X-5 build - steering tunnel mod

[Migs]

Hi guys, just looking at the steering tunnel mod and the aim of it, i'll have to double check the height of the steering link that passes through the hole, but i was thinking would it be possible just to cut a few mm out of each of the short sides of the tunnel, then glueing it back together and ending up with a solid tunnel, that still sits in the bottom of the chassis but doesnt reach up to the top of the front gear cover, allowing the belt to pass over it but then u could put tape to cover the gap created, thus keeping out dirt, im thinking that since the tunnel isnt a structual component, there wouldnt be too much stress on the points where it was glued back together and those points could even be supported by something on the inner side