Will I leak oil without timing covers on?

[TurboTesh]

Hi guys, possible silly question here... but i want to run without the lower timingover bolted in on my timing side for awhile to make sure I didn't F anything up and create a leak. ( I replaced alot of seals and pulleys etc., on that side). By awhile I mean a few dry-day drives on clean roads, then I will put it back on.

Question is, do any of the bolts holding any of the plastic covers on go through to the engine oiling areas? I can't see in the holes with the engine still in the car, or any documents telling me they do.

 

[Cox Abele]

None of the plastic timing cover bolts go into any coolant, water or oil passages.

With that said, install your timing covers! Dry roads or not, your wheel splash shields will only do so much, and it only takes one little piece of debris to get into your timing belt, roll under a cog and potentially cause your engine to jump time. Now, seeing your leaks is one thing and I can understand that, but you can let your car idle for a long time and not drive it in order to check for possible leaks.

If you install the covers now, you have some protection. If you leave them off and install them later, you don't have any protection. Either way, you will have to go through the same amount of trouble of removing the belts and so forth in order to remove/inspect/install versus inspect/install.

The hard part isn't the covers, it's the accessories and getting down to the covers. Install them.

 

[TurboTesh]

Thanks for the response, and I understand your concern. You're right though, It would likely be the same amount of work to bolt it up and then unbolt it to check, as it would be to leave it off an bolt it on later. I assume if I have a big leak, I'll know about it anyways. I haven't looked, but I imagine there is a relief hole on the bottom somewhere to drain liquid, and I'd see leaking oil that way.
Hopefully I got it all right though!

 

[Macgyver'sDSM]

+1 leaving the timing covers off is not the best idea. Especially the lower. And no oil passages to worry about.

 

[TurboTesh]

No worries, I have it installed. Only leaks so far are from my oil filter housing and my turbo drain, looks like I cracked the filter housing somehow... torqued a fitting too tight maybe? Oh well, at least I have an extra.