Oil leak??

Archived posts from the 2 Cylinder Hondas Yahoo Group
mterrens
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2005 10:36 am

Oil leak??

Post by mterrens »

So today was a clear day with dry roads here in New Jersey, so I decide to take my Coupe out for the first time since last fall.  I check the oil (full) and crank it up.  It takes a bit of time to start, but once it's going, it does well on a "spirited drive" of a couple of miles.  I pull into my driveway and upon stopping discover smoke coming from under the hood.  Oh, FINE.  I finally get it out for a drive and this is the thanks I get?  Anyway, I pop the hood and discover that oil has been leaking, or maybe actually shooting, out of the engine around the driver's side of the head.  Oil was getting on the exhaust; I am glad I stopped when I did!  I cannot tell if I blew a seal anywhere; I did not idle the car to look after I saw this mess.  The oil level actually was a bit beyond full; could it have been forced out from under the oil cap?
Here are a few pictures; please take a look.  Comments are appreciated.
http://www.honda600coupe.com/photos/oil_leak/
Steve
twincarb600
Posts: 47
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2002 2:19 pm

Re: Oil leak??

Post by twincarb600 »

Doesn't look like the oil cap is on all the way. From the pictures it
looks as if the arrows don't line up on the cap and valve cover.
Robert
mterrens
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2005 10:36 am

Re: Oil leak??

Post by mterrens »

The odd thing about the oil cap is that it doesn't clear the adjacent head
bolt - I have to pull it up and over the bolt to screw it down all the way.
twincarb600
Posts: 47
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2002 2:19 pm

Re: Oil leak??

Post by twincarb600 »

I was thinking that there were was a difference between coupe and
sedan bolts.
mterrens
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2005 10:36 am

Re: Oil leak??

Post by mterrens »

I seem to recall maybe using my Coupe motor oil cap on this sedan engine, or
vice-versa... anyway, assuming that the cap is to blame, does the engine oil
generally become under pressure while driving, enough to find it's way out
of an ill-fitting cap?
twincarb600
Posts: 47
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2002 2:19 pm

Re: Oil leak??

Post by twincarb600 »

Depending on how much blow-by you might have it can make a mess. You
can't take the oil cap off while the engine is running and not make a
mess. So if yours was not tight then you have oil splashing the
underside of it and then blowing out. I would every now and then
loosen mine real quick just to make sure the oil pump was still
pumping to the top end good.
Robert
mterrens
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2005 10:36 am

Re: Oil leak??

Post by mterrens »

well I guess I will have to test all of this - idle the car and take a look.
I'll get someone to step on the gas and see what happens. Too bad the
weather is back to rain and snow tomorrow - I am fed up with winter.
twincarb600
Posts: 47
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2002 2:19 pm

Re: Oil leak??

Post by twincarb600 »

Just let it idle and it will make a mess. Winter is no fun for a car
hobby. Trying to snow now and 30 degrees. Home for a week and no
time for cars. Did get to play in the snow with the RT5000 Honda
tractor.
Robert
Miles
Posts: 361
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2003 5:32 pm

Re: Oil leaker

Post by Miles »

Remove the cap, see if the seal is soft at all. If it's rock hard,
then install it and rotate it back a little til it becomes tighter.
Your valve cover gasket is squishing out, do you have coupe valve
cover bolts on it? Also, your clip that holds the throttle & choke
cable is attached to the cam bearing end bolt. It should be on the
far back 10mm x 14 headed bolt that holds on the side shroud. If it
only has an 8mm hole then it should be holding up your left spark
plug wire.
Run the engine with the breather hose off and see if it is actually
breathing, if not and I have never seen this, your blow-by hose may
be plugged and causing oil to squirt out the oil cap.
Clean it, run it and watch for leaks.
Miles
Miles
Posts: 361
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2003 5:32 pm

Re: Oil cappy

Post by Miles »

The oil cap looks too tall, I recall the caps cutting into my finger
& thumb when I remove/install them. It looks like the diameter is too
small and height is too tall/long.
Miles
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