 951, and the power steering pump mounts, and alternator tensioner bolts ended up backing out and falling to the ground.

Coincadence?

Gator_86_951

Run the balance shafts.

spazegun2213

well sounds like a unanimous opinion

thanks guys... sorry for the stupid question but I'm still learning

mitsumark

Conquest/Starions run the same countershafts in their 2.6 turbo motors..Most of us Conquest/Starion guys remove them as they have a very high failure rate and they weigh a ton..They also run on the same chain as the oil pump so removing them and using what is called a BSEK(balance shaft elimination kit)nets much higher oil pressure and much quicker revs..Ive owned many Starion/Conquests and done the BSEK with no ill effects at all..Some reccomend having the engine balanced,I never have and never had nothing but positive results..BUT,,these are not 944s..I have very limited knowledge on the 944 as I have never performed a major service on one..I also have never heard of the balance shafts seizing in the Porsche motor like they do in the Mitsubishis..

944CS

If you want a quick 1-2 hp then go ahead and delete them. However you are accelerating the wear on your motor and constantly shaking things and just asking for trouble. No person in his right mind would delete them on a 944. No matter what you hear they are good for 8K plus rpms, I have seen it first hand.

Ghost944

why not remove the camshafts too? those put a load on the engine right?
you could also try the popular "wheel delete" it saves alamost 100lbs and gid rid of gobs of rotating mass.

Legoland951

Rock, you have parts falling off even without balance shaft delete...

spazegun2213

hey hey.. be nice

I had heard of this on other motors so i was running it by you all. ok, so keep the balance shaft I mean 15hp on a 944 N/A motor is a LOT and would make a big difference at the end of a straight

thanks for talking sence into me

David Floyd

I have run without balance shafts for almost 4 years now 25+ k miles and have had zero problems, car is smooth as silk. The engine internals have been lightened and balanced.

Just removing the shafts from a stock engine might not have the same positive results.

Legoland951

I think you are better off running this question through racers who have run without b/s belt or shafts for a length of time. I have an 88 where the last owner deleted the b/s belt and I am willing to bet if I were to put people in the car, most will not be able to feel the difference in vibration compared to one with belts. This car belonged to L8 Apex on this list before I bought it from him. He has run this car for a while with nothing falling off or vibrating loose. As for the main bearings, nothing can lessen the wear unless you can balance the actual rotating assembly (crank counter weight). The balance shaft is to reduce the engine from vibrations as a whole so you won't feel it from inside of the car. Just like on any internet forum, the advice is only as good as knowledge of the poster. Check with people who have actually done it. If things are so easily rattled off, I guess all spec cars with their 400lb springs with endless bumps will all fall apart in the middle of races.

spazegun2213

lol, thanks for the input. I know there are many people that track/race there cars here that post a fair amount. I was also sure if someone had done this, i would find them here

And since these cars have been around for a while, I'm sure just about everything has been tried to make these engines put out just a little more power.