What I Noticed Today,may Be Daft Question.

[fastbob72]

Was looking under the car today to check out the small coolant leak I have.After stating on another thread about the importance of a fully functioning system and the dangers of a compromised cooling system along with the unseen damage it can cause I figured I should follown my own advice and fix it asap. As it's at the bottom hose I jacked her up to try and view the problem from below.

I've a lot of experience now with cars, an avid reader of the egineering concepts behind our cars and am learning more and more dailly about the Avensis and Toyotas in general but there is such an incredible amount to learn,more than i've years to learn it in but I saw something that I am sure is wrong but perhaps I'm just making a fool of myself for asking but.......

Where the engine and the gearbox meet there's the lower part of the bellhousing that is normally visible behind and below the sump/rear crank seal area. Now every car I've ever had has a light metal covering plate botled vertically in place to sheild the bottom part of the flywheel and ring gear. It's not sealed with a gasket normally as there are no fluids or oil to prevent from leaking.

When I was under mine I noticed the bottom of the flywheeel and ring gear exposed, there's no covering plate there. I didn't have room to get in close to look for bolt holes around the bottom of face of the housing where such a plate to be fixes but surely there has to be one there,surely???

I changed the oil. 3 or 4 months ago and am positive i'd have noticed if my ring gear was on view but it didn't register which suggests there was nothing there i wasn't expecting. i.e a plate like all other cars.

I haven't removed it and the only person to do any work was to change a spring ready for MOT but that doesn't involve moving either the sump or g/box.I can't imagine why he would remove it so perhaps it's never had one.

I feel foolish asking as I am certain it should be there, everything I know says so but like I was saying I don't know close to everything, not even remotely so maybe it's not there because it never was.

Anyone have any ideas??

[Exvec]

Perhaps a more thorough check of the vehicles history is the order of the day here..?has it had any gear box work done...?has a new clutch/ slave cylinder been fitted,has the engine been removed for any work .

Contact Toyota see if there records show anything..?can you find out the previous owner contact details..etc etc.Good Luck In Your Quest.

[fastbob72]

No I have all the service history and bills from before i bought the car, nothing of that kind has ever been done.

It's also the fact I've never noticed before and i've been under it several times, I feel certain I would have noticed it when I've changed the oil.or removed all the front trays etc if it was missing, the fact i haven't strongly makes me think it was there in the past as I definitely would notice something out of the ordinary if missing.

Am puzzled to explain it if it had been there before beyond the mot'er removinf it but for what possible reason.

Anyway I'm just away to get several jubilee clips to do this cooling leak and will definitely be getting a close up look.

Hopefully the mystery will become clear 😊😊

[fastbob72]

Here's a photo of the area i was talking about, not exactly a great photo but it does show what i mean :)

Rotate the pic 90 degrees to the right :)

[Devon Aygo]

It should be covered, there is a part called a flywheel cover plate:

[fastbob72]

Exactly, that's what i thought I just cannot figure when mine was removed and why considering there's not mention of a cluch being renewed or any other procedure requiring engine and g/box being seperated in the service history which begins from new until I bought it