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Hi folks,

I mentioned in my intro that I'd post what the current issues I'm having with my new (to me) 02 Civic LX were.

The MAJOR Stuff is as follows:

It's leaking about a quart a day (50 mile round trip) of oil from around the front of the top timing belt cover, and from (as best as I can make out) around the bottom rear of the upper timing belt cover. Whoever was fat fingering this engine before me apparently put thread locker on the rear (firewall side) bolt of the upper timing belt cover and/or over torqued the HELL out of the bolt. Short version is the tab that holds that bolt's bushing in is broken and I'm probably going to have to cut that tab off to get the cover off. I've ordered another back, top and bottom and gasket for the timing belt cover so I'm fine with that, but it's still irritating as hell. I don't want to cut it until I have the replacement in my hand because with my luck the OEM back cover is going to be permanently back ordered. But the upshot of all this is that the timing belt is drenched in oil and the drive belts are getting a good daily soaking as well. Oh, and it's my only car. Yay!
Anywho, I've ordered the following:

Timing belt
Timing belt tensioner idler pulley
Timing belt tensioner idler pulley spring
Water pump (Asin)
Camshaft seal
Crankshaft seal
Upper timing belt cover back
Upper timing belt cover
Lower timing belt cover
Lower timing belt cover gasket
Crank pulley removal tool (best $15 I've spent in a while)
Alternator & AC drive belt
Power steering pump drive belt

The valve cover gasket is new so I can reuse that. I'm not certain as to what the idler pulley make is (it was a kit deal for seals, pulley, pump and belt, I had to get the spring from another vendor (smdh)) but the belt and pulley are either Gates or ITM. I know Gates is fine for the belt, but I really don't know anything about ITM other than they purportedly use Japanese NTN bearings... (shrugs IDK... That's why I'm here.) The spring is OEM. The drive belts I'm not real concerned about but I ordered Mitsuboshi for both of them. I don't know about the make of the seals. All of the timing cover parts are OEM.

Ok so from what I can gather the most likely causes for this built in automatic-oil-change-engine-flush feature I have bought is that it's EITHER the Camshaft seal OR the Crankshaft seal... ( I don't think it's the valve cover gasket because I personally reinstalled it, I will be checking it again though) There IS some chatter about the oil pump being the culprit. I haven't ordered an oil pump yet mostly because there is such WILD disparity between aftermarket anything from $32 to $109 and OEM $112-$495 and then the rebuilds span as much as the after market stuff. I just don't know enough about the D17A1 to know what is needed for the oil pump. I like OEM when I can get it, but $495 seems RATHER steep. (Anything over $79 seems steep for that matter) But again, I'm here to learn, so what's the likely hood of the oil pump being the cause of this oil derrick I'm driving around? BTW it's ONLY leaking when the engine is running. It doesn't leak when the engine is stopped.

The other major issues I've got are:
a cracked radiator, (I can do the replacement on that with no problem)
and the rear passenger side brake drum is grinding like hell when I brake. Car stops on a dime though. I'm just going to put new drums and shoes on it and if I don't need new drums (which is unlikely) I'll return them. Again, no sweat to do the rear brakes.
The next thing is really more of a personal irritation than a problem and it's the cruise control doesn't work. Both lights in the master switch were burnt out, so I kinda fixed it with some T3 LED's (the're already in the little bases with the resistors on them). The steering wheel control switch seems to work (I don't have resistance specs or anything) It's not big on my list of things to sweat right now.

Anyway the rest is all just piddly **** I can deal with as money gets made available (window switch, headliner needs to be redone, clear coat peeling, power steering pump growling (I've ordered the uptake o- ring) stupid crap...) I've attached a diagram to help show what I'm talking about (many thanks to josephbow6 for his list of helpful links in the head gasket DIY where I got the diagram from). What's your best estimate for exactly HOW CLOSE to death am I running with an oil soaked T-belt? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Sponiebr
Executor of Bad Ideas and Sundry Services 02 Civic LX 5 spd Oil leakage issues

 
Rep Power: 228

Good luck =D

 
Rep Power: 221

Unghosted thread, sounds like you've got a handle on everything. I haven't had a problem with oil leaks on my car yet so I can't comment really on what's leaking, I'm sure once you pop the bottom timing cover off it will be pretty obvious

 
Rep Power: 118

Would not surprise me if your burning some of that missing oil.

I suggest loosening the cam sprocket bolt before taking the belt off, speaking of that sprocket, I put on leather gloves now whenever I am working next to it cause it’s bloody sharp.

That broken tab on the cover was broken on mine as well, I just let it be.

 
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I'm not sure what that means. Did I post this in the wrong sub forum? I'm new here so I'm still trying to get my bearings...


I appreciate the input!

 
Rep Power: 517

I'll strongly urge you to get the set from a Honda dealer.

Aftermarkets are iffy IMO, several posts have been made here about it-- some fail before the next oil change and you have 16 valves at stake
("Parts Wiz" and "knitted from an old sock" comes to mind right away)

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If the oil pump is leaking, simply reseal it: One O ring and some RTV, but the oil pan has to come off to do it. So does the timing belt.
I have a pic or 2 if you want to see
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Stripped out bushing? It was just seized, they do that all the time. I don't bother replacing, the other 2 bolts hold the outer cover in place just fine. Just the middle bolt will still hold it by itself if necessary too.

In your parts pic, the lower timing cover bolt hole in front of the #2 will usually be found broken out as well.

 
Rep Power: 221

The internet voodoo that runs the forum sometimes hides new posts and only moderators can see them. Then one of us has to notice that it's hidden and then make it visible so everyone can see it.

 
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Thank you all for your help. I think everything but the timing belt is OEM or a manufacturer of the OEM parts. The timing belt is ITM which I've never heard of... I'll see if I can't find a Gates or Mitsuboshi timing belt and get this job DONE and over with. The radiator and rear brakes go on tonight. (Yeah I know, I'm gonna have to drain the coolant out when I do the water pump and timing belt anyway, But I'm still gonna get this done now, because I have these parts now.)

Slainte,

Sponiebr