califcamper

yea i think i have a small oil leak around valve cover, and at a spark plug seal too (has no effect on spark plug at this point-very small and spark plugs and wires are dry)but will prob take valve cover off and replace if it makes this any easier.
btw this has no effect on the missing cylinders, its basically only one plug and I only notice oil when removing spark plug, see a little on
the socket, but all else is dry.
I do lose a quart every 1000 miles, no burning oil, but smell it burning
off motor somewhere, and no oil underneath car.
99% sure its seeping out of valve cover, spark plug seal.
Anyways thanks again, will reuse other gaskets, but if needed will replace.

ezone

How many miles are on this engine? Did you know the history of this engine before you got it?

If you aren't seeing oil on the ground, I'd expect that it's probably burning the majority of the oil you lose. Be glad it isn't a whole lot more.

A working cat can hide a LOT of oil smoke as you drive.




And a drop of oil on a hot exhaust manifold can make a lot of stink.

califcamper

120k on this engine,
yeah Im pretty sure there is no oil burning out exhaust
and can smell it off of engine somewhere
drove it from Pa to texas last month and it went thru
about 3 quarts of oil on the trip. when I changed out #4 spark
plug, I did notice oil on end of spark plug socket, but like I said
spark plug itself and coil boot, etc.., were dry. So Im suspecting
there is the oil leak. around the spark plug cylinder and valve cover gasket. I have driven the car atleast 55,000 miles like this, I just keep adding oil, and it hasnt proved to be a major issue at this point.

to give an update on the intake manifold, havent done it yet,
did take egr valve off and clean and it was pretty built up with
carbon although not completely clogged.
Unf, where Im living doesn't make me able to do this intake manifold
removal, they have a rule no repairs in rv park? B.S.
I was wondering though, would it be at all possible to just take out
spark plugs and spray a couple of squirts of gumout to possible remove some of carbon build up? Or bad idea?

ezone

That's not where 3 quarts went. If it leaked 3 quarts you should be able to see where it has left drip trails to the ground.


Won't help. The EGR clog is in the manifold area, not the combustion chambers. You won't find any clog at the EGR valve either.



Here's some of the clogs you should see once you get the manifold off



From this thread
https://www.civicforums.com/forums/3...-passages.html


There will be more carbon buildup in the edges of the intake ports where these passages above exit into the engine.








Another pic



IF you go for new gaskets make sure you got the right ones. One version has no hole for the EGR passage in the head. (Would match up with the hole on the far left of the above pic.)

califcamper

appreciate it as usual
and thanks for the pics, (that thread I was reading from the other link, kept referring to pics, but they werent there)
so thats a big help
yeah I saw about the hole and the gasket issue

that oil leak is a real mystery, absolutely no oil on the ground, Ive looked many times, and many places and never have seen one drop.
Never see smoke either, and if it was burning that much oil, I believe I would see smoke, or the car would have residue on it, but its clean.
I saw where a common area of this car to leak oil was at the cam sensor
at the head (near egr area of engine), but never see oil there either?
have also looked at the bottom of timing belt area, nothing. only thing
I could think is valve cover gasket area, maybe at the back of motor where I can't see?
anyway thanks again, I will get the manifold done one way or another

ezone

If there are no leaks, then it's burning it. A working cat can hide a lot of oil smoke.

Consumption of one quart per 1000 miles is acceptable, even if it is not desirable.

If it takes that many miles to burn a quart of oil, you probably wouldn't see it anyway, even if it didn't have a cat.

Your plugs might show some hard white ashy buildup on the electrodes and porcelain if it is burning oil slowly.
It can take a lot of miles before this type of evidence becomes apparent.

califcamper

Hey e
needed your opinion of driving my civic like the way it is, when I
have unplugged the egr valve, car runs good.
Need to get it to N. Calif, then was gonna do the unclogging.
Is that a terribly bad idea? I know your not god, but the way
its driving normal w/o egr plugged in, do you think it could
make it, say 2500 miles? In
your opinion would this be
a bad idea, or would it make it? I realize its only an opinion.
thanks

ezone

I'd expect you can leave the EGR unplugged, that will at least keep the misfire away for the trip.
(I'd unplug it until I could fix it right)

It might drop your gas mileage a little bit.


Check your oil and refill at each fuel stop!