01 Automatic Civic Oil leak
 

So I am beyond stressing out. Oil leak covers the entire engine and covers halfway down the bottom of the car. Told oil pan gasket. Changed it then oil was being lost stupidly fast. Me and my friend looked underneath it and saw that a gasket (which I later saw was the timing belt cover (that had a gasket around the insde)) pissed out oil when we gave it gas. We were thinking it was the front main seal but I have no clue now. Some please help I need to fix my car I am sick of not having one.

Re: 01 Automatic Civic Oil leak
 

You sure the only leak is near the front?

Front crank seal or maybe camshaft front seal? Valve cover gasket might be a possibility too.

You're gonna have to do some work. Take it apart far enough to get the timing covers off so you can investigate. Then the timing belt and gears if necessary.

Maybe assemble enough to run it with the timing covers removed so you can SEE it leak and figure out where it comes from.

If the timing belt got wet it needs replaced. The life of the timing belt depends on it staying clean and dry.

HTH

Re: 01 Automatic Civic Oil leak
 

Well we assumed the front main seal I am assuming the crankshaft seal. We'll have to take all that shit apart to see for sure but I am doubtful cause oil was pissing from the bottom where the gasket on the bottom timing cover came undone but the whole area around there is dry.

Re: 01 Automatic Civic Oil leak
 

The plastic timing cover is only a dust cover, it holds back no fluids..... so anything coming out is leaking from within.
What we call the front crank seal, Honda calls it an oil pump seal.

Re: 01 Automatic Civic Oil leak
 

Could also be piece 20 below, which would involve removing the oil pan again to get the oil pump off. That would be rather unfortunate. It leaked on myself and I'm sure many others. I would put money on piece 20 since that's the o-ring seal for the output pressure from the oil pump. There should be some oil above the crankseal/oil pump seal if it's piece 20. It ports oil straight to your oil filter.

http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/...S5A3E1300A.gif

Re: 01 Automatic Civic Oil leak
 

I wonder now if that's what the OP meant when he said this
Just doesn't quite draw thew same picture in my head though.

Re: 01 Automatic Civic Oil leak
 

Can anyone look at the attachments and tell me if that might have an effect on anything.

Re: 01 Automatic Civic Oil leak
 

[QUOTE=Matt_75;4695148]Could also be piece 20 below, which would involve removing the oil pan again to get the oil pump off.

Do you know of any videos that show how to replace this?

Re: 01 Automatic Civic Oil leak
 

Between the pics and your statement from the first post......

I see what looks like a blue colored valve cover gasket, meaning it's been replaced at some point...(Fel-Pro gaskets are often blue in color)

Looks in your pics that most of the mess starts about that level.

So the questions:

Is this mess just leftovers and the actual leak was fixed with the new valve cover gasket?

Or is this mess from an active leak at the valve cover gasket?

Have you had that valve cover all the way off and inspected the gasket?




Were the valve cover bolts tight?

It's not all that expensive and you have the valve cover loose for this job, may as well replace it now.

I'd clean the entire area thoroughly and then run it to see where any new leakage begins. I might even coat the areas in white powder (bath talc, Right Guard, etc.) to help show any leakage path after the leaks occur.

Re: 01 Automatic Civic Oil leak
 

This is trying to fix a leak in progress. I was replacing the front main seal. Crankshaft seal. whatever you wanna call it. I'm just worried about that back cover.

I am assuming that after the front main seal has been replaced if it's still leaking I'll have to get into the oil pan to replace pump seal o ring like suggested earlier and the valve cover gasket and if it still leaks then I'll just blow the bitch up

Re: 01 Automatic Civic Oil leak
 

I literally laughed out loud at this comment. I feel your pain. I've had my 02' EX since birth and have gone through a lot of blood, sweat and tears to keep in good running condition.

Go for the valve cover gasket first. Torque to spec which I believe is 7.2 ft/lbs or 86.4 in/lbs. If you over torque it, it's gonna squish the valve cover gasket big time, which may be your problem right now.

Re: 01 Automatic Civic Oil leak
 

either break off the bolts or strip the threads out of the head.

The (correct) VC bolts are shouldered so they stop turning at the correct height.. It can't squash the gasket out like you are thinking.

But yeah I think the mess starts at the VC gasket.





If OP already has the timing belt off, now is the time to inspect and replace the front seals....and maybe reseal the oil pump if desired, and if the head has ever been apart or the cam out I'd reseal the front upper cam cap edges.

The parts are cheap, and I'd use dealer seals for it. The worst part of the work is the work, it's labor intensive no matter what.