I got the car from a self proclaimed "mechanic" a few months ago. Found a lot of horibbly done/half-assed things done to the car. I'm curious if the flywheel is supposed to be exposed (as in, I can touch the teeth) or if there's a cover that he didn't put back on when he changed the clutch. Thanks.

auto or manual?

If auto it has a flexplate and no it should have a black cover over the flexplate/converter.

If manual i believe they were exposed, well my T56 flywheel is exposed cause there was no cover for it.

sorry, it's a T5

my t5 is exposed also. i think there was a cover as you can see bolt holes in the tranny for one.

Does`nt hurt not to use the cover but keeps things cleaner.

It seems like rocks and other junk could get up in there and cause some damage?

Only if you go off roading in it. I`ve had the same cars over 10 years and 200k+ miles that did not have a cover and never had a problem other than the area gets dirtier than it would with one. Never seen any damage not using one.

doubt rocks will jump up in there, but I have heard of cats When you start the car it makes a mess later on.

That`s not where cats get in. In the cold winter nights, they crawl into to engine compartment to keep warm. In their confusion when someone starts the engine, they get caught up in the fan or belts and no more kitty! Used to happen to me frequently when I was a kid and had a bunch of cats. Needless to say the neighbors did not like me much, they got tired of cleaning up kitty parts.

Not one single 3rd gen left the factory with the ring gear exposed/uncovered, manual or auto.
The cover dramatically reduces the noise when the starter is cranking the motor over. Think "showroom" here.
Unfortunately it is one of the first things the average "shade-tree" pitches in the trash since it can't be seen.
It is easy to bend and when you put it on after it's bent it rubs the flywheel/flexplate. That's about when it gets pitched.
If you're lazy leave it off. The rest of us will know the minute you turn the key.
And don't get me started on people that won't straighten a bent flexplate.
Nothing sounds as trashy...
(end of rant)

Does anyone know where I can buy a cover new? Or is the ol' junkyard my best bet?

Yeah it is totally possible for road debris can get in there! They put the cover there for a reason!

My T-10 didn't really have a cover. If I look from the front towards the flywheel i'm pretty sure I can see the teeth.
Someones gotta show a picture of this sometime, I wouldn't even know one if I saw it...

Could`nt agree more. The more "factory" you can keep it the better. My El Camino does not have the cover and my Iroc does, El Camino starter is much louder.

A wide variety (plastic, sheetmetal, aluminum, chrome $15-$61) for the 700R4 auto can be found HERE.
I would have to do a search for the M/T bellhousing cover.
For those that can't decide, the $15 plastic one will at least keep Walmart shopping bags from getting wrapped around the T/Q snout where the pump seal is or the crank RMS ....

If you have not been using a cover and want one, there is no big hurry to get one. Take your time and get the best one for the money. I have been driving for 41 years with a multitude of cars and millions of miles without any covers and never had a problem. Does`nt mean a problem can`t happen, just not likely unless you do a lot of off road.