Am I crazy for not wanting to reinstall the front & rear timing belt covers?
 

I am in the process of resealing the balance shafts. I am seriously considering just leaving off the front and rear timing belts covers. This would make maintenance on the belts so much easier.

Any thoughts on this?

Speedy:)

You would probably get the chance to do them more often.. Oil, road dirt flying rocks under the car would probably find an easier target with no proection..

I've considered the same thing. I see it on track cars and ya, it looks more hardcore.
But what's the benefit? A few more minutes to adust/change belts. About 2 lbs weight savings.
What's the downside? Possible bent valves etc from crap flying into them. An open spinning trap to grab you while working on it.

I leave mine on for no good reasons although I have yet to hear of anyone loosing a belt from debris. If more people would use the belly pans designed for these cars it isn't an issue.

I never stick my hands in the front of the motor with it running anyways. I am not concerned with the "cool" look. It would just make doing the belts much much easier. I wonder how dirty the area would get or if it would actually be cleaner because I would be able to wipe it down more often. Usually you can eat off my engine. One area of concern is what if the belts get wet from driving in the rain. Although I don't drive it in the rain often, sometimes it does happen.

Speedy:)

I think I'm gonna leave them off on my track car. I will have a custom under-tray and it will only be used on the track. I'm not too worried about debris, but it makes it easier to keep track of oil seepage, belt replacement and checking bolt torque.

I wouldn't do it on a street car.

You live in the snow belt!!! Just think of the crap you will suck up when you hit the first drift. Did you get too near the acetone today? Some little critter that lives in the shed will make a nest and you will kill the varment. Acid rain will come in contact with the belts and age prematurely. Chunks of cheese will form and the belts will slip. You may say you don't use the car in the rain, but the first frosty morning will settle little ice balls on the belts and you will bend valves.

Hay this is fun :D:D.

Porsche says to disconnect the snorkel to the air box to keep water out and now you want to open up the entire front of the belt area? The salt deposits on the roads will get on the belts and ruin the belts. The oil deposits and antifreeze on the roads will get on the belts. Mud from your back field will deposit and grow moss.

Yeah, go for it. This was a joke right?

John_AZ

No not a joke. The car is NOT driven in the snow. As far as the cheese curds, I don't eat them over the engine :)

Hmmm killing little critters with my timing belt? I think you just sold me on the idea :)

Speedy:)

yes you are crazy

not crazy. i run without the front covers, but I change my belt yearly.....
not for someone who is not doing his own mechanical work

Modify the inner one by cutting a pie-shaped piece out of it where it goes over the crank. There are enough mounting bolts front to back so it's secure when you put everything together. This way you don't have to take the crank sprockets apart to get the covers off and changing water pumps is so much easier.

I don't see the point...If you're using the car often on the street, why take them off? One rock or other small object in there and you're done.

Just put them on and protect your belts. 15 more minutes on your tensioning job isn't gonna kill you.

thought about doing this. As of now you have to remove each and every roller in order to remove the rear plastic cover. I might just enlarge the holes around each roller or pully so it can just slip off.

Speedy:)

I'd thought of that, too, but two cuts were easier.

Do it! I run w/o mine and I thank myself for doing it every time I have to trace a leak, check tension, remove belts, or basically do anything at the front of the engine. Belly pan is a great idea and the odds of something managing to make it past the belly pan and take out the timing belt are far to small for me to worry about.

In my opinion, the risks far outweigh the reward.

I am worried about the roller bearings wearing out quicker due to the exposure to the elements.