97 Honda Accord F22B1 Oil Leak. Please Help!
#1
03-25-2018, 01:41 AM
97 Honda Accord F22B1 Oil Leak. Please Help!
Hello I am new to the forums and I have a problem that’s been bothering me for quite some time now. I have an oil leak on my F22B1 engine w/ manual tranny and I see it mostly around the bottom of the distributor and vtec solenoid. I have recently changed the gaskets on them both. I Like to add in that I have also changed the Valve cover gasket while changing out the water pump and timing belt too. Alright so After a long drive, and of course letting the car cool down, I would feel under those same areas of the distributor and solenoid and would still feel fresh oil around there. I seriously don’t know where else it could be leaking at. It’s a bummer Knowing that there’s an oil leak and it is dripping down over the tranny and down to the floor. Do you guys think it could be the valve cover gasket that’s causing the leak in that area? Or are other potential spots in that area that could be leaking? Thanks for your time and I would really appreciate your help!
#2
03-26-2018, 07:03 AM
Around the distributor there's 3 places, and the VTEC spool valve has a couple places. First make sure it's leaking at the distributor vs. the spool valve.
VTEC spool valve has 3 places to leak, so check each:
1 - The VTEC solenoid is the triangle-shaped flange on top of the spool valve. There's a gasket up there.
2 - Then on the side there's a bolt sealed with an O-ring - this is where the VTEC oil-pressure switch is installed on some cars.
3 - There's a gasket where the spool valve bolts against the head.
If the distributor were leaking through it's internal shaft seal, the oil would come out at the bottom of the distributor cap. Your description doesn't sound like this.
Around the base of the distributor, from inside to outside:
1 - If you remove the distributor from the car, there's an O-ring around the part that pokes into the head. Sounds like you replaced that?
2 - There's a split-line where the last bearing-cap bolts down to the head. That has sealant without a gasket. If you ever removed that, it could be leaking.
3 - Valve cover gasket has sharp corners where the gasket goes up & over the last bearing-cap on each end. Did you use a little sealant at those corners? It calls for "Honda-Bond" which is basically Permatex Ultra-Grey.
Any gasket surface, especially an O-ring groove, can leak if it gets scratched by a tool when removing the old gasket.
VTEC spool valve has 3 places to leak, so check each:
1 - The VTEC solenoid is the triangle-shaped flange on top of the spool valve. There's a gasket up there.
2 - Then on the side there's a bolt sealed with an O-ring - this is where the VTEC oil-pressure switch is installed on some cars.
3 - There's a gasket where the spool valve bolts against the head.
If the distributor were leaking through it's internal shaft seal, the oil would come out at the bottom of the distributor cap. Your description doesn't sound like this.
Around the base of the distributor, from inside to outside:
1 - If you remove the distributor from the car, there's an O-ring around the part that pokes into the head. Sounds like you replaced that?
2 - There's a split-line where the last bearing-cap bolts down to the head. That has sealant without a gasket. If you ever removed that, it could be leaking.
3 - Valve cover gasket has sharp corners where the gasket goes up & over the last bearing-cap on each end. Did you use a little sealant at those corners? It calls for "Honda-Bond" which is basically Permatex Ultra-Grey.
Any gasket surface, especially an O-ring groove, can leak if it gets scratched by a tool when removing the old gasket.
#3
03-26-2018, 04:53 PM
Around the distributor there's 3 places, and the VTEC spool valve has a couple places. First make sure it's leaking at the distributor vs. the spool valve.
VTEC spool valve has 3 places to leak, so check each:
1 - The VTEC solenoid is the triangle-shaped flange on top of the spool valve. There's a gasket up there.
2 - Then on the side there's a bolt sealed with an O-ring - this is where the VTEC oil-pressure switch is installed on some cars.
3 - There's a gasket where the spool valve bolts against the head.
If the distributor were leaking through it's internal shaft seal, the oil would come out at the bottom of the distributor cap. Your description doesn't sound like this.
Around the base of the distributor, from inside to outside:
1 - If you remove the distributor from the car, there's an O-ring around the part that pokes into the head. Sounds like you replaced that?
2 - There's a split-line where the last bearing-cap bolts down to the head. That has sealant without a gasket. If you ever removed that, it could be leaking.
3 - Valve cover gasket has sharp corners where the gasket goes up & over the last bearing-cap on each end. Did you use a little sealant at those corners? It calls for "Honda-Bond" which is basically Permatex Ultra-Grey.
Any gasket surface, especially an O-ring groove, can leak if it gets scratched by a tool when removing the old gasket.
VTEC spool valve has 3 places to leak, so check each:
1 - The VTEC solenoid is the triangle-shaped flange on top of the spool valve. There's a gasket up there.
2 - Then on the side there's a bolt sealed with an O-ring - this is where the VTEC oil-pressure switch is installed on some cars.
3 - There's a gasket where the spool valve bolts against the head.
If the distributor were leaking through it's internal shaft seal, the oil would come out at the bottom of the distributor cap. Your description doesn't sound like this.
Around the base of the distributor, from inside to outside:
1 - If you remove the distributor from the car, there's an O-ring around the part that pokes into the head. Sounds like you replaced that?
2 - There's a split-line where the last bearing-cap bolts down to the head. That has sealant without a gasket. If you ever removed that, it could be leaking.
3 - Valve cover gasket has sharp corners where the gasket goes up & over the last bearing-cap on each end. Did you use a little sealant at those corners? It calls for "Honda-Bond" which is basically Permatex Ultra-Grey.
Any gasket surface, especially an O-ring groove, can leak if it gets scratched by a tool when removing the old gasket.
#4
03-26-2018, 05:00 PM
Around the distributor there's 3 places, and the VTEC spool valve has a couple places. First make sure it's leaking at the distributor vs. the spool valve.
VTEC spool valve has 3 places to leak, so check each:
1 - The VTEC solenoid is the triangle-shaped flange on top of the spool valve. There's a gasket up there.
2 - Then on the side there's a bolt sealed with an O-ring - this is where the VTEC oil-pressure switch is installed on some cars.
3 - There's a gasket where the spool valve bolts against the head.
If the distributor were leaking through it's internal shaft seal, the oil would come out at the bottom of the distributor cap. Your description doesn't sound like this.
Around the base of the distributor, from inside to outside:
1 - If you remove the distributor from the car, there's an O-ring around the part that pokes into the head. Sounds like you replaced that?
2 - There's a split-line where the last bearing-cap bolts down to the head. That has sealant without a gasket. If you ever removed that, it could be leaking.
3 - Valve cover gasket has sharp corners where the gasket goes up & over the last bearing-cap on each end. Did you use a little sealant at those corners? It calls for "Honda-Bond" which is basically Permatex Ultra-Grey.
Any gasket surface, especially an O-ring groove, can leak if it gets scratched by a tool when removing the old gasket.
VTEC spool valve has 3 places to leak, so check each:
1 - The VTEC solenoid is the triangle-shaped flange on top of the spool valve. There's a gasket up there.
2 - Then on the side there's a bolt sealed with an O-ring - this is where the VTEC oil-pressure switch is installed on some cars.
3 - There's a gasket where the spool valve bolts against the head.
If the distributor were leaking through it's internal shaft seal, the oil would come out at the bottom of the distributor cap. Your description doesn't sound like this.
Around the base of the distributor, from inside to outside:
1 - If you remove the distributor from the car, there's an O-ring around the part that pokes into the head. Sounds like you replaced that?
2 - There's a split-line where the last bearing-cap bolts down to the head. That has sealant without a gasket. If you ever removed that, it could be leaking.
3 - Valve cover gasket has sharp corners where the gasket goes up & over the last bearing-cap on each end. Did you use a little sealant at those corners? It calls for "Honda-Bond" which is basically Permatex Ultra-Grey.
Any gasket surface, especially an O-ring groove, can leak if it gets scratched by a tool when removing the old gasket.
#6
03-26-2018, 05:13 PM
Those aren't "engine block" bolts, those hold down the valve cover. You knew that from removing the cover. Don't over-tighten them because I've seen threads where people have broken them. Someone around here might know the tightening torque, but I think it's not very high.
Normally, a valve cover gasket set comes with new rubber grommets for those bolts. The rubber gets hardened from age & heat so they don't seal real good after removing.
Sometimes a plugged PCV valve can lead to a bit higher pressure in the crankcase, which increases oil leakage. Check your PCV valve whether the plunger moves/rattles like it should. But your PCV valve looks kinda new...
Normally, a valve cover gasket set comes with new rubber grommets for those bolts. The rubber gets hardened from age & heat so they don't seal real good after removing.
Sometimes a plugged PCV valve can lead to a bit higher pressure in the crankcase, which increases oil leakage. Check your PCV valve whether the plunger moves/rattles like it should. But your PCV valve looks kinda new...
Last edited by JimBlake; 03-26-2018 at 05:15 PM.
#7
03-26-2018, 06:44 PM
Those aren't "engine block" bolts, those hold down the valve cover. You knew that from removing the cover. Don't over-tighten them because I've seen threads where people have broken them. Someone around here might know the tightening torque, but I think it's not very high.
Normally, a valve cover gasket set comes with new rubber grommets for those bolts. The rubber gets hardened from age & heat so they don't seal real good after removing.
Sometimes a plugged PCV valve can lead to a bit higher pressure in the crankcase, which increases oil leakage. Check your PCV valve whether the plunger moves/rattles like it should. But your PCV valve looks kinda new...
Normally, a valve cover gasket set comes with new rubber grommets for those bolts. The rubber gets hardened from age & heat so they don't seal real good after removing.
Sometimes a plugged PCV valve can lead to a bit higher pressure in the crankcase, which increases oil leakage. Check your PCV valve whether the plunger moves/rattles like it should. But your PCV valve looks kinda new...
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