July 25, 200619 yr So... I just had my first timing belt failure on the Hornet, about 1 mile away from my house. I walked home, got my truck and tools, and had it fixed in about 30 minutes. The idler pulley on the drivers' side belt had semi-seized. It looks like the seals in the bearing had disintegrated some time ago. With all the gravel roads I'm on, it was just a matter of time before enough grit worked into the bearing to wreck it. Indirectly, this is due to me running without covers. Having a cover would slow the dust from getting into the bearing, but it wouldn't have stopped it completely. However, having no cover definitely accelerated any wear that would have been happening. That said, I'm still convinced that having no covers is the way to go. It took me 5 minutes to get an almost-new idler pulley off a parts car of mine (the parts car has no covers on the t-belts), and another 25 minutes to install the pulley and 2 timing belts on the Hornet. With covers on everything, it would have taken me all night to take stuff off the cars and put it all back together.
July 25, 200619 yr Steve ..... your prob wondering why the "HORNET" had no Belt covers right????? it was Austins idea to get rid of em....so we chuck'd em. ..pretty cool eh?...LOL:headbang: sorry steve hang in there...... Spark **orig owner of the "HORNET"**
July 25, 200619 yr If you grease those bad boys now and then, it would prevent the grit from drying out the seals and working it's way in. Another benifit to no covers is that lubeing the idlers and tensioners is actually a feasible proposition. A grease injection "needle" can be had at most good parts stores for your grease gun, and makes the job pretty easy. GD
July 25, 200619 yr Hey Sparkster, Tell Austin I put covers back on the XT. Now that I have new belts and bearings on it I figured it will probably out last everything else plus the only gravel it sees now is my driveway.
July 26, 200619 yr i think Austin has a vendetta on timing belt covers... .when he was workin on the "hornet" ..he said Spark you don't need these stupid covers lets take'm off...and no sooner than i could say but wait..............-- .those puppies were toast and chuck 8 ft from the Hornet...lol:lol:
July 26, 200619 yr LOL, yeah it makes it pretty easy to change without them and I ran it all winter in the snow and ice without them.
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