Balance Shaft Upgrade Shops

Zeitgeist

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2004
Location
Cascadia
TDI
'04 Variant and Vanagon mTDI
Is there a way to tell if the BSM has already been deleted from the outside? I just changed my oil and attempted to snake my inspection camera up there, but the oil pickup was in the way. Does it make more sense to pull the engine if I'm changing the cam and t-belt and possibly deleting the BSM?
 

Mozambiquer

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Mar 21, 2015
Location
Versailles Missouri
TDI
2004 VW Touareg V10 TDI, 2012 Audi Q7 V6 TDI, 1998 VW Jetta TDI. 1982 VW Rabbit pickup, 2001 VW Jetta TDI, 2005 VW Passat wagon TDI X3, 2001 VW golf TDI, 1980 VW rabbit pickup,
Is there a way to tell if the BSM has already been deleted from the outside? I just changed my oil and attempted to snake my inspection camera up there, but the oil pickup was in the way. Does it make more sense to pull the engine if I'm changing the cam and t-belt and possibly deleting the BSM?
If you're doing the timing belt, you can pull the lower cover off and see what you have. Big sprocket equals not taken care of. Small sprocket equals deleted, big gear equals geared bsm converted.
 

Zeitgeist

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2004
Location
Cascadia
TDI
'04 Variant and Vanagon mTDI
Thanks, I wonder if I could snake the camera down an oil drain passage in the head. I'd hate to get into a T-belt change and then find that I needed a BSM delete kit, and then wait another two weeks for that to arrive.
 

Pedalsteel

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2018
Location
United States
TDI
Unicorn
If you are looking at a passat of this Era and the current owner has no idea if the balance shaft has been fixed, how can you tell if it has when you go look at it?
 

Tom in PT

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2017
Location
Twilight Zone, WA State
TDI
2005 Passat sedan - SOLD; 2013 Passat DSG; both purchased new
^ You can't tell by looking at the engine externally if the BSM is still there. At this point in time, one way would be to listen for the distinctive rattle/grinding sound the engine makes when the BSM is about to give way. You might be able to look with a camera but I don't know if anyone has ever done that successfully. You can also get a good idea by doing an oil change and seeing if the amount of oil to refill is about 1/2 quart more than what the manual says. These BSMs can grenade and ruin the engine anywhere from ~ 75,000 miles and up. If you are looking to buy a car and the current owner has no idea what the status is (or has no paperwork to prove it), assume it is still in there and change it out pronto to be safe (do a timing belt job at the same time).
 
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