Mmmmkay so yea i see coolant puddle underneath my waterpump, sooo i think i found the leak. theres absolutly no play in the shaft. So is it most likley the gasket, because it did sit for awhile. and quick question also, do the rear timing covers HAVE to come off?? Cause i dont wanna take the camshaft sprockets off. I wanna leave the covers OFF so can i like leave the rears there?? or will that cause a problem?

To get the WP off, you have to remove the center timing belt cover, and to do that, you have to remove the crank pulley at least. You might be able to get the water pump out without removing the belts, but I have a feeling not. Plan on taking it all off.

 

GD

its all off, im in the middle of a timing belt change, the belts are off, the drivers side one was busted, smothered in oil from im guessing the main seal, wich im also replacing.

Just take the sprockets off and remove the rear's. You could leave them, but you'll be sorry you did later. The cam sprockets are easy to remove, and you really should replace the cam seals behind them anyway.

 

GD

Just take the sprockets off and remove the rear's. You could leave them, but you'll be sorry you did later. The cam sprockets are easy to remove, and you really should replace the cam seals behind them anyway.

 

GD

 

GD, Without the rear covers, how do you line up the marks on the cam sprokets when replacing the belts?

I point them towards the sky - or away from the ground if you prefer. I own two without covers, and have done timing belts/headgaskets on many more and left them off without any problems yet. If they are off by just one tooth it's pretty obvious - one tooth is a enough to make them visibly lean out of vertical.

 

GD

The mark also lines up properly with the cam carrier/valve cover seam.

 

-=Russ=-

yea i need a few tips on the main seal, i had HELL getting the old one out, and the new one i got in and the middle lip on a part caught cause it went in crooked and is gushing oil, soooo i get to replace it again, but hey, it started right up on the first turn of the key, lol

Just take the sprockets off and remove the rear's. You could leave them, but you'll be sorry you did later. The cam sprockets are easy to remove, and you really should replace the cam seals behind them anyway.

 

GD

 

GD, Please explain why would a person would be sorry if they left the rear covers on. I left my rear covers on (fronts are off) but I haven't driven it over 5 miles since I replaced the timing belts. Should I remove them?

I left my rear covers on (fronts are off) but I haven't driven it over 5 miles since I replaced the timing belts. Should I remove them?

i would not go through all that work just to remove the rear belt covers, there's no need to. while i remove the rears normally like GD said, i have left them before as well and there's nothing to worry about (at least on mine there wasn't). they weren't needed, but they didn't hurt anything either. looks cooler without them!

Thanks Gary, It crossed my mind that maybe dirt and or snow might build up and throw the belts off but evidently that's not a problem. I left my front covers off so I could monitor and replace belts easier. I wasn't doing it for the looks.

Your car still doing okay after leaving the covers off?

yes they are, the rear covers are bolted down anyway, they cant move at all, and the belts dont rub or anything

GD, Please explain why would a person would be sorry if they left the rear covers on. I left my rear covers on (fronts are off) but I haven't driven it over 5 miles since I replaced the timing belts. Should I remove them?

 

It's that much harder to clean, to get replacement belts over the cam sprockets, and to replace cam seals if you need to.

 

Plus it just looks stupid, and they serve no purpose without the fronts on there.

 

Cumulative I probably have about 50,000 on cover-less belts on various engines. And there's others here with far more than that. Make sure your v-belts are in good shape - if an old one shreds it could get sucked into the timing belts.

 

Personally, the benefit of being able to put on spare belts in the breakdown lane with only a 12mm deep socket far outweighs the minimal risks. The alternative is towing the vehicle and doing a 3 hour timing belt job. There's really no queston at all if you have ever had a t-belt break on the freeway . And if you haven't then you clearly are a noob in the EA82 world.

 

GD