Idling engine with timing covers off....

[xtremeskier97]

I've got an oil leak that looks to be coming from under the timing cover(s). I just replaced all the seals back when I did the timing belt less than a year ago, but oil is leaking in that area.

My question is, if I remove the a/c, p/s, and alternator belts and remove the timing belt covers, can I run the engine to find out where the oil is coming from? It shouldnt hurt anything, as I wont be driving it around town like that.

What I want to do is remove the covers and clean the whole area up so that there is no oil anywhere, and then start the engine (if needed, it might just show itself without starting, but Im thinking the oil may need to be warmed up before it starts leaking) to see where the leak(s) are so that I can replace the proper seal.

As stated before, I did the whole TB job less than a year ago, replacing all the seals under there, as well as the water pump and t-stat.

Thanks guys!

[ajkalian]

Originally Posted by xtremeskier97

I've got an oil leak that looks to be coming from under the timing cover(s). I just replaced all the seals back when I did the timing belt less than a year ago, but oil is leaking in that area.

My question is, if I remove the a/c, p/s, and alternator belts and remove the timing belt covers, can I run the engine to find out where the oil is coming from? It shouldnt hurt anything, as I wont be driving it around town like that.

What I want to do is remove the covers and clean the whole area up so that there is no oil anywhere, and then start the engine (if needed, it might just show itself without starting, but Im thinking the oil may need to be warmed up before it starts leaking) to see where the leak(s) are so that I can replace the proper seal.

As stated before, I did the whole TB job less than a year ago, replacing all the seals under there, as well as the water pump and t-stat.

Thanks guys!

Running the engine without the timing belt covers won't hurt a thing. They are only there to keep the dust off the belt and idlers. And I guess to offer a bit of protection to keep the moving belt away from fingers, rags, baggy sleeves, and engineers neckties.


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[BamZipPow]

You might be able to use a smoke test to determine yer leaks. Make sure you find a shop that knows how to use their smoke machine (if they have one).

[fenixus]

yeah, no harm, I did the same thing when checking the loose t-belt problem on 5s-fe. I found lots of interesting things, like the tensioner (24k miles old) was leaking grease from the bearing and was improperly tensioned. and I also found out that the camshaft pulley is making gentle 8's when spinning

Just have the battery fully charged before you attempt it and remember to keep ALL electrical accessories off, so no radio, no a/c, no lights. you will have around 20-30 mins of run time this way. you can keep a voltmeter hooked up to battery posts, never let it go down below 11V or you may have a problem with re-starting the car later.