Timing belt cover

[majicwrench]

Yup silly. Why would Fiat, or any manufacturer, go to the bother of designing, creating and installing a part that wasn't neccessary?? Heck, most of go a lifetime and never need our seatbelts, let's just get rid of em!

I fix cars for a living. I see no timing belts with and rock/debris damage, but they all have intact covers. Subarus, Toyotas, VWs, etc etc. Most modern engine have an almost sealed belt cover arrangement. But I DO SEE many serpintine belts , that don't have covers, with rock damage, sometimes still with the offending piece of gravel stuck in the pulley.

Fiat put em on the car to protect the belt. I don't know any Fiat engineers from the 70's to ask, but I don't need to. They are there to protect the belt.

What is silly is to leave them off. But it's your engine.
Keith

[mdrburchette]

Y'all are silly.
The way you rationalize to yourselves...
Give them a real answer.
Why doesn't somebody find out why fiat decided to put them on the car?
I say again: find out why fiat put them on the car.
Y'all are silly.

And who, Oh Wise One, should we ask this question? I thought it was being answered. For safety and engine cooling efficiency. This reminds me years ago when people would knock off the front air dam off their GM car and didn't spend the money to replace it, then wonder why the car ran hotter than it used to.

[spider2081]

I think one reason the timing belt covers are there is because society has these people called "lawyers". I'm a little surprised the cover does not have a sticker in 10 languages stating do not put your finger in between belt and gears.

[bradartigue]

Quoting Service Letter 100-13, dated 6-28-79, title is "NEW ADDITIONAL TIMING BELT COVERS"

"To increase timing belt protection, three additional sheet metal timing belt covers have been added. The sheet metal cover located between the plastic cover and the timing belt must be removed to R & R the timing belt. Because of the additional time required, all service times requiring belt R & R have been increased."

[Divers]

Since it came out in 79...does this mean we can stop thinking that everything Fiat did was "god like". I mean if it took them 12 years to figure this out, just imagine how many more "fixes" we would have seen if they (Fiat) had not pulled out of the US.

Everyone has an opinion, but everytime some issue of enhancement or change comes up....its the same song and dance. Well...if the Fiat engineers did it, they must have had a reason.

I guess brakes on these were perfect "cause that's what the engineers did"
I guess the exhaust system is perfect "cause that's what the engineers did"
I guess 13" tires are perfect "cause that's what the engineers did"
I guess grounds all over the car (and with push on terminals) are perfect "cause that's what the engineers did"
I guess the routing of the emergency brake cable near the hot muffler is perfect...

I could go on!

There is a fine line between answering a question and acting like democrats and republicans.

I have had great advice on this forum and appreciate the input when it comes to the facts. God only knows my car would still be in pieces if not for some on this forum.

[Fi8spider]

I'd rather leave mine on for safety and piece of mind.
But if your after a little wow from the crowd when you open the engine compartment then leave it off.

[4uall]

I'd rather leave mine on for safety and piece of mind.
But if your after a little wow from the crowd when you open the engine compartment then leave it off.

sorta like a bathing suit

[Fi8spider]

showing my age am I.

[maytag]

c'mom; nobody liked my ham story? I made it up, just for the occasion.

Yup silly. Why would Fiat, or any manufacturer, go to the bother of designing, creating and installing a part that wasn't neccessary??

I think one reason the timing belt covers are there is because society has these people called "lawyers".

Heck, most of go a lifetime and never need our seatbelts, let's just get rid of em!

actually, I use my seatbelts every day. And they have a very clearly-designed purpose which has been proven, time and time again. Not like the timing-belt cover.

I fix cars for a living.

I used to fix cars for a living too. But that doesn't make me an authority beyond what I've seen myself.

I see no timing belts with and rock/debris damage,

I thought it was being answered. For safety and engine cooling efficiency. This reminds me years ago when people would knock off the front air dam off their GM car and didn't spend the money to replace it, then wonder why the car ran hotter than it used to.

I think you may have missed something in previous posts: the timing belt cover has ZERO impact on cooling. And nobody has suggested it has, until your post. Unless you are referring to two separate items; in which case, I'm a very BIG believer in the lower engine-bay cover. I'd love to find an intact one for my car. But we are WAAAY off point here.

Quoting Service Letter 100-13, dated 6-28-79, title is "NEW ADDITIONAL TIMING BELT COVERS"

Brad, I appreciate you chiming-in here, but your stance on big-tube bumpers denies you any credibility in these arguments.

Since it came out in 79...does this mean we can stop thinking that everything Fiat did was "god like". I mean if it took them 12 years to figure this out, just imagine how many more "fixes" we would have seen if they (Fiat) had not pulled out of the US.

Everyone has an opinion, but everytime some issue of enhancement or change comes up....its the same song and dance. Well...if the Fiat engineers did it, they must have had a reason.

I guess brakes on these were perfect "cause that's what the engineers did"
I guess the exhaust system is perfect "cause that's what the engineers did"
I guess 13" tires are perfect "cause that's what the engineers did"
I guess grounds all over the car (and with push on terminals) are perfect "cause that's what the engineers did"
I guess the routing of the emergency brake cable near the hot muffler is perfect...

where have you been all my life?

ok...
so, more seriously. Brad has posted something that answers the question. sort of. "for protection of the timing belt" is a little ambiguous, isn't it? I know, everyone on THAT side of the fence is rolling your eyes at me, and wondering what the definition of "alone" is. But really, I'd like to know what was on FIAT's mind? What did they think they were protecting the belt from?

On my Benz, I had to pull the engine cover the other day. It's a silly plastic guard that snaps to the top of the motor, and allows places to hide ugly components. Now, mind you, you could EAT off the motor. I'm fairly meticulous in the appearance of my vehicles. But when I removed that cover, the accumulated grime and crud was just NASTY. And as a matter of fact, it had accumulated into the fins of the power-steering-cooler, rendering it rather useless. And I wondered to myself what sort of life a timing belt would have in that environment; covered, where it can't be seen / inspected, and can't be cleaned.
How is it better to have it covered? What is it that we are protecting the belt from? (well... I'm NOT protecting mine from whatever it is.... )

[bradartigue]

What is it we are protecting the belt from?

Debris, rocks, the off-chance that one is going to fly up and get lodged in there. I'm not even sure why this is being debated, but it is. You don't need it. It serves no mechanical function other than protection. If you think it looks bad, remove it. Do what your dealer did - remove it, the lower pans, the rear pans, the bell housing shield, and whatever else you think unnecessary. These are the first steps in a twenty-four step program of Spider ownership:

1. Remove all items that inconvenience you and discard.
2. Replace ignition with mess of wires and aluminum box.
3. Cut wood for your own dashboard.
4. Replace seats with 5 point harness style, because a 102HP car needs them.
5. Install ANSA twin tip.
6. Remove bumpers and install boat trailer blinkers.
7. Install 9mm plug wires.
8. Install at least five fuel filters.
9. Install panasport rims.
10. Paint your engine and install aluminum parts.
11. Install Kicker or similar radio and a speaker box in place of rear seat.
12. Place at least one ABARTH sticker on car.
13. Remove ABARTH sticker
14. Reinstall rear seat and buy period correct radio from ebay
15. Remove engine parts and bead blast to original
16. Find iron cross or turbo rims, clean, paint, reinstall
17. Correctly repair fuel system and clean tank
18. Buy OE Carello wires for plugs
19. Reinstall bumpers and original lamps
20. Remove rusted out ANSA exhaust
21. Find and fix original seats, recover
22. Replace homemade wood with OE pieces
23. Seek out a Marelliplex then settle on a OE Electronic ignition
24. Replace engine pans and timing belt covers, other panels and shields

[bradartigue]

Oh and another point per maytag's post: The engineering of the vehicle far surpasses the owner fixes suggested here.

I bet you put the covers back on your MB.

[Fi8spider]

That's Classic Brad and all so true in many cases!

How about the butchers compromise.
Trimming off the top half of the cover just above the centre bolt hole.
Best of both worlds, see the cams in action, you could easily inspect the cam belt and you'd still have a TDC mark.

Probably increasing the safety risk by doing this but it would be a decent compromise.

I wonder what it would look like done neatly, Hey and don't forget to find another OE cover for when you change your mind in ten years time and decide to go back to original..

[bradartigue]

That's Classic Brad and all so true in many cases!

How about the butchers compromise.
Trimming off the top half of the cover just above the centre bolt hole.
Best of both worlds, see the cams in action, you could easily inspect the cam belt and you'd still have a TDC mark.

Probably increasing the safety risk by doing this but it would be a decent compromise.

I wonder what it would look like done neatly, Hey and don't forget to find another OE cover for when you change your mind in ten years time and decide to go back to original..

How about a clear cover? Have someone pressure mold one.

Hell, make a clear hood.

[Fi8spider]

See, now we're brainstorming.
And everybody's happy!

[dantye]

Just wondered how many people run there spider without the timing belt cover and the related risks to doing so?

IMHO, this question could only be asked by someone who has never been driving through an area where a semi recently blew a re-tread all over the road! (which can do a lot of other damage, also.) But it only takes a marble-size or larger piece of that rubber to bounce in and snap your un-guarded timing belt. It has happened to many a fan belt also, but not so disastrous as a Spider timing belt.