Author Topic: timing belt cover optional? (Read 4781 times)

zyewdall · « **on:** December 18, 2005, 01:17:08 am »

I was wondering if you can run the 1.6NA engines without the timing belt cover. The old rabbit we got doesn't have one -- and the previous owner put 50,000 miles on there that way. Subaru people often run without timing belt covers (because they are always breaking belts and it's faster to replace them on the side of the road that way), so maybe it's fine for the VW too?

What do you think?

Zeke

VWRacer · « **Reply #1 on:** December 18, 2005, 03:57:26 am »

Zeke, the cover is to keep your fingers out of the belt... :shock:

...and to keep mud, sand and water out of it, as well. Leave it on unless you are playing with IP timing or something that mandates leaving it off for a while.

Probably nothing would happen, but the cover is cheap engine insurance.

vwmike · « **Reply #2 on:** December 18, 2005, 05:37:44 am »

For most people I'd suggest that you keep the cover on for the safety of anyone working in there and for the safety of the engine. Getting something stuck in the belt would make for a bad day. I don't typically run covers myself... mostly because they're in the way.

steve · « **Reply #3 on:** December 18, 2005, 09:31:37 am »

I kept mine on until it got to where it would rub on the belt. So I just left it off for the past 4 years. Probably good to keep it on if you can.

If you break a VW diesel belt you'll be replacing the belt and the head on the side of the road. so the Subaru logic probably doesn't apply on the VW diesel. Good try though.

zyewdall · « **Reply #4 on:** December 18, 2005, 11:20:59 am »

So, it sounds like the consensus is that it should have covers. So.... where do you get timing belt covers for this engine?

Master ACiD · « **Reply #5 on:** December 18, 2005, 01:03:29 pm »

i never use a timing belt cover. i like to be able to inspect the injection pump for leakage around the inputshaft seal at a moments glance. also makes diagnosing a failing idler bearing easy. its easier if i just pop the hood, look around and close it without getting greasy touching things.

vwmike · « **Reply #6 on:** December 18, 2005, 03:13:37 pm »

Quote from: "libbybapa"

In response to a couple of other posts, if the cover is rubbing against the belt then it can easily be shimmed out at it's supports. I'm assuming you are talking about the metal version, I've never seen the plastic version rub. As far as the cover being in the way, I don't get it. What is it in the way of? Changing the belt only needs to be done every 60,000 miles. Pump timing only when the belt is changed or injectors are swapped for ones with other breaking pressures. If one were a fanatical pump adjuster (the only reason I can think the cover would be in the way) then I would suggest drilling a hole in the appropriate location for accessing the one pump adjustment bolt and leaving the cover on.

Andrew

There's also the scenario where you might like to modify the pump which requires removal of the pump.

vwmike · « **Reply #7 on:** December 18, 2005, 05:35:33 pm »

I never run them on my gas cars and in the many years I've been doing that I have yet to have a problem. I removed the timing cover from my Jetta because the metal backing was all bent so you couldn't get the valve cover off so it ended up bent enough to leak. Now there's nothing to clip it onto so in the trash it goes. I threw on an aluminum valve cover and a rubber gasket so I no longer have to dread removing the valve cover. My Rabbit truck also never had the covers and I had no problems there. Before I owned it there was no lower cover either and it was like that for about 3 years or so.

therabbittree · « **Reply #8 on:** December 18, 2005, 07:24:10 pm »

I hat ecovers also..but i have had soem problem sin teh winter with not using the covers..if you go snow 4 wheeling and get stuck in a snow drift or slide off the road into snow deep enough to get on teh t belt it will slip..i have down this twice on gassers and i have been lucky with my diesels..for my tdi mech i will run th ecovers as i plan on getting it dirty often on my wifes car a tdi it has th ecovers to keep the t belt cleaner and last longer no abrasive grit on it etc..but no covers looks way better and is way easier to work on and if you ar edry climate and stay on pavement you should be ok with out the covers..
later
Deo

LeeG · « **Reply #9 on:** December 19, 2005, 03:53:34 pm »

Living a little further North than some of the responses, I wouldnt run without the cover. This time of year the front of my engine is covered with grit, sand and muck that gets tossed up by the car in front. The Vbelts only last 1 season of this treatment and I always carry a spare for each belt. The power stearing pump is mounted so low, that the V belt also picks up under car crap and hoses the underside of the hood and timing cover with it. The timing belt life would be drastically shortened without a cover in this environment, if it didnt try to eat a bigger chuck of crud and break first. I wouldn't run without the cover, but I do leave off the 10mm bolt so I can loosen the cover for a quick visual without tools.

Surrrey BC - Squamish BC commuter....

zyewdall · « **Reply #10 on:** December 19, 2005, 04:43:31 pm »

Yeah, I wonder about snow getting in there. The subaru people who run without covers do admit that when plowing through snowdrifts, you'll occasionally pop a timing belt off. And I can certainly relate to the snow and crap all over everything in the winter, even if you aren't doing drift charging. My truck has had permanent dirty icicles hanging off it for the last two weeks -- since the last time it got above freezing here.

BTW, I gather that the main reason that old subaru timing belts are always breaking, is that they are non-interference engines, so people run a 60,000 mile belt for 110k miles or whatever takes to break it, instead of replacing it on time.... I personally keep my timing belt covers on my subaru too.