All right guys....first some background info...

91 Honda Accord LX
252,8xx miles on right now.
Car runs flawlessy...everything works as it should
Oil changes done on time from 0 miles to present.
Used Valvoline dino oil from 0-248,000
Switched to Mobil 1 Synthetic from 248 to right now.

Just a VERY small drip I've seen recently. Nothing to be worried about really but I'm pretty **** about my cars...

OK, so here are some pictures....







This picture is taken from underneath the oil pan...it's looking to the left where all the belts and pulleys are...In the last picture you can see there are two ***** there, they each had a drop of oil on them...

I'm hoping and guessing it's the oil pan gasket...

I've already changed the valve cover gasket at 242k so I know it's not that.

Any help would be appreciated! If you need any more pictures, let me know...I can have them up in a few hours.

 

check and see if your power steering pump is leaking or low... mine was right there also.

and do you know if yoru dipstick is showing low too? or decreasing slowly?

 

check the seal. the balancershaft seal first.

 

hope its not the main seal... slight chance which it is...

you have to take the cover off to find out

 

Last I checked the powersteering fluid, it was fine...I'll have to check it again tomorrow...

The dipstick for the oil shows no sign of a loss either...it's that minor....

I'm still hoping it's just the oil pan gasket...

What cover are you talking about removing? I'd like to think I'm pretty informed on engines...just not on seals, haha.

 

check behind the timing cover

 

most likely it is the oil pump housing but the best way to find out for sure is to open the cover and look inside ... it is either a timing cover leak or a valve cover gasket leaking ( i doubt this though )


edit ... i noticed you changed the valve cover gasket ... did you put silicone in the corners? if not then it could be leaking there ...(corners being where the cam is)

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Stripped Honda &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">most likely it is the oil pump housing but the best way to find out for sure is to open the cover and look inside ... it is either a timing cover leak or a valve cover gasket leaking ( i doubt this though )


edit ... i noticed you changed the valve cover gasket ... did you put silicone in the corners? if not then it could be leaking there ...(corners being where the cam is)</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yep...I am 110% sure it is not the valve cover gasket. It was installed correctly, torqued correctly and is dry as a bone.

 

WOW that pic looks like mine before I tore it down.

This is what I found:

Balance shaft seal, Oil seal, main seal, oil pump seal

This is what I got to fix it

Lower end gasket set (cost with S&H $51 OEM local parts store could not get it and wanted $179 for it if they could find a supplier that could send it to them)
They see import and OUCH there goes the price.

This person I would have posted already but they want to finish their online catalog first. Wonderfull prices on gaskets for imports and domestic.

The only part I don't see a mark up on for the F&H 22 motors is the valve cover gasket.

 

Yeah, could be the balance seal

 

That's what sucks about oil leaks...it could be this and it could be that...and a lot of money can be wasted "fixing" the wrong thing....frustrating.

 

I have exactly the same leak on my 91 EX wagon. I know it is at least the cam seal (I've pulled and looked) and I'm going to go ahead and replace my crank and balance shaft seals as well. It's been 80k since the last T-belt change so it's going to get a new belt as well as water pump and balance shaft belt. Oil pan gaskets it ain't, sorry for your luck, but after 250k you should be thankful thats all thats wrong with your ride.

1st thing pull the timing belt cover and see what's leaking.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Super Chicken &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> but after 250k you should be thankful thats all thats wrong with your ride.
.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Nah I shouldn't...the car was meticulously cared for. These accords are KNOWN to go well over 300k with no problems.

I drove it on a 1500 mile round trip vacation in July when it had 250k on it...in 95 degree heat the car ran flawlessly, the a/c blew cold, and I got 35 MPG...

I have no problem with jumping in the car right now and driving it across the country...this is my daily driver and I have no doubts it will be with me for another 75-100k. Easy.

 

My 95 accord is leaking in the exact same place. It looses a little over a quart in a 3000 mile period. I would say that it is related to the main seal or the oil pump. The main concentration is right at the top of the oil pan in the rear and some near the top rear of the timing belt cover. I think this is because the oil leaks near the bottom and gets slung to the top rear by the timing belt causing oil traces all down the back of the engine.

P.S. mine has 168,000 on it. I know that leaks are annoying but u seem to be doing well if thats ur only problem.

 

as for expence,

If you can do it yourself you can get a lower end gasket kit for around $50 bucks. That covers all the gaskets for the oil area (balencer shaft seal, oil pump seal, water pump seal, cover seals, front main seal, oil pan gasket) all you would need to get ontop of that is a valve cover gasket, but if you replaced that already then all you would need to do is re-goop your corners.

And to remove all that is not that hard. Doing that now for my own car. Just remember the engine turns counter clock to get it to TDC then start to remove all the items. I removed the valve cover first to make sure I was at TCD intake, along with the distrib. (have a clear cap so can see threw it), timing mark on flywheel (window for that on the trany) and Plug number 1 to make sure it was at the top of the stroke.

To do all those parts once you have it set up is about 4 hrs with air tools, and about 7 hrs without.

Good luck