I Never Knew- Timing Cover PLASTIC !

[harpon]

I've been driving Festiva/ Aspire since 1997, and never knew the Timing Belt cover was plastic, until recently.

I just had the old Aspire in for a water pump/ Timing belt/ Serpentine repair- my DD since 2003-

and when I got it back the pulley was squealing the belt against the timing belt cover

I noticed the gasket peeking out a bit around the edges- so I thought I'd see If I could lose the belt squawk, and when I was getting it off I discover the timing cover is Plastic and not the steel I thought it was-

Anyway, that makes it easier to cut the arch so that it clears the serpentine pulley wheel- I also cut the lower 4th bolt off, because that's just too hard to get to, and drilled some holes in the cover to let heat come out of it

The last Festy I bought is out there and the guy I bought it from said that he had just given it a timing belt water pump repair, and it too squawks and has a frayed gasket sticking out at the edges. So I started think how STUPID and worthless it is to have a stupid weird shaped rubber gasket, that refuses reinstallation between a cheep PLASTIC part and the block of the motor. Makes NO SENSE- what does the gasket accomplish- the cover is split anyway and NOT air tight..

I think it was mostly the deformed re-installed gasket causing the squeak, and yet now find that at least some of the noise is coming from the BOTTOM COVER, with deformed screwed up gasket pushing the cover outward and into the spinning pulley. Why worry about putting a new gasket on? I wouldn't- just make sure the old one is removed thoroughly, or it pushes the plastic cover towards the pulley- it's not like the plastic will rattle against the block- it's just PLASTIC. So I'm trying to cut or file some of that away without taking that off because I think you have to hoist the motor or something. I think I'll leave off the cut down, drilled and painted Chrome silver top cover off for the rest of the summer, but it will reinstall with three bolts and not be in the way when I do. Anyway, I NEVER KNEW.

Also just had new CV axles put on. The mobile mechanic had some trouble getting the old ones out, but got it done, and the whole repair was only about an hour and 45 minutes. GREAT!

Also a new radiator and LARGE 16 inch aftermarket fan that really cools, yet very seldom needed now. 129,000 plus miles and many more hoped for. Gas will surely rise again and we can't get these high mileage cars anymore without booku bucks.
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[harpon]

Here's my new (mutilated) upper timing belt cover- looks like a mask for Jason huh? Whrrrr! whirrrrrrrrr!RUIDD:

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[harpon]

You know, you can't change the WATER PUMP without taking the timing belt off, but without the plastic timing cover on, I think you can get to all the water pump bolts without removing the belts, so you may be able to tighten those up if the pump is just leaking- gaskets probably shot anyway, but maybe. You could even play a filet of Window weld against the base of the pump and maybe that might stop a leak- Do Not Use copper stop leak- screws up the narrow radiator channels it appears.

[william]

I'd say it's cheaper than if it where stamped steal but it's just keeping dust out so plastic is just fine. And yes the cover dose split but it is gasketed on the split so it is sealed up.
The fact that it's been there for 25 years says something about that "cheap" plastic. If your water pump is leaking it's more than likely from the shafts seal and coming out of the little hole , although I guess it could be the gasket but pump's are cheap and only take about and hour to r&I so I'd just replace it and be done with it.

[harpon]

Guess you didn't read my second sentence- I just had it in for a repair- I don't care if it's plastic, I just didn't realize it- but my main point is that the gasket is pointless and distorts, so that it cant be re-used, and if it is, it seems to then more likely push the cover outward and into the pulleys. Save yourselves the cost of trying to replace the gasket, just eliminate it- it won't rattle, it's PLASTIC :walk:

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[Safety Guy]

I like those cameras! What kind are they? They remind me of my Dad's old Argus that I used for photo class in high school. The rangefinder was broken so I had to carry around a cheat sheet with f stops and depths of field to keep things in focus.

Karl

[harpon]

Yes- Argus C-5 35mm rangefinders- circa WWII - I bought a couple of them already very old in high school about 1970, because I couldn't afford a through the lens viewfinder then, and developed some contact prints, because I didn't have an enlarger. Later at Indiana University, I got to take some photojournalism- J363- that was a really good dark room experience and shooting full frame 35mm photo journalism, sometimes pushing the film speed in developing to 4 times it's ASA- so you could shoot and develop 400 ASA Tri X pan B&W film pushed to 1600 ASA. I really enjoyed that yet never got a darkroom and enlarger of my own in the restless years after college.
The photo is some C-5's I took in a camera store window in the late 80's. And the kind of photography I liked to do- low light and narrow depth of field to highlight certain aspects. Now you can just shoot zillions of shots, but I rarely try to achieve that kind of creative control.

[scitzz]

When I remove the upper timing belt cover, I usually just throw it in the trash.