oil running down timing cover..

['93CB7Ex]

i was just checking over things today and I noticed there was oil running the lower timing cover just below the timing belt and gear. where could it be coming from? ill take the valve cover off tomorrow and have a look but has this happened to anybody else?

[life_shift]

make sure you replace the valve cover gasket correctly OR ELSE!!

I had the same problem, turns out my valve cover gasket wasnt on correctly and was spewing oil alllll over.

[bcjammerx]

This sounds like you have the cover off? Or is it all on the outside of the cover. If it on the INSIDE then it could be the cam seal, could be the front oil seal. Also, if one of these "inner cover" seals is leaking it could run down the front of the engine and drip out from behind the bottom cover.

If it is on the outside and is most likely to be valve cover. In this case oil will be on outside of the cover all the way from valve cover to bottom.

IF there is no oil below the valve cover and ONLY under the lower t-belt cover then I would guess the seals.


One must wonder WHY it is leaking though...usually by the time your seals leak, v/c included...it is long overdue for a t-belt/seal/pulley/idler change.

['93CB7Ex]

well when i put the motor in the belt looked fine so i didnt think about it. its coming out from under the top cover and on to the lower cover.

[bcjammerx]

hmm...well someone could have taken the v/c off before you got it so that could be causing the leak then. Still...on any engine you buy (unless it came from Honda's engine factory in a honda crate on a honda delivery truck ) the first thing you always do before putting it in is new belt/seals all around...SO easy to change the rear main before dropping it in and the t-belt too!

Then all the fluids...at least that is what I would do.

Anyway back on topic though...
You will need to replace the v/c gasket anyway, pull it off and pull the t-belt covers and look at the cam seal. If it all looks good with the oil seeming to come from the v/c you could just replace the v/c gasket. But if the cam seal is leaking I would HIGHLY recommend doing all the seals and belts. I would go ahead and replace the upper spark plug tube seals and lower spark plug tube o-rings while you are there though...very common thing to happen is oil in the spark plug tubes.

These are interference engines though...what if they never replaced the t-belt? Or what if the current one is due? The only t-belts I have seen that SHOW signs of wear (cracks etc) have over 200,000 miles...never...ever...let an interference engine go that long on a t-belt...100k is the MAX you should ever let it go.

Though...you could argue this point...I have never heard of a honda t-belt snapping (on stock engines that is) with less than 200k miles on it. On other cars I have heard of water pumps seizing (destroys t-belt) and I have heard of our balance shaft belts snapping and then tearing up the t-belt...but that was usually the result of improper install.

So the question is...DO you know how many miles this belt has on it?

['93CB7Ex]

ive done the vc gasket 2 times since january.

i dont know how many are on it. the engine was CLEAAAN inside when i bought it so i assume it was taken car of. it came from a 92 ex.

[F20A CB7]

i remember i took off vc b4, and when i put it on the gasket came out the groove of the vc itself, at the corner, and i had a nice oil spill.

[bcjammerx]

ive done the vc gasket 2 times since january.

i dont know how many are on it. the engine was CLEAAAN inside when i bought it so i assume it was taken car of. it came from a 92 ex.

Being taken care of only means it will last a little over 100k...worse treatment would mean less time...so if it is due (90k) good treatment will not alter that.

Why are you doing the v/c so many times? Make sure you apply some RTV on the corners of any sharp bends in the v/c gasket (mostly where it will go over the cam) and then make sure you torque to spec the bolts...then check the torque again...then a third time. If you only check the torque on the bolts 1 time then that will not suffice, as you tighten each of the bolts the new gasket will crush, by the time you reach the last bolt, the v/c can be tightened down some more by the first bolt. BE CAREFUL thought...I think the spec is 13 inch pounds so it does not much to snap them. So use the proper inch pound torque wrench. You really should never use clicking torque wrenches...they are not accurate...use beam style...they are cheaper and always better

[batever]

ive done the vc gasket 2 times since january.

i dont know how many are on it. the engine was CLEAAAN inside when i bought it so i assume it was taken car of. it came from a 92 ex.

Instead of buying a new valve cover gasket, you can try what I do and use a thick bead of The Right Stuff by Permatex instead of a gasket. It's a lot cheaper. I've had no problems with it and one can that costs $15 will do like 5 valve covers.

Obviously, clean the mating surfaces well with acetone or whatever before doing this. It will form a good gasket and is pretty easy to clean off when it comes time to redo.

[batever]

Spec is not 13 inch pounds, that's way too little, it's more like 8 ft lbs/96 inch pounds on the valve cover bolts. Still not a lot. Kind of like using a 6 inch combo wrench and tightening it "firm" with just your hand.

[batever]

Being taken care of only means it will last a little over 100k...worse treatment would mean less time...so if it is due (90k) good treatment will not alter that.

Why are you doing the v/c so many times? Make sure you apply some RTV on the corners of any sharp bends in the v/c gasket (mostly where it will go over the cam) and then make sure you torque to spec the bolts...then check the torque again...then a third time.

Good point.

My take on why it is important to use the RTV in those vertical areas of gasket is because where the gasket goes up around the circle of the camshaft housing, the part of the gasket that is right at the vertical transition in the valve cover area is more vertical than horizontal and is not getting compressed much, if at all, by the vertical compression of the valve cover bolts. The extra adhesive ability of the RTV helps keep the gasket firmly in there against the positive pressure that exists in the valve cover area when the engine is running, and also simply to ensure a tight seal in this area.

If you are using my method of using The Right Stuff instead of a preformed gasket, this will be less of a factor but even there red Permatex RTV is slightly more adhesive, in my opinion, than THE Right Stuff and would be a good addition. That being said I haven't needed to do so so far.