I've never noticed problems with the timing belt covers on any previous Subie's I've owned, but this one (an 86 GL 4x4 wagon) has melted and cracked covers. I priced new ones and they aren't cheap - and looked in junk yards and they seem to have the same problem. A friend of my husband said to just take them off and run it w/o them. Sounds risky to me, but I'm a 'girl' - what do I know? LOL

Lots of ppl here run with out them. I've had one pulley bearing fail since then. I also take the time now to lubricate them often; especially in a MN winter with all the salt and sand!

 

Are they interfering with anything in their current conditoin? As far as protective shields; they are better in their current shape than none at all If they arent harming your belts or rubbing on any pullies I'd just leave them untill you find a nice junkyard set.

I think when I get around to doing the belts on my wifes car, I'll cut the middle one so I can get it off without taking off the crankshaft pulley. Then I'll leave the rest of them on.

 

That being said, I pretty much need to get a new set also. When taking the side covers off, the bolts all stripped out, so I got to use the screwdriver/prying to get them off... grr...

Mine are 20 years old, and in fairly rough shape, but they still do their job. I have thought about running without them, but I have seen a oil pump pully bent because of running w/o covers and a rock getting in there - so I feel that there should be something there to protect the belts.

 

Realize they are covers - they don't have to be pretty, they just have to cover the belts.

i run without them. before i ran without them i had 3 failed bearings and a broken oil pump pulley (which snapped the timing belt) WITH timing covers, so i wouldn't blame any failure of that sort to running without covers. that's with alot of miles of driving on a couple XT6's.

 

i think it's most beneficial if you're doing the work to your own car, makes timing belt replacement super quick and super easy. if you don't, i wouldn't worry about it unless they're in the way somehow. i've seen them rubbing belts before if they are contorted or deformed enough.

One answer to the bolts seizing up is to apply never-seeze to the bolts when re-attaching the covers.