Car is a 2000 civic si with the original b16.

My distributor is leaking oil at what appears to be the o-ring. I have replaced the o-ring with the OEM one, and it still leaks. There is a little bit of shaft play, so could there be an internal problem? I don't want to replace the dizzy if that's not the real problem.

-Dan

 

I have the same problem, after I replaced the O-ring I cleaned where it leaked with engine degreaser and after a month altho is not dirty with oil as before there's seems to be a smaller leak as the tranny is dirty with oil again.

 

ya my tranny gets covered in oil pretty quick, and then it drips onto my driveway. I can clean it all off and start my engine, and watch it drip from the o-ring area.

But I guess my question is: is there supposed to be any shaft play at all, or does any shaft play at all mean the dizzy is bad?

 

I thought I had the same prob with my d16y8, the honda mechanic said that even after you replace the o ring if there is shaft play it will still leak, this common, only real solution is a new dizzy.

He was wrong with my car and it was not my dizzy leaking again (had o ring done before)

By the way are you sure it is the dizzy, did you take a flash light and look directly under it and put your hand to make sure it is fresh oil? Have you replaced your vtec spool valve gasket yet?

 

What was it?? did you replace the dizzy and the leak stopped?

 

I should of been clear, I went in for the spool valve gasket to be replaced again, I noticed oil pooling, I made sure was with the mechanic, has said he thinks it is the dizzy, I had him do the spool valve again with honda bond. A week later it was still leaking oil, then I just replaced the top spool valve gasket on my own ( he did the body one that meets the block) seems better 2 weeks later still oil on the full mark.

I was chasing this leak for years.

Side note, I was back last year to the dealer and one mechanic said it is the headgasket leaking oil, luckily I didn't do it, I would of been out of 1000 bucks or so, and still would of leaked.

 

I can see the oil come straight down from where the dizzy meets the head. I have done the vtec switch gasket and I know its not leaking. There are no other leaks on the whole engine, so I can get it pretty clean and see clearly where the oil is coming from. Its most likely the dizzy, I just wanted to get some more confirmation before I spent the money on a new one.

 

I had a similar problem on a D16. Even after replacing the distributor o-ring I still had a leak. What I did was put a bead of 3M silicon paste (or Hondabond) along the base of the distributor where it meets the block. Then reinstalled the distributor.Cured the leak.

 

Then going back to your question, shaft play is not good and will cause it to still leak even with a new o ring.