Dragon is being taken apart by aircraft-engineer as I type. All the pieces of the timing belt cover are grooved for gaskets, but all are missing. Are they necessary, or can we reassemble without them when we finish?

 

No rattles were apparent without them up until now.

 

Info: 97 Imp L wagon, 2.2, 163000 mi.

There are a lot of people that run without covers.

 

Personallly I like covers, as it protects the belts from snow and mud. I think the gaskets are un necassary, as snow and mud are pretty big to get inside the covers.

 

 

nipper

Thanks for the reply!

 

I'll just remember to add them when I drive the Al-Can.

 

Now back to our regularly-scheduled driveway madness... Aircraft-engineer: 'Where's the socket? Where's the wrench? Where's the manual? Go away and shut up. Come here and get this. Gaah, I don't have it, gotta make a parts run... again'

 

Or, in other words, my sanity goes on another regularly-scheduled car-repair-driven vacation in self-preservation...

I'm pretty sure those grooves just fit together and there are no gaskets between them.

If the PS pump is leaking I'd make sure I fixed it. Otherwise that PS fluid seems to find it's way into the timing belt cover. I don't know how/if it would get on the belt but I wouldn't want to take the chance.

 

I just did a 2.5 where the PS pump leaked (the seal in the back) and had the effect of some PS fluid setting on top of the engine and some finding it's way down the front of the motor.

 

Other than that I don't know if the gasket would be such a big deal.

 

Dave

personally i just used like a tube of RTV to seal the timing cover.....doesnt look to good but it works.....

will use either black or red silicone to seal it up (after I pressure wash the oil off. There might be a valve cover leaking as well - haven't figured it out for sure.) SHE can complain but I'M doing the work