While taking out my timing belt on my 1984 rabbit 1.6NA, I noticed that there wasn't a backplate, just the timing belt cover. You can see the top of the idler pulley and timing belt from the inside part with the timing belt cover on. I don't know if these motors are suppose to have a timing belt backplate or not. Does anyone know and have a pic on what they look like? Also on the 1.6NA, is there suppose to be a lower timing belt cover by the crankshaft? It is frustrating when taking this thing apart finding things wrongs with it from PO, as in the case with the timing belt, I found it to be off by a couple of teeth at the injection pump, no wonder it didn't run well!
There should be a plastic cover around the bottom sprocket, but no backing plate on top, just the metal "wrap around" style cover. In '85 they went to the plastic upper cover with a metal backing plate.
Many lower timing belt covers get chewed up by all the belts running near them.
The dealership is the best place I've found to buy new ones.
Yeah, no backing plate until '85.
Thank you, I will check the bottom for the lower cover just to make sure.
Well, I don't have a cover around the bottom timing belt sprocket! Where can I get one cheap? Why is the bottom cover important? I thought the top cover was the most important!
They are both fairly important, if anything gets in there (rock or debris) and shreds that belt.... Your gonna be getting a new cylinder head at the minimum.. with an entire engine worst case scenario.
so for the extra 10 minutes it takes at t-belt jobs.. worth not detonating your engine
