leave timing belt cover off?

would you like a door on your car if you got hit on that side or not ??? what a pain in the ass to open and close a door ?

well that sums it up :)

One bit of debris in the cam(s) could mean a broken belt (at best!) or a wasted cam (or cams, if DOHC)

Put the cover back on it.

-LMB

I'd think you'd be changing the belt more often with it off versus keeping the belt free of gunk with the cover on. Those other exposed belts don't have crucial precise teeth which need to be kept clean. If your AC belt blows, you won't necessarily be stranded. my .02

He just said it's a non-interference engine so that eliminates the major repair scenario. I did it years ago on one of my old cars with no dramas. Sure it keeps dust out, cuts down noise and the worry of poking a finger in there but not having it on makes it dead simple to inspect for wear or replace. I don't remember having any dramas at all from leaving it off. Ask some of those riders of those lumbering USA built motorcycles if they've ever caught a rock in the belt. It'd be somewhat more unusual to have one fly into the timing belt area i'd imagine.

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Passed the valve nice as you please and locked it up. On start. Mister magnet through the sparkplug hole fixed it though. New underwear for me. he he

Haven't done that but 20 years ago the dodgy bolt that held on a poxy aftermarket air filter that someone had affixed to a 105e Ford Anglia that i had bought, came free and dropped down the carby throat jamming it open. I suppose that's why we have ignition switches.

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I don't know if it applies to the Escort. What I did with a Vega is cut the cover so it could be installed in two pieces. That saved removal time and also allowed me to pull the cover back to inspect for belt wear. The belt was still protected from debris.

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I drove a car like that once. I hit a ridge of snow from someone shoveling their driveway and the belt blew off.

Mike

ant wrote:

Actually that IS a big problem on hogs. That is why most have belt guards and still have problems.

REAL stupid to leave the cover off over a timing belt. Only takes one pebble or a finger to show you that.

how did you know which spakplug to go for?

Mark

If you mean me, There were 2 up and 2 down. Some light in the holes narrowed it to one.

wws