still got an oil leak

[jasonrebellion]

can't figure out where it's coming from. I replaced the valve cover gasket since i was seeing oil around the grommets and replaced those too..I had been getting oil burning and smoking coming from my engine bay..the valve cover gasket didn't fix fix that, where else could it be coming from? themsoke is coming from under the injectors somewhere and I can't find it. I'm at a loss....

[w261w261]

Put the car up on a lift or buy a couple of ramps. Take off the plastic splash shield from under the motor. Get a couple of cans of engine cleaner and start spraying. Rinse off, and do it again until everything is nice and clean (you can't do this without removing the splash shield). Drive the car for 5 minutes, then put it up again, crawl under and take a look. It should be pretty apparent what is leaking. There are quite a few places where it can leak. Do a search on here for "oil leaks" and read up. You'll have to invest some time.

[2oodoor]

cliff notes/ base housing for oil filter, not the oil filter itself
special gasket best to get from dealership or in a complete engine gasket set

[jasonrebellion]

cliff notes/ base housing for oil filter, not the oil filter itself
special gasket best to get from dealership or in a complete engine gasket set

so they make a gasket to go with the oil filter other than the rubber gasket on the oil filter already? The smoke does seem to be coming up around the intake

[2oodoor]

No, the filter screws on to the base, which is a separate part between the block and filter. There is a funny shaped o ring type gasket there that gets hard and brittle. Base is attached with 10mm bolts.
Very hard to get to unless you can get the car up high enough for elbow room. Or do it from the top with the intake manifold off! harrr

[w261w261]

If the car has never had an oil filter housing gasket change, it's certainly due. Be careful on the mounting bolts....break one of those puppies off and you are in a world of hurt because of clearance issues. While you're at it, along with the figure-8 shaped gasket, I'd replace the pressure relief valve, spring, and washer too (nos. 10,11,12,13,14):

http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/auto/jsp/mws/prddisplay.jsp?inputstate=5&catcgry1=ACCORD&catcgry2=1989&catcgry3=4DR+SEI&catcgry4=KA5MT&catcgry5=BREATHER+TUBE-OIL+FILTER

If you can't get to the housing for awhile, try taking off the oil filter and feeling where the oil filter's o-ring contacts the housing...mine had built up a layer of crud that was keeping the filter from seating well and was leaking (but it was also leaking from the housing gasket more). With the filter off, you can feel what should be a smooth surface for the filter o-ring to contact. If there's a built-up ridge there scrape it off with your fingernail and then use a rag with some solvent to finish it off. Might help some.

My latest oil leak challenge seems to be where the oil drains from the head/valve gear back down to the crankcase through the head gasket. I'm going to try to clean it all off and use some red silicone to see if it will seal it, but I'm not optimistic. Oil leaks on our cars are crosses to bear for sure, mainly because they're so irritating, what with the oil either dripping on the exhaust or the fumes getting sucked into the ventilation.

[jasonrebellion]

If the car has never had an oil filter housing gasket change, it's certainly due. Be careful on the mounting bolts....break one of those puppies off and you are in a world of hurt because of clearance issues. While you're at it, along with the figure-8 shaped gasket, I'd replace the pressure relief valve, spring, and washer too (nos. 10,11,12,13,14):

http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/auto/jsp/mws/prddisplay.jsp?inputstate=5&catcgry1=ACCORD&catcgry2=1989&catcgry3=4DR+SEI&catcgry4=KA5MT&catcgry5=BREATHER+TUBE-OIL+FILTER

If you can't get to the housing for awhile, try taking off the oil filter and feeling where the oil filter's o-ring contacts the housing...mine had built up a layer of crud that was keeping the filter from seating well and was leaking (but it was also leaking from the housing gasket more). With the filter off, you can feel what should be a smooth surface for the filter o-ring to contact. If there's a built-up ridge there scrape it off with your fingernail and then use a rag with some solvent to finish it off. Might help some.

My latest oil leak challenge seems to be where the oil drains from the head/valve gear back down to the crankcase through the head gasket. I'm going to try to clean it all off and use some red silicone to see if it will seal it, but I'm not optimistic. Oil leaks on our cars are crosses to bear for sure, mainly because they're so irritating, what with the oil either dripping on the exhaust or the fumes getting sucked into the ventilation.

yeah it smells like ass.... this seems like its gonna be a bitch to get to. I may just call a dealer when I get off work again and see how much it's gonna cost me for them to do it....of course I'm gonna jack the car up and have a look see first though

[nswst8]

Don't you dare, it is no more difficult than the T-stat or water pump.

Remove the Oil filter
remove the oil pressure sending wire
unbolt filter base
replace gasket (use vasiline to hold gasket to base(
reattach base
reconnect sending wire


Done deal, no more then an hours work for a $3 gasket.

[jasonrebellion]

Don't you dare, it is no more difficult than the T-stat or water pump.

Remove the Oil filter
remove the oil pressure sending wire
unbolt filter base
replace gasket (use vasiline to hold gasket to base(
reattach base
reconnect sending wire


Done deal, no more then an hours work for a $3 gasket.

lol...I'm a bigger guy and it's gonna be hard for me to get the car jacked up high enough to do it is the main reason....my garage consists of my backyard in the grass.....i don't really have a drive way and usually park on the street and i really don't wanna be workin under a car next to the road. I noticed some people said to remove the whole sensor...you said just the wire? I won't be able to get to it until Friday at the earliest.

[russiankid]

I think you have to remove the whole sensor because it blocks access to the top bolt.

[w261w261]

<< ol...I'm a bigger guy and it's gonna be hard for me to get the car jacked up high enough to do it is the main reason....my garage consists of my backyard in the grass.....i don't really have a drive way and usually park on the street and i really don't wanna be workin under a car next to the road >>

A couple of things...first, go buy yourself those ramps you can drive the car up on. If it's on the grass you might need to put the ramps on some wood so they don't sink in.

And, please pardon me on this, but it's just so I'll feel better: you weren't planning on working under the car supported only by a jack, I hope. Jackstands are cheap.

[nswst8]

It is possible to do this by removing the air box and accessing from the top. You will be able to see thru the intake. It will be alittle more difficult but possible.

Just checked it. It is completely accessable from the top. Yes you wil have to remove the oil pressure unit. Easy day.

[lostforawhile]

make sure you torque those bolts with a torque wrench or you can get leaks, you don't have to tighten them that much just past snug, the special o ring gasket is what seals it, if you over tighten an O ring gasket it will leak. http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/S4020317-1.jpg

[Dr_Snooz]

It is possible to do this by removing the air box and accessing from the top. You will be able to see thru the intake. It will be alittle more difficult but possible.

Just checked it. It is completely accessable from the top. Yes you wil have to remove the oil pressure unit. Easy day.

Definitely go from the top. If you go from the bottom, you'll be fighting the axle which makes it surprisingly difficult to get your hands anywhere close to the filter base. Maybe it's just because my bones don't bend. Maybe yours do, in which case, go from the bottom. Like nswst said, if you remove the filter box, it's pretty easy. The hardest part will be getting the sensor off. It requires a big wrench and there isn't a lot of room to swing it between the block and firewall. You can see everything through the little gaps in the manifold. Also put some kind of light down there or you won't see anything. Just make sure it's leaking before you go to all the trouble. If you get a burning oil smell while stopped, then it's most likely the filter base or the filter. Just poke your head under to verify. It should be pretty obvious what's going on when you see it.

It's also pretty likely that your PCV breather box is leaking. If that's leaking then good luck. It's a real bast**d to get at and pretty much the whole thing disintegrates after 20 odd years. You'll most likely break a lot of it while pulling it apart which means you'll be on the hook for replacing everything from the hose connecting to the oil pan to the breather box to the PCV valve if you start. Don't take that to a dealer either because they don't want to work on it any more than you do and will do a terrible job that you'll have to redo yourself.

[jasonrebellion]

<< ol...I'm a bigger guy and it's gonna be hard for me to get the car jacked up high enough to do it is the main reason....my garage consists of my backyard in the grass.....i don't really have a drive way and usually park on the street and i really don't wanna be workin under a car next to the road >>

A couple of things...first, go buy yourself those ramps you can drive the car up on. If it's on the grass you might need to put the ramps on some wood so they don't sink in.

And, please pardon me on this, but it's just so I'll feel better: you weren't planning on working under the car supported only by a jack, I hope. Jackstands are cheap.

Yeah I have jackstands..I got the autozone special that came with a trolley jack and 2 stands....trouble is,the trolley jack only lifts like 14"....can barely get stands under it, much less raise them up......


Definitely go from the top. If you go from the bottom, you'll be fighting the axle which makes it surprisingly difficult to get your hands anywhere close to the filter base. Maybe it's just because my bones don't bend. Maybe yours do, in which case, go from the bottom. Like nswst said, if you remove the filter box, it's pretty easy. The hardest part will be getting the sensor off. It requires a big wrench and there isn't a lot of room to swing it between the block and firewall. You can see everything through the little gaps in the manifold. Also put some kind of light down there or you won't see anything. Just make sure it's leaking before you go to all the trouble. If you get a burning oil smell while stopped, then it's most likely the filter base or the filter. Just poke your head under to verify. It should be pretty obvious what's going on when you see it.

It's also pretty likely that your PCV breather box is leaking. If that's leaking then good luck. It's a real bast**d to get at and pretty much the whole thing disintegrates after 20 odd years. You'll most likely break a lot of it while pulling it apart which means you'll be on the hook for replacing everything from the hose connecting to the oil pan to the breather box to the PCV valve if you start. Don't take that to a dealer either because they don't want to work on it any more than you do and will do a terrible job that you'll have to redo yourself.

yeah it smokes pretty bad where i can see it coming out from under the hood when i stop

[2oodoor]

:thumbup: I don't even consider changing the filter itself from the top or bottom too easy a task at first.. contorting any length of time to access the base could be a deal breaker for some of us LOL JIRemoveing the belt from the alternator and swing that on its piviot bolt back towards the firewall and it makes getting under the manifold better too. Course im thinking A20A1, or carbed 3rd gens.

How about a mod list to make it even easier, :thumbup: B16 intake manifold for fuelies, CAI, vacuum removal mod or performance carb swaps.
:eatarrow:

[Dr_Snooz]

:thumbup: I don't even consider changing the filter itself from the top or bottom too easy a task at first.. contorting any length of time to access the base could be a deal breaker for some of us LOL JIRemoveing the belt from the alternator and swing that on its piviot bolt back towards the firewall and it makes getting under the manifold better too. Course im thinking A20A1, or carbed 3rd gens.

How about a mod list to make it even easier, :thumbup: B16 intake manifold for fuelies, CAI, vacuum removal mod or performance carb swaps.
:eatarrow:

He has an LX-i, so there won't be much contortion from the top. Once you get the filter box off, it opens up a lot of space. You're hunched over the engine, but that's pretty typical for any kind of wrenching.

[nswst8]

If you can pick your nose then you can access this filter basegasket rom the top.