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2000 Civic with ~200k miles, D16Y8 engine, the VTEC has been leaking. The leak is clearly visible with an inspection mirror. I took steps to replace the gasket (VTEC to head) with OEM gasket but the leak continued. After trying numerous times to clean and re-torque, leak was persistent. Then one day, for no apparent reason, the leak stopped! I drove it for several days (at various speeds/driving conditions) and it was completely dry. Then again, for no apparent reason, the leak resumed. Sigh.
1) I have no known issues with the VTEC itself.
2) The upper gasket (base gasket) of the solenoid is completely dry and clean. It has not been replaced or altered.
3) I have tried a layer of HondaBond to see if that would help with the leak. No change.
4) I've closely inspected the head surface and mating surface of the VTEC (with loups) and smoothed them with Scotchbrite, I don't detect any imperfections.
5) The bolts were stretched a bit, so I've replaced them.
6) I've torqued the bolts with 3 different torque wrenches (and done a reasonable check of their accuracy).
I've marked where the leak seems to show up in the pix below. OEM gasket in the last photo is new.
I've read as many forum discussions as I can find . . . and the "impossible" seems to be happening on a regular basis - anybody with any good ideas?
This is where the leak appears to originate. This is where the leak appears to originate. Photo shown is with new gasket.
The engine is really clean. Can't see any oil on the intake manifold (side or lower flange), engine block, or clutch housing. Of course, if I run the engine for awhile, the drip will eventually drop and migrate forward to the front of the engine, as so many on theses forums have posted.
Some RTV may be necessary. I had a similar issue with my TSX where it would leak in one area despite a seemingly perfect seal. A little bit of RTV was all I needed.
Yes, I've used very gentle language with it - haven't tried crying yet tho.
I've tried some HondaBond, and I may try that again if I can't get it to stop.
I even tried some Curil T2 (at a friend's suggestion). No effect that I could see.
Is it possible for there to be excessive oil pressure that might cause it? There are no fault codes being generated.
Oil is, and always has been, within limits. (FYI - I read one thread whose owner was seeing 90 psi at lower speeds, had a vtec leak, replaced the gasket and the leak stopped even though he was still too high in oil pressure.)
I've thought of replacing the vtec itself, but haven't been able to justify any reason why / how it could go bad. Do you think it susceptible to cracking that would be hard to see?
Incidentally - do you know for sure how the oil flows in/out through the assembly? I'm guessing that oil enters the vtec via the central (screened) cavity and exits via the lower cavity into the head (2 holes) - but I'm just guessing.
Your photo shows what looks like some slight screen filter clogging, though minor.
I’ve noticed that the gaskets even after short duty compress and don’t recover well often not recovering enough to perform their intended purpose.
You don’t say but if using a synthetic you might try conventional oil.
Honda bond is great for many things but I prefer Honda Ultra Flange Sealant II ... Thick, gray material is the only recommended product for sealing gasketless oil pans. Used sparingly it might do the trick. Just make sure you act quickly after application because it skins quickly.
the image isn't quite clear about this - the filter is brand new and there isn't a speck in it.
I hear what you're saying about the gasket, but if that is what's causing it I can't quite understand why/how it would start / stop / start with no action on my part? Puzzling.
I've always used conventional oil.
Would the Ultra Sealant II do a better job against oil pressure?
I used it as the sealant on oil pump flange on a 2003 D17A2 and it performed well, but to be honest I’m not sure if that is a high pressure situation. It’s expensive but works well. Use sparingly, a little goes a long way.
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Re: VTEC Oil Leak that just won't Stop
The Vtec solenoids body tends to warp, but you won't see warpage via visual inspection. A professional straight edge and feeler gauges would likely prove warpage. Anyway, I've had this happen on several 6th gens and careful use of Hondabond
on the rubber seal (avoid getting on screen) will likely solve the issue. It did for all the ones I applied it to. Use an inch/pound torque wrench to service manual spec on bolts.
By way of update, since the original post the leak appears to be slowing to a crawl - very slowly changing that is. I don't know if that will eventually stop but at the rate it's going it may dry up completely. But since it has stopped before - only to restart later - the jury is still out.
1) I've considered buying a used VTEC solenoid in the event that the leak doesn't stop; I really appreciate knowing that warpage is a known issue on 6th gens - so it's definitely on the list of things to try if needed.
2) I have tried HondaBond but that attempt didn't seal as hoped. I've done more reading since then and think that there might be a more precise way of doing it, so I may try that again in the future (if needed).
3) It's been torqued with a micro torque wrench every time it's installed.
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Re: VTEC Oil Leak that just won't Stop
Originally Posted by WinstonToby
Thanks for the suggestions!
By way of update, since the original post the leak appears to be slowing to a crawl - very slowly changing that is. I don't know if that will eventually stop but at the rate it's going it may dry up completely. But since it has stopped before - only to restart later - the jury is still out.
1) I've considered buying a used VTEC solenoid in the event that the leak doesn't stop; I really appreciate knowing that warpage is a known issue on 6th gens - so it's definitely on the list of things to try if needed.
2) I have tried HondaBond but that attempt didn't seal as hoped. I've done more reading since then and think that there might be a more precise way of doing it, so I may try that again in the future (if needed).
3) It's been torqued with a micro torque wrench every time it's installed.
Looks like a used one is your best option. You might want to call machine shops in your area and get a quote on milling the Vtec solenoid mating area flat, could be a cheaper option?. Hopefully the mating area on the cylinder head is not the issue. You mentioned that the upper (spool) gasket doesn't look to be leaking, yes?
Last edited by Wankenstein; Jan 19, 2023 at 11:57 PM.
The upper gasket is definitely tight and dry, so I haven't touched it. Been keeping an eye on it, but it would be easy to spot a leak if that ever changes.
But having the solenoid surface machined might be good to inquire about. I replaced the head gasket this summer (and removed the VTEC), had the head surfaced and the mating surface for the solenoid looked good, but we didn't do anything to the intake side. With the head being so large and the VTEC being so small, the machinist and mechanic and I all agreed that the head was far less likely to be out of spec.
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Re: VTEC Oil Leak that just won't Stop
Originally Posted by WinstonToby
With the head being so large and the VTEC being so small, the machinist and mechanic and I all agreed that the head was far less likely to be out of spec.
