Fixing my DSM... head gasket, timing/bs belt, b, and tranny fluid/oil questions

Ok, so as many of you know, I am going to be the proud owner of a 90 TSI AWD with a blown head gasket. The car will be parked once it gets here and I am going to do a bunch of maintainance and shit along with the head gasket. My questions for this thread are in 3 parts.

1. Head Gasket - I am planning on a Cometic gasket and ARP hardware. I will have to have the head resurfaced for the metal hg right? Any thoughts, opinions, or comments for me on the head gasket job?

2. Timing Belt - While I am in there and the timing belt has to come off, I was planning on a timing belt/balance shaft eliminator job. The owner before the guy that sold it to me said he did it at 110k miles and it has 120k miles now. Do you guys think I should do it anyway? Is there any break in period for a new timing belt? What parts should I get? What exactly does the balance shaft do? Will not having one affect anything?

3. Fluids - While its parked and getting worked on, I figured I might as well go around and change all the fluids. I've read lots of different stuff about syncromesh and different mix ratios. I remember reading that its doesnt protect the tranny parts well enough so people mix it. Is this true? What mix ratio should I use? Would a 50/50 be good? Does anyone have any opinions about the Quaker State "Q" oil? What about Royal Purple? I was thinking about going Royal Purple, but if thats not recommended I was thinking about that Q stuff or Mobile 1.

Any comments, suggestions, ideas, and opinions are very welcome. Thanks guys.

1. However you decide to do it, make sure it's gonna be good enough to hold the boost you wanna run so you won't have to tear the whole thing apart again anytime soon.

2. The balance shaft just keeps the motor from shaking at lower rpms. When you start running higher rpms its better to not have it in there. Just another thing you don't need as long as you don't mind slight vibration. :wink:

3. Shepherd told me the best thing to run in these trannys is straight Pennzoil Syncromesh. The mechanic that installed my tranny mixed something with it and the reason my tranny went out on me this time was due to the tranny fluid not being thin enough to go through the columns down onto the drip rail. It caused my tranny to be un-lubricated and then the whole thing went to shit... I don't feel like buying a 3rd tranny so I'm going straight Syncromesh like he told me to.

Ok thanks man. How much vibration is there? Is it bad? I can put up with a little, but if its going to be vibrating like a bastard I will just leave the BS in there. What do you guys think about this kit? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/89-99-Mitsubishi-Eclipse-Eagle-Talon-Timing-Belt-Kit_W0QQitemZ8043635680QQcategoryZ33625QQrdZ1QQcmd ZViewItem
Its cheap enough... $75 for a timing belt, bs belt, idler pulley, t belt tensioner pully, and bs belt tensioner pulley. All that from SBR is $190 plus shipping. There was another auction for $140 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Timing-Belt-KIT-89-99-Eclipse-Talon-TURBO-4G63T-4G63_W0QQitemZ8043030698QQcategoryZ33625QQrdZ1QQcm dZViewItem. Either of these look good?

Any comments on Royal Puple or Quaker State Q engine oil?

Vibration ain't much more than if you put stiffer motor mounts in. At least, thats the only amount I seemed to notice differently.

you can go to napa or any other parts store and it will be a hell o a lot cheaper, hell I could get you a belt for $30. Remember you will also need an exhaust manifold gasket, valve cover gasket, intake gaskets and all that jazz

Well, those are the kits, not just the timing belt. They have the BS belt, timing belt, idler pulley, and both tensioner pulleys for $75 shipped. Think I should get that kit? After looking at both of those links more carefully, I noticed the pulleys are the same brand in both of the auctions. Do you guys think that kit would be ok?

Good call on the gaskets, but I am going to leave the intake and exhaust manifolds on. I hadn't thought about the valve cover gasket though.

So if I did the stiffer engine mounts and bs eliminator would it shake bad? I was planning on stiffer mounts later, probably after (if) I go into the block. Though this is going to be my project car and wont be driven much, I still want it to retain some kind of driveability.

if you're going to have the head resurfaced which you will have to most likely I doubt they will do it with the manifolds on. Kit isnt a bad price either

Ok, I was thinking today. Is the Cometic hg reuseable? I'm planning on doing atleast a partial rebuild of the head and I wont want to have buy a new head gasket in 4-5 months so I may just do the head rebuild at the same time.

I will only use Mitsu parts for personal reasons.. The Cometic HG can be used and resused as long as the head has a RA-30 finish & all the layers of the gasket are visually ok...

A good machineist will charge $185 for a milling of the head to a RA-30 finish, 3 valve angle job, hot tank, pressure test, and reasemly.. Some will even port match your intake and polish your exhaust for an extra $85..

Here's the parts store i use all the time (as long as i don't need the part that day)
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/catalog.php?carcode=1205536&parttype=5759&partGroup=20&EPImodelID=17760&EPIengineID=2327
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/catalog.php?carcode=1205536&parttype=5416&partGroup=20&EPImodelID=17760&EPIengineID=2327
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/catalog.php?carcode=1205536&parttype=2208&EPIsubcategoryID=1452&EPIcategoryName=Water%20Pump&EPImodelID=17760&EPIengineID=2327&partGroup=16
Here's a link to the gsx parts page...
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/catalog.php?carcode=1205536