hey guys, im looking at this car(i havnet seen it in person yet, just some pics) and he sent this picture of the engine bay. anyway, there looks to be some greasy, black build up on the engine right to the top-left off the exhaust manifold.

What do you think this is? Just a simple exhaust leak? Something i can't fix? the car is not real close to where i live so i just want to make sure everythings OK with it before i drive to see it.

Thanks

 

BTW, if you see anything else wrong, tell me

 

looks to be like a leaky valve cover gasket and or cam seal, nothing 15 dollars in parts wouldn't fix.

just a dirty engine bay, but clear for what it is

EDIT: could be a simple exhaust gasket as well

 

hey could be one of 3 things.

1. Exhaust leak, which can be fixed, might just be a gasket or header if aftermarket not well seated...

2. Cam Seal Leak, oil leaking which also can be fixed...

3. Valve gasket rubber seal.. leaks oil but nothing major, caused by error install..


but my guess and im sure others might say the same it looks like exhaust leak.....


with what ur saying it best that u check it out and i know u said its far but how far is far ??? well good luck on ur turn out weather u buy or not ...

 

Yea it looks too me like an exhaust leak.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Code Blue &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">just a dirty engine bay, but clear for what it is</TD></TR></TABLE>

I know, it is dirty. Ill have to break out the engine degreaser and a brush.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by P0sTaL &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">hey could be one of 3 things.

1. Exhaust leak, which can be fixed, might just be a gasket or header if aftermarket not well seated...

2. Cam Seal Leak, oil leaking which also can be fixed...

3. Valve gasket rubber seal.. leaks oil but nothing major, caused by error install..


but my guess and im sure others might say the same it looks like valve cover or cam, looks like an oil substance......

with what ur saying it best that u check it out and i know u said its far but how far is far ??? well good luck on ur turn out weather u buy or not ...</TD></TR></TABLE>

So all of these things you listed can be fixed relativly cheap/easy? Or no?

 

thats definately a cam seal plug issue that common on hondas

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ricerwannab &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Yea it looks too me like an exhaust leak.</TD></TR></TABLE>

no...

Looks like a leaking cam seal, really common on our cars. You can pick up a gasket kit that takes care of that cam seal, the valve cover, sparkplug, and the rubber/metal seals for where all the nuts go for about $40. Your also gunna want to get some honda bond for the valve cover as well. All in all, it would take you an hour and a half at most to replace those.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Geno &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

no...

Looks like a leaking cam seal, really common on our cars. You can pick up a gasket kit that takes care of that cam seal, the valve cover, sparkplug, and the rubber/metal seals for where all the nuts go for about $40. Your also gunna want to get some honda bond for the valve cover as well. All in all, it would take you an hour and a half at most to replace those.</TD></TR></TABLE>

where can i find the procedure to fix this. haynes manual? FSM? Link?

Sorry, im not too familiar with honda engine......yet

 

Do a search for cam seal. to get some really good instruction. I know someone will post a link to another site that has a good write up.

But basically you pull the valve cover off. pull the two 10mm botls that hold the cam seal in place, pull the old cam seal out. Put in your nice new cam seal. Replace the cap, replace the valve cove gasket and put the valve cover back on.

Of course you will want to use the correct torque, honda bond....etc. But this will give you a quick idea.

 

the outer studs are probly broken causing an exhaust leak

oh yeah
why buy an ls???

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JamaicanDM &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">thats definately a cam seal plug issue that common on hondas</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

i say its either a cam seal or head gasket leak.. nothing major, nothing that a beer and a few tools cant handle.. oh yeah, and like 1hr max for the in-experianced person to tackle..

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sumyungguy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
why buy an ls???</TD></TR></TABLE>

why buy a GSR? cuz of vtec?? pssshhhh thats no reason
why buy a GSR? and not a ITR? huh.. huh.. huh......... lol, just messin

LS powa y0 lol...

 

alright, thanks guys

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ..::91TEG-G2::.. &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i say its either a cam seal or head gasket leak.. nothing major, nothing that a beer and a few tools cant handle.. oh yeah, and like 1hr max for the in-experianced person to tackle..

why buy a GSR? cuz of vtec?? pssshhhh thats no reason
why buy a GSR? and not a ITR? huh.. huh.. huh......... lol, just messin

LS powa y0 lol...</TD></TR></TABLE>

GSR--more horsepower, better tranny,ABS---POOR MANS TYPE R LOL

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sumyungguy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

GSR--more horsepower, better tranny,ABS---POOR MANS TYPE R LOL</TD></TR></TABLE>


ehhhhh more horsepower... your right on that one, better tranny, yes, but nothing that a swap cant fix.. ABS?? no biggie..

i dont see the big hype bout vtec.. but i do see the big hype about a boosted LS pushin some mad horsepower..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by P0sTaL &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">but my guess and im sure others might say the same it looks like exhaust leak.....
</TD></TR></TABLE>

probably not

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ricerwannab &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Yea it looks too me like an exhaust leak.</TD></TR></TABLE>

probably not

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sumyungguy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the outer studs are probly broken causing an exhaust leak</TD></TR></TABLE>

probably not

Why is everybody saying exhaust leak? The black area is shiny in the pic, obviously oil. Besides, everybody knows that the cam end plug is very prone to leaking on older Integras. Hell the left-most manifold stud on my car has been broken forever, and I don't have an exhaust leak.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ..::91TEG-G2::.. &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i say its either a cam seal or head gasket leak.. nothing major, nothing that a beer and a few tools cant handle.. oh yeah, and like 1hr max for the in-experianced person to tackle..
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Um yeah a leaking (aka blown) head gasket is pretty major, NOT something for an in-experienced person to tackle.

But the pic above does not indicated a blown headgasket.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PatrickGSR94 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Um yeah a leaking (aka blown) head gasket is pretty major, NOT something for an in-experienced person to tackle.

But the pic above does not indicated a blown headgasket.</TD></TR></TABLE>


sorry, i ment to say valve cover gasket.. not head gasket.

and calm the hell down mr. know-it-all.

we're just throwin out ideas.. we didnt say YES YES YES.. THATS IT.

at least i didnt

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ..::91TEG-G2::.. &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">sorry, i ment to say valve cover gasket.. not head gasket.

and calm the hell down mr. know-it-all.

we're just throwin out ideas.. we didnt say YES YES YES.. THATS IT.

at least i didnt</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'd rather have "Mr. Know It All" telling me what the problem was than someone else. Especially when this know it all knows what he's talking about......

 

+1 for the leaky cam seal

 

sorry man I just saw a lot of mis-information in some other threads this morning, kinda put me in one of "those" moods.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PatrickGSR94 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Why is everybody saying exhaust leak? The black area is shiny in the pic, obviously oil. Besides, everybody knows that the cam end plug is very prone to leaking on older Integras. Hell the left-most manifold stud on my car has been broken forever, and I don't have an exhaust leak.

Um yeah a leaking (aka blown) head gasket is pretty major, NOT something for an in-experienced person to tackle.

But the pic above does not indicated a blown headgasket.</TD></TR></TABLE>
i agree. to add to it, i have never seen any leaks on the outside of a motor because of a blown headgasket. it is fairly rare to 'see' any leaks, normally the coolant leaks into the combustion chambers causing white smoke and low compression.
im pretty sure its the cam seal tho.

 

id say cam seal or valve cover seal. Same thing just happened to my friends del sol vtec. It was a cam seal, that rubber circle and looks a lot like that. Depends if there is volume to that black stuff. Exhaust leak is only gonna give u discoloration why oil leak is gonna be a film