MalcolmV8

Ahh long story but basically I just put my motor back together and there's an oil leak from what appears to be the front main seal area. I need to pull the crank pulley off to inspect. I just replaced that bolt so I'm wondering if I can reuse or do I need to order another one from Honda?

Specs to tighten are 143 ft/lb to seat it. Then back off and tighten to 20 ft/lbs. Now turn 60*. Start engine and let it idle for 3 minutes. Turn bolt an additional 30*.

It's possible that is a torque to yield and cannot be reused.

2nd question. So I tore down the motor and put in CP 9.0:1 pistons 20 thousands over and the only other major change is the intake tube on the turbo to air filter because of the new cooling fan. When I fired it up the car was very rich. Pegging the wideband at 10 AF. I had to lean out the tune. Seems strange. Lower compression pistons shouldn't cause it to be rich would it? I tweaked the AF and it seems to run great besides the oil leak I need to figure out.

tepid1

Use it again.

You just changed the VE of the motor. Adjustments will be required.

OneBadTurboCRV

Lowering compression will and changing nothing else will in fact cause the car to run rich. I will give you a hint - you are going to have to add timing...

10psiLsEf2

yes you can reuse the bolt

MalcolmV8

Cool thanks guys. Found my leak. The front main seal managed to tear on start up. I had lubed it before install but apparently something went wrong. I'll get another in there in the morning and then should be good to go. I'll reuse the bolt.

Interesting on lowering compression and no other changes makes the car run rich. Humm I would have thought the air consumed by the motor would have been the same. I mean the piston still moves the same distance down on the intake stroke as before. It just doesn't compress as much because of the larger dish so the total volume at TDC is increased hence lower ratio of compression. I'll have to think more about that one.

Adding timing while WOT or close to it is the easy part. It's the low load and normal driving conditions that I'll have to put some time into and figure out.

MalcolmV8

Bummer. As stated above I pulled the brand new front main seal that some how tore on start up and installed a new one today. Takes a good few hours to get in and out of there. I made sure this one had a lot of grease on (although I did the same on the original) and placed it in extra carefully. Used the old seal as a buffer and then a socket to gently tap into place. Spend a couple hours putting everything back and go for a test drive. It's leaking real bad again. Something must be tearing up the seals. It's a brand new oil pump too. I wonder if there's something wrong with it. Crank looked fine, no burs, marks or anything.
I didn't have the heart to tear it all apart for a third time so don't know why this second seal has failed me too. Guess I'll get it out tomorrow and see. Very odd.

OneBadTurboCRV

Sounds more like installer error. You can NOT just push the seal on to the crank snout. You must either put the pump at an angle or use a pick or small screwdriver to get the lip onto the snout.

MalcolmV8

Yeah installed many a seal before so I was baffled how that could be leaking again. I spoke to soon it's not leaking. I got back in there tonight and see the oil pan has a leak right there by the main seal so my assumption that the replacement seal was leaking was wrong.
I took off the pulley and timing belt just to be double sure and it's all good. Pulled the pan and the oil pan gasket (more like giant o-ring) had bulged in a spot and gotten pinched. I had put a few tacks of silicon along the oil pan and laid the gasket in there and placed various objects on there to hold it in place and let the "tacks" dry before installing so it wouldn't just spring out and move all over the place. Evidently I didn't put enough and the side still managed to spring out.

OneBadTurboCRV

Did you use a FelPro pan gasket by chance?

MalcolmV8

I did. A common problem I assume? Wonder if it'll straighten out with a heat gun before install.

tepid1

OEM or nothing. Felpro sucks ***.

MalcolmV8

Not saying you're wrong but could you elaborate?

cruizinmax

iTrader: (2)

They are known to leak. Also they swell up as soon as oil touches them.

turbohatch96y7

iTrader: (15)

I'm using the blue felpro on my moroso oil pan.
No leaks so far and I reused it about 4 times already

Wipe down the whole pan, get it clean enough to eat off of and make certain its no coming from somewhere else.

zeinhonda

Yep, you sure can reuse it

OneBadTurboCRV

Even whem drasticly under torqued I have had nothing but blow out problems with the OEM oil pan and the FelPro pan gasket. Like was said before, OEM pan gasket or nothing else. The reason the FelPro is hit or miss with the Moroso pan is because the pan is warped straight from the factory! HAHA!!! You will find the price between the two gaskets is negliable. Actually, you will find most of the replacement parts price differences and quality, you are better off going OEM for most parts anyways.

MalcolmV8

My first felpro gasket never leaked or had any issues. My only hang up with them is they are so springy and wirery when new it's a major PITA to get them to stay in place when installing. That's what got me this last engine rebuild. I picked up a brand new gasket and a piece managed to spring inwards on installation that I didn't catch and it pinched it in half. Hence the leak.

The felpro gasket was $14 and the Honda one was $30 at my local dealer. I figured what the heck so I picked up the Honda gasket this morning. We'll see how installation goes this evening.

OneBadTurboCRV

That is why you price match at your local dealer to websites like www.hondaautomotiveparts.com

MalcolmV8

My dealer doesn't price match. He told me to order it online or get a shop account with them.

turbohatch96y7

iTrader: (15)

Check this thread out before you open up that gasket..

https://honda-tech.com/forums/tech-misc-15/how-stop-leaking-oil-pan-gasket-once-all-3067703/

MalcolmV8

Appreciate the heads up but I have not had any leaks in the past. Like I said I pinched the last gasket in half when it folded in some. When I actually install them correctly I have zero leak issues. Dry as a bone. I only paid extra for this OEM over felpro in hopes it lays in the oil pan better and stays in place. If not oh well I'm only out an extra $15.

TKERacer619

So many people complain about oil pan gaskets leaking (especially the felpro) and calling them trash when they cannot be bothered to get a 1/4" drive torque wrench. Mostly its installer error (hint: get a manual). I have been using the felpro for years and have even reused it a few times. Haven't had a leak yet.

Moroso pans could use some QC. A bent pan is useless.

OneBadTurboCRV

I hope you are not talking to me. Even torqued to spec, the heat from racing just destroys those FelPro oil pan gasket made for Honda. This is coming from a guy who only uses (95% of the time anyways) FelPro in the domestic world. Either way, FelPro is sub par as they don't even include the factory steel "limit washers" that the factory includes in the gasket. If it works for you, great, but you couldn't pay me to install one in ANY of my ricers.

Muckman

iTrader: (2)

You cant torque it to spec before its squishing out the sides.

OneBadTurboCRV

Hehe, that is what I was getting at before my last post, no point in arguing with the deaf. Just trying to get the point across that they are garbage.