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Leaving cam belt cover off.

emwmarine - 10/10/12 at 12:40 PM

I was thinking of leaving the cam belt cover off my zetec as I quite the look of the engine like that.

Is it a bad idea? Can stones or other things hit the belts and shift the cam timing??

D Beddows - 10/10/12 at 12:43 PM

Yup, bad idea really although it does look good. No doubt someone will be along to say they've done 200,000 miles on an engine without them but......

[Edited on 10/10/12 by D Beddows]

adithorp - 10/10/12 at 12:46 PM

quote:
Originally posted by D Beddows
Yup, bad idea really although it does look good. No doubt someone will be along to say they've done 200,000 miles on an engine without them but......

[Edited on 10/10/12 by D Beddows]

What he said. Seen stones break a belt. Only reason to leave it off is if you don't have clearance.

The Black Flash - 10/10/12 at 12:56 PM

I presume that manufacturers put them on for a reason, but that might well be more for safety for people putting their hands under the bonnet than protection of the belt itself. That said I'm leaving mine off. Not least because they're broken
I've heard from off-road racers who leave them off because otherwise things can get inside and bounce around, rather than bouncing off. I imagine the risks are slim, but I doubt that anyone has any evidence either way.

Bluemoon - 10/10/12 at 12:58 PM

bad idea.. If it was a good idea manufactures would not fit; would save a few quid.. As above you just need a stone etc to end up in the belt and that's the engine lunched..

Dan

Paul Turner - 10/10/12 at 01:05 PM

If there is space to leave it on leave it on, it does no harm. When I had a silvertop I left the cam belt cover on but with the blacktop it was not possible, the huge cast front cover fouled as did the cam cover and top belt cover, had to use a silvertop cam cover to get the bonnet on. On advice I removed the whole lot from top to bottom the reason being if you left part in place a stone could become trapped. I also put mesh in front of the grill and made a mesh guard for under the front of the car to prevent stones getting in.

No problems so far but a cover would be nice.

[Edited on 10/10/12 by Paul Turner]

mookaloid - 10/10/12 at 01:30 PM

I got some gravel in my Pinto cam belt after going off into a gravel trap - it ruined my day as I couldn't work out why the thing wouldn't run till I got home

at the time I though it was cool leaving the cover off - I don't think so now.

snapper - 10/10/12 at 01:36 PM

For a stone to get at the belt in our cars it will either have to go through the rad or bounce backwards defying the laws of physics
Of course there could be the odd one but more chance of a nut or bolt comming off first
If you want the open look run a bit of ally under the front to just past the belt
If rad is also panelled in no chance of a stone getting in

Mr Whippy - 10/10/12 at 01:39 PM

While the engines running the belt is quite a hazard, fast and powerful, if you can cover it, safe yourself or someone else a needless injury

No real benefit to not doing so apart from not being able to show off your fancy cogs

whitestu - 10/10/12 at 01:48 PM

quote:

No real benefit to not doing so apart from not being able to show off your fancy cogs

The main benefit is you can easily see the state of the tensioners and belt. The main risk is getting something caught in it whilst working on a running engine. The chances of anything getting in whilst driving are very slim.

Mine is off as it won't fit. If it had I would have probably left it on.

Stu

pewe - 10/10/12 at 02:03 PM

Read Clairetoo's current post and substitute belt for fan.
Having said that my Lancia engine has run for three years without mishap without a cover due to clearance issues but I would have preferred it covered.
Cheers, Pewe10

mcerd1 - 10/10/12 at 03:02 PM

quote:
Originally posted by D Beddows
Yup, bad idea really although it does look good. No doubt someone will be along to say they've done 200,000 miles on an engine without them but......

......but they just haven't met the stone with there name on it yet

your chances of finding that stone might be low - but as mookaloid found out if your pushing hard on a track its probably in one of the gravel traps

[Edited on 10/10/2012 by mcerd1]

dhutch - 10/10/12 at 03:43 PM

quote:
Originally posted by snapper
For a stone to get at the belt in our cars it will either have to go through the rad or bounce backwards defying the laws of physics

Or come upwards of the front chassis member, which is behind the rad and infront of the fan...

I have admitly run for the last two years with the top half missing (cvh) and the bottom half fitted purely because having taken of the old one which had a hold through to the verner to replace with an uncut one I lost the bolts nad hevent got around to re attaching it yet.

But I wouldnt delibaratly take it off, no.

Daniel

FuryRebuild - 10/10/12 at 05:04 PM

You also have a chance of the belt leaping off if it's toothed.

Burtons for instance sell a little bolt-on front to prevent this - Ł10 to prevent it eating itself alive.

Werner Van Loock - 10/10/12 at 05:44 PM

If you run without, just make sure it's completely off. Worst is to have only half fitted as if a stone gets in there it has only 1 way out and that's between the belt.

Everyone running RC cars in competition know that belt driven models either are fully covered or completely open.

Worse are bolts and nuts, they will just break pulleys.

James - 10/10/12 at 05:50 PM

Found a short 13mm bolt lodged in mine between the timing pulley and the belt on my Pinto.

The cover went on after that!

Cheers,
James

daviep - 10/10/12 at 10:30 PM

The other major risk is the alternator belt, if it comes of or breaks there's a fair chance it'll end up tangled in with the timing belt.

Never seen it on kit car yet but seen quite a few of the of the ol Di transit engines with the broken alternator belt wrapped around the timing belt crank pulley which breaks the timing belt, mates hyundai did the same when the crank hamonic balancer failed.

Cheers
Davie