backcountrycrui Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Guys, Ive been reading through posts all morning about using or not using the timing belt covers on my new ea82. The only problem is that I couldnt find much about the guys that run off road. I wont be doing much in the way of mud bogging or creek crossing, but alot of dirt roads and mild off road. SO WHAT SAY YOU about using them for DD / Dirt road runners ? I dont like the covers, thats for sure. Love being able to change the belts in less than 20 mins. Thanks Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 if you're anal run them. if you're practical don't. there's no reason not to run them - it's all in your head. so - what's in your head? you're not going to get a clear answer, lots of folks that run them off road have replied - i offroad mine, no problem yet. i had a timing cover come loose and rub a hole in my ATF hose which started leaking......so they're less reliable:lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 I would say use them if your running where anything can pack in the belt, like snow, or thick mud. nipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyman03 Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 if you're anal run them. if you're practical don't. there's no reason not to run them +1. BUT... I would say use them if your running where anything can pack in the belt, like snow, or thick mud. nipper i have to agree with Nipper on this one. I've had rocks and crap get in there and screw up the belt. -Justin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beast I Drive Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 If you are gonna run it off road, intall a solid skid plate to keep snow, rocks, etc. from lodging in the belts. Also keep spare belts and the tools to change them in the storage hatch. There is no need to run covers, they just get in the way and complicate an otherwise simple procedure. -Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numbchux Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 with the poor tensioner design on the EA82s (not applicable on XT6s or EJs), the belts are bound to fail. regardless of whether you're on-road or off. The reason to run with the covers off is so you can change the belts in just a few minutes. So, if you trust them to get you where you're going (not me! I've been left on the side of the road too many dozens of times by my EA82s), make them last and run with covers. if not, bring spares (both belts, both tensioners, and the idler), and tools, and leave 'em off. someone who knows what they're doing, and has all the parts/tools at hand, can replace one in about 20 minutes. My record is 14, including putting on my coveralls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backcountrycrui Posted December 14, 2009 Author Share Posted December 14, 2009 Could you guys look at my other post regarding my dilema. Its in the older generation under "carb ea82 rebuilt and wont start" Thanks Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qman Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Everyone talks about failure and replacing the belts in short time, blah, blah, blah... Use new parts when doing the timing belts and they last. Use crappy or used parts and they will fail prematurely. I would not want any dirt, excess dust, mud or other debris anywhere near my belts or idlers. As far as covers coming loose... tighten the bolts... use loctite... A qulity skid plate will only keep solid items out of the lower engine compartment. Muddy water still has free access to everything in the engine compartment. Ultimately, it is the individuals decision. To each his own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 open belts all day long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberoo Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 timing belt covers will keep crap in there if anything does get in there.Stuff like mud that would have otherwise just drain out might interfere with the belts anyway.So the covers can keep stuff out but in the case of fluids might make it worse.Besides most EA82's and EJ22's the covers get eaten by the belts anyway.Once the covers are worn through they will let stuff in but it wont escape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qman Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 timing belt covers will keep crap in there if anything does get in there.Stuff like mud that would have otherwise just drain out might interfere with the belts anyway.So the covers can keep stuff out but in the case of fluids might make it worse.Besides most EA82's and EJ22's the covers get eaten by the belts anyway.Once the covers are worn through they will let stuff in but it wont escape. What EA82 or EJ experience do you have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qman Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Keeping parts that are in disrepair is just lazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoobieDoo Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Covers off for me, and it has been off-roaded like that. Also a DD that gets 50 miles/day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberoo Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 What EA82 or EJ experience do you have? not as much as some of you but I did own a 87 GL wagon.I ran the ea82 until it blew a headgasket then I swapped in an ej22.Theres was always dirt and assorted crap at the bottom of the covers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chazmataz Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 i've had my covers off for i think about 4 years now maybe more. i've had 2 belt failures since then, the first one not sure why it went second one the idler froze, my fault for not investigating the sound. its been offroaded hard for going on 7 years now but its not a DD. but it is a part time DD. it makes it alot easier and faster to change out the belts with them off. try it without and if you don't like it you can always put them back on. but it is as was mention above, the ultimate decision is yours and yours only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus56 Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Water will still get to the timing belts even with the covers on, as there are holes in the bottom of them. And how would rocks even get to them? The radiator and grill protects from the front, the car itself protects the sides, and i dont think that rocks will randomly jump up off the ground... just get a good skid plate, and you will be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one eye Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 There are about 8 of us that have ran with the belts open, only one time have we had problems, and that was Woody, the 8" lifted car, he was driving through snow and it got built up on the cam gear and knocked the timing off, he was pushing snow with his bumper, the good news was it took 4 sec. to put it back on................. Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backcountrycrui Posted December 15, 2009 Author Share Posted December 15, 2009 Well it covers off for me. This wagon that I just picked up is now running and I dont think I will bother putting the covers on ever again. I will post some pics as soon as I can. Ill be taking it down to Rob in Bonney Lake on Wed. He's letting me borrow his timming light. Damn those things are expensive. Thanks for all the responses Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torxxx Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 +10 for no covers.. ran mine with no covers for the last 7 years and have had NO problems with it. We even dropped a screw driver down in there at 2500 rpms to see what would happen. it spit the screw driver back out. The pros of no covers: You can check your t-belts every time u check your oil just by looking down. Takes 5 minutes to put new belts on when/if they break You dont ever have to worry about the captive nuts in the inner covers spinning and having to "extract" the bolts out of them Easier to tell when you have a cam/crank seal leaking Belts dont get coated with oil/coolant when you do have a leak Run without covers it'll be the best thing you've done to ur car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 If you expect to drive in any deep snow, or any mud......I vote for running covers. Good condition covers, well sealed. Use zipties to secure the outer covers if captive nuts spin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chazmataz Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 If you expect to drive in any deep snow, or any mud......I vote for running covers. Good condition covers, well sealed. Use zipties to secure the outer covers if captive nuts spin. I have and still do run in deep snow and mud, hell i've even have had them submerged. Never have had any problems with my covers being off. But to each there own. I'm just saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogstar7055 Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 If you expect to drive in any deep snow, or any mud......I vote for running covers. Good condition covers, well sealed. Use zipties to secure the outer covers if captive nuts spin. Been watching this thread and I gotta agree with covers on. All it takes is one piece of whatever to get between the belt and pulley and bad sh*t happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88Subi4x4 Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 best thing i ever did was take thos covers off makes it easy to do belts and thos studs in thos stupid cases are a pain! run open belts! but carry an extra belt just in case Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numbchux Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 All it takes is one piece of whatever to get between the belt and pulley and bad sh*t happens. no it doesn't. the engine quits, you get out, grab 22mm and 12mm sockets and a spare belt. and it's running again in 10 minutes or so. and with or without covers, EA82 belts fail much sooner than the subarus with hydaulic tensioners. it's been many years since I've tried to depend on an EA82 every day, so I couldn't tell you the cause of every failure, but I always used new belts, and almost never had leakage issues. Like I said, running without them is conceding that they're unreliable, and that you'll be prepared to replace them wherever you have to be. It might be possible to get them sealed up well enough, and get the belts tight enough that it wouldn't be necessary, but my efforts were never successful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 It might be possible to get them sealed up well enough, and get the belts tight enough that it wouldn't be necessary, but my efforts were never successful. Had you ever stuck a 12mm socket in the access holes in the covers and loosend then retightened the tensioner? The spring will pull up any slack in the belt. You have to put a bit of clockwise rotation pressure on the crank while doing this. But it really helps to do it every 10k or so on EA82 belts. And there are those out there running interference EJ engines.......they should DEFINATELY run with well sealed covers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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