I did a quick search and looked at a few threads. It does not seem like Honda guys would do the balance shaft removal.

Why and why not?

From reading, the timing belt goes through it on a Honda. Is that the reason?

The balance shaft is not like a separate thing and can be disconnected on some other brand engines. Correct?

Educate me.

TIA

 

Some Honda guys/techs/mechanics won't remove the balance shaft due to the following reasons:
1. They probably don't know how to...or know the right parts to bypass it after removal.
2. The motor will run a bit rougher because the internal balance shaft is no longer there. Honda did include the mechanisms for a reason,.....to balance the rotation of the engine.

I have seen a buddy of mine removed the balance shaft off his H22 motor and replaced the internals with H23 parts. The automatic timing belt tensioner was removed as well.

 

Really? I seem to recall it being a common thing for H22 guys. There are even a couple of balance shaft eliminator kits available. Most guys(my self included) left the balance shaft in place and simply did not hook up the belt.(On H and F series engines, the belt is separate from the timing belt) If one where to actually remove the shaft,you would need a kit,else you would leak oil.


I did not experience any noticeable increase in NVH and the engine actually rev'ed and accelerated a little quicker

 

http://www.kstuned.com/collections/k...eliminator-kit

 

"balance" shaft is a bit of a minomer. they are really anti-vibration shafts. specifically a vibration equal to but in the opposite direction of the second-order (twice the speed of engine rotation) vibration. a vibration inherent in flat-plane crank, inline four cylinder engines of all sizes but insignifigant/unnoticable in sub 2 liter displacements.

so i guess you could say they balance the vibration instead of the rotation. rotation is balanced by the crankshaft counterweights since they both operate at engine speed and not twice engine speed like the vibration.

my guess is Honda included them to appease efficiency-minded buyers looking for ever increasing levels of "refinement" and isolation from mechanicals, noise, discomfort, ect.