# Harmonic balancer chain **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** plymouth, voyager\ **Created:** [August 4, 2018, 2:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/harmonic-balancer-chain/122266 "2018-08-04T14:46:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nukegumbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c67d28/32.png) [@nukegumbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/nukegumbo)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 2:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/harmonic-balancer-chain/122266/1 "2018-08-04T14:46:17Z")
I was replacing the oil pan and the harmonic balancer chain was laying in the oil pan, the van has been running fine so do I need to replace chain or leave chain off? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 2:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/harmonic-balancer-chain/122266/2 "2018-08-04T14:50:49Z")
Just how old is this Voyager? I haven’t seen one that used a balance shaft chain in 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 3:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/harmonic-balancer-chain/122266/3 "2018-08-04T15:12:23Z")
Is that the 3.0L Mitsubishi engine? ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 3:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/harmonic-balancer-chain/122266/4 "2018-08-04T15:44:52Z")
No the 3.0 was a timing belt engine. I was thinking of the early (80’s) Chrysler minivans that used the Mitsubishi 2.6 engine. They had a timing chain and a balance shaft chain setup that was kind of problematic. As best as I recall no other Voyagers had chain driven balance shafts, but I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 3:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/harmonic-balancer-chain/122266/5 "2018-08-04T15:56:24Z")
The 2.4 L engine has a balance shaft assembly below the crankshaft in the oil pan. ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 4:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/harmonic-balancer-chain/122266/6 "2018-08-04T16:16:42Z")
I think the 2.5 four Cylinder Chrysler built engine similar to the 2.2 had a balance shaft while the 2.2 did not. ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 4:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/harmonic-balancer-chain/122266/7 "2018-08-04T16:37:39Z")
The 2.2/2.5 engine used a balance shaft but it was belt driven, not chain. @Nevada_545 reminded me that the 2.4 uses a chain driven balance shaft, but I’ve seen so few of those in minivans I forgot they were an option. ---
**Author:** ![nukegumbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c67d28/32.png) [@nukegumbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/nukegumbo)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 5:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/harmonic-balancer-chain/122266/8 "2018-08-04T17:13:53Z")
It is a 98. It is in the oil pan ---
**Author:** ![nukegumbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c67d28/32.png) [@nukegumbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/nukegumbo)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 5:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/harmonic-balancer-chain/122266/9 "2018-08-04T17:16:09Z")
Would it be ok to just not replace it and drive it without it ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 11:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/harmonic-balancer-chain/122266/10 "2018-08-04T23:48:03Z")
The very next thing you need to do . . . tell us what engine you have ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2018, 12:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/harmonic-balancer-chain/122266/11 "2018-08-05T00:40:34Z")
[allpar.com](http://allpar.com) info suggests it’s the 2.4L DOHC SMPI. There are two balance shafts under the block, driven by a chain - apparently the chain that was found in the oil pan. I would think it worthwhile to get it hooked up again correctly, but how much addition work it calls for, I don’t know. The shafts are connected to each other by gears, so they probably remain in synch, but there must be a correct position for them vis-à-vis the crankshaft. Like a camshaft gear has a mark for its correct setting to match up with crankshaft TDC.