ISN'T IT A BIT RISKY ?????

[GTI EDITION (aka LTD)]

Ive noticed a number pics of peoples engine bays and was wondering why some hadn't refitted their timing covers.
I know it looks cool to show off your vernier pulleys and all that but surely some of you are at risk of some foreign body ( stone etc ) flying up into the belt/pulleys and f..cking up a motor that someones spent a hell of a lot of time and £100s if not £1000s on .
Or have I missed something ? ....or should I just shut up and mind my own biz ??? 

[jv]

I thought it was odd as mine already had the timing cover missing when I bought it. One place said the same as you, another has said it is no big deal. The original cover won't fit over the piper pulley anyway so 

[Mr Blue]

the reason why i took mine of is because the cover was scoring the belt. noticed this on alot of gti's

[GTI EDITION (aka LTD)]

Maybe some verniers differ from others , the ones that I have fitted in the past have never had a problem with the cover.
I know that on the later cars the covers made of plastic tend to deform over time which in tern can cause clearance problems and also the retainer top back plate which is held with nuts to the cam cover often get knackered due to heat etc   

[Dizzie]

mine was supplied without one. no need to bad mouth said company that fitted it as we all know they're cowboys.
I bought a new one from Audi that cost me a futher £18 after spending voer £4000 on the engine conversion.

[Optimus Wol]

as long as the bottom cover is on, you should be o.k, but i agree, i'd rather have it on just to be on the safe side.

if you wanna have your pulley on show though, make up an under tray to stop any foreign bodies getting in your engine bay. also helps with aero-dynamics i believe. doesnt help with aqua-planing though......

[GTI EDITION (aka LTD)]

mine was supplied without one. no need to bad mouth said company that fitted it as we all know they're cowboys.
I bought a new one from Audi that cost me a futher £18 after spending over £4000 on the engine conversion.

Exactly what I was getting at , The "cool" racer look with potentially £4000 worth of f--ked engine Verses £18 " un cool " cover , I know which I'd go for ! But HEY "You pays you money and you takes your choice "  

[...joe]

i took mine off because, as blue said, it was rubbing on the belt. and i had some headwork done at the same time so just never bothered to re-fit it. then i got a new one, painted it and found that the mounting holes for the rear screw were f**ked and it wouldn't stay on anyway!!

The "cool" racer look with potentially £4000 worth of f--ked engine Verses £18 " un cool " cover

thats the kind of thing my gran would say!!!   i know there is a risk but its got to be pretty slim. i don't leave mine off so people can see my cool blue pulley, its just a bonus of not having one!!

[animaniac]

just to add some fiats dont have a cover on them at the bottom!! so any object on the road can hit the belt!

the only thing to watch out for on vws is that if you have an induction kit makes sure ist secure.

as when we had our k&n fitted it come with a nut to secure the brack on to the stud on the side of the suspension mount!!

this come off and the airflow meter was hitting the cam cover!!

lucky we had the cover on if we hadnt of had the cover on it would have knocked the belt off!

we drilled a hole where to stud was and put a bolt through it!!

we did paint the hole first but after a while a little split developed around it!??

[Veedubgt18v]

thats cos its the suspension turret and they have a lot of stress in them i would have welded a new stud on