engine running without belts

I have a question for you guys.I am chasing a mystery oil leak,I am going to pour some dye into the engine to find it.But before I do,I want to run the engine briefly with out the drive belts and pully bracket in the way to find the leak.Can I do this very briefly just long enough to create engine pressure and find the leak without causing damage?

Very briefly as in try to keep it under a minute, it would also help to have the engine cool if possible. The only real problem with running the engine without the belts is that the water pump is not pumping coolant through the engine without the belt spinning the pulley. That along with your alternator wont be charging, but if your battery dies from running your car for less than a minute i would probably be looking for a new battery.

You can do it no problem, as Tyler said the only worry is overheating. I have driven my Tahoe about 5km without a belt on (lost on highway, drove it to the parts store) without overheating it, I suspect if you start with the motor totally cold you could go a couple of minutes very safely

Thanks guys.Thats what I thought.I think its the only way to find the leak.I.ll have to clean the area of all oil residue,pour in the dye and black light it. thanks again