supersnake83

Hello everyone,

I have the Cam plug oil leak issue and need to do the replacement (replacement seems pretty simple, so no questions about that...yet). I have the parts (cam plug, EGR Valve Gasket--just in case I need it, and Hondabond). My first question is, if I have to replace the EGR Valve Gasket, do I need to or is it recommended to use Hondabond on the EGR Valve gasket? If so, do I coat both sides of the gasket, or just one side (and which side)? I know that if I have to replace this gasket, I'll need to clean the area very well and remove all of the old gasket off before replacing with the new gasket.

Also, I had this oil leak for well over a year and wasn't sure that I was leaking oil until I had to fix an exhaust rattle by tightening the bracket where the Converter is. I found a lot of oil all over the right side (passenger side) of the engine/transmission. I also found some old paperwork when I had to get my airbag replaced under the recall and it stated the cam plug was leaking (shame on me for not noticing that).

The other question I have, is what to do about all that leaked oil. Should I attempt to try and clean any off (other than areas I can easily get to)? I'm not mechanically skilled to remove an engine or transmission for cleaning, but is there any other safe methods to clean off the excesses leaked oil or should I not worry about it?

Thanks.

ezone

Nope. Scrape clean and install dry. It will scrape off easily, but reaching it with a scraper tool can be kinda awkward.


It's already made a mess that's been ignored for over a year, who cares now? LOL

Couple cans of brake cleaner would get most of it off from the top half of the engine.
Depending on how big the mess is and how far it has spread, you might want more drastic cleaning measures for the bottom side.
Degreaser and a hose?

supersnake83

Thanks, Ezone.

I kind of thought I would not have needed the Hondabond on the EGR gasket, so I took a chance and did the replacement of the cam plug following that line of thinking. The camp plug replacement was a quick 10 minutes, but it took about another 10 minutes getting the two nuts on the EGR valve screws.

The EGR Gasket did not rip or leave residue, so I didn't touch it.

This repair is done. At the looks of the oil, I noticed the last couple of times I did an oil change that oil was all over the bottom right side of the engine and surrounding areas, but even after all of this time, none of the oil was enough to make a drip on the ground. All oil soiled the mechanical parts.

I saw how the gasket on the old cam plug was practically nonexistent, so I'm in good shape with the replacement.

Thanks.