Ready to reassemble my 2005 4.0

[rone]

I've got everything ready to go but was wondering about my balance shaft. Background story replaced injector but one filled a cylinder and motor hydro locked and bent a rod and bent. When I disassembled motor the balance shaft drive tensioner was broken, the only one that was, so I've cleaned up the shaft and replaced the bearings but I have know idea what this thing should look like. 1 - It has hole for oil and an inner liner that is blocking some of those holes partially or completely is that right? 2. does that inner piece move?
If that inner part has moved and shouldn't have I think it should be replaced. I have nothing to compare it with and ford service mechanics don't rebuild engines anymore so they don't know either. Is there a experienced person on this forum who has looked at these shafts enough to know?

 

[Mbrooks420]

The balance shaft is unnecessary, and I would delete it, as it’s just another failure point.

 

[Josh P]

Agreed, delete the balance shaft, not all of the engines had them.

 

[rone]

I was going to delete it but then I thought why did ford go to all the trouble to include it? It wasn't a cheap add-on. If I spent the money to add this to a motor I probably wouldn't waste time and money balancing it in other ways. Does anyone know for sure that the motor without the balance shaft is not balanced in other ways not included in the with shaft one? Really the engineering, manufacturing and installation costs spent for an unneeded hidden item inside a motor just doesn't sound like it would fly at the conference table at Ford to me.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I certainly wouldn’t count on Ford engineering as a reason to keep/remove something. If they were all that great at engineering you wouldn’t be in this boat in the first place.

You absolutely don’t need it, and it’s another item to fail, requiring another engine pull.

@donalds @410Fortune

Would either of you keep the balance shaft when servicing a SOHC?

 

[donalds]

Delete the balance shaft ..... Well the chain and guide anyways..

 

[boominXplorer]

You must plug the oil feed port if you leave out the balance shaft. You can always just hook it back up and leave off the chain. It was used mainly to reduce NVH across the rpm range but doesn't make much a difference.

 

[rone]

Ok thanks guys