I have a '96 accord, 199,900 miles, that I acquired but has a lot of needs. The car sat for about 3 years before I got it. After rebuilding the power steering pump I took it down the road yesterday for the first time and it sounds good and shifts well. I got back to my shop and I noticed motor oil dripping every half second or so.

I believe I've traced the leak to the left rear (drivers) corner of the motor somewhere between the head and the block, near the camshaft belt cover. It looks like there's a "step" in the head because the oil is leaking out just above the head gasket area. It's definitely not the valve cover gasket, it's below there. I assume I'm going to have to pull the head but I wondered if this is a known issue. This is my first Honda, I usually work on GM, Ford, Chrysler for friends and family.

 

Leak may be due to balancer shaft seal started to pop out. Honda issue a service bulletin years ago regarding the issue. If it is a leak from the seal, the seal should be replaced and the retainer installed.

 

Thanks for the info. The leak is originating much higher than the balance shaft seals although I'll check them too. The leak is just above the head gasket area. I'll check it out a little closer tonight. Thanks again.

 

Now I wonder if it's the camshaft seal and the leak is working it's way to the rear corner of the head, which is where I see the leak. Have there been any issues with the camshaft seals?

 

Sure, it can spring a leak like any other seal. Pulling the upper cover to check is easy. Just remove the valve cover and some 6mm bolts.

 

Thanks. I'll pull the valve cover and the upper covers becuase I think the leak is originating on the accessory drive end of the engine.

 

I wonder if the oil sending unit could cause the leak you are describing. It is on the back side (firewall side) of the block way above the oil filter.

 

I pulled the valve cover and upper cam sprocket cover last night, but I didn't have time to do much more. The cam belt is dry and there are no gasket or seal leaks that are anything more than seepage. The leak originates near the left front corner (firewall) of the engine. It almost appears to be coming from the head.

I've run the engine numerous times but only got it up to operating temp on Sunday when I drove it down the road. That's when I found out the coolant fans weren't working. I traced that problem to a blown 20a fuse under the hood. It didn't leak enough before for me to notice when I'd start it to move it around the property. I now wonder if the engine has been run hot by the prior owner. To recap, this car sat for 3 years before I got it. I also pulled the rad cap this morning and didn't see any coolant. I hadn't done that prior because there is coolant in the overflow. The temp gauge in the car works and the coolant hoses were hot and pressurized. This is not a new oil leak, there was an oil trail there when I acquired the car. Sorry for all the info, I'm just looking for ideas.

I might button it back up tonight and fill the radiator and start it up again to see if there's oil or pressure in the coolant.

 

I don't think so. The sending unit appears to be situated between holes 2 and 3. This leak starts at the left firewall corner of the engine, next to cylinder one. Good thought though!

 

Could it be something as easy as a valve cover gasket? The FSM calls for a dab of RTV in each corner where the cover meets the cam bearing caps; four spots total. I've reused newer VC gaskets once or twice. Old ones just get replaced.

You may want to take it on the highway for a half hour or so, just to blow the carbon out. A leakdown test will tell you a lot about the condition of the internals; a compression check almost as much.