umby

Hey guys.

I have a 93 hatch that I just dropped a SOHC ZC motor in with an Si trans. I picked up the motor from someone I know and drove it extensively while still in his car etc, etc...

Anyway, once I installed the motor I noticed that I picked up a faint smell of oil when I revved it up from the TB. I wanted to paint the valve cover anyway and figuring it was probably the VC gasket (even though there was no sign of leakage) I put a new on (OEM gasket, Hondabond, etc...)

I now have about 300 miles on the car and I'm still smelling what seems to be oil when I stop at a light etc... I've checked the whole engine over top to bottom and everything is clean and dry and my oil level hasn't changed one bit. The smell itself seems to be coming up from around the exhaust manifild area but ???

Could I still be getting some burn off from the swap? Where are some places to check that maybe I wouldn't know to look? Any help would be MOST appreciated.

heeltoehonda

Does is smell like your burning oil through the exhaust? or like your dropped some on the headers and its cooking?

umby

Its like its cooking off of something... But there is no snoke, no residue, no nothing.

umby

Anybody?

Stitch

G/l...my old motor did the same thing...only after vtec engaged

umby

Ever figure it out?

heeltoehonda

It could just be excess oil you spilled sitting where you can't see it. I wouldn't worry about it to much. If it goes on for a long period of time then it seems to me it would be leaking out from somewhere. It's kind of hard to tell without looking at it though.

umby

Here is just a thought... I painted the exhaust heat shield with some high-temo engine paint and I've noticed its already starting to "burn off." Could that posisbly be producing the smell in question?

heeltoehonda

^^ Yeah that could very much produce a odd smell, but it wouldn't smell anything like burning or simmering oil.

Also the high temp. engine paint should be able to handle the heat while on the exhaust heat shield. IMO I don't think it should burn off unless it was on your actual headers.

umby

I was thinking the paint would last as well but its definitely discoloring and disappearing in places. This whole thing is driving me crazy lol

heeltoehonda

Are you losing oil at all?

Do you see any oil spots on the ground after driving your car?

umby

Nope. Haven't kost a drop of oil, no spots or anything.

heeltoehonda

If your oil level isn't dropping, and you don't have any dripping from your car, then I wouldn't worry about it. Give it some time and it should go sway.

If you really think it's your heat shield, you could remove it while it's cold then use air craft remover on it. That should remove all the paint.