Hi everyone. 99 Civic EX, D16Y8 with 130,000 miles. I had oil leaking from the drain hole of the distributor and also found oil inside my distributor, so I replaced the internal oil seal and external o-ring. However, oil is still leaking from the drain hole after replacing both of these, although the leak might be slightly smaller. It is definitely coming from the distributor and not another area (e.g., vtec solenoid gasket, valve cover gasekt).

I replaced the seals with Honda OEM parts. What else could be causing this leak? Don't appear to be any nicks on the distributor where oil could seep past. Could a clogged PCV valve be pushing oil out past the seals? I don't believe the PCV valve has ever been replaced. Tried to replace it once but it was in tight and I could barely get my hands on it. Not sure if it's relevant but I also have a small leak that looks like it's coming from the oil pan gasket if that's informative. Suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Maybe the new internal seal was damaged during installation or was not fully seated.

Have you checked for an oil leak from the VTEC solenoid?

 

I replaced both gaskets in the vtec solenoid about 10,000 miles ago as I did previously have a leak there but no issues since. Perhaps I didn't fully seat the seal. Guess I'll have to take it apart again.

 

It's also probable that the distributor shaft has been grooved by the old internal seal and the new seal wont seat properly against the shaft, allowing oil to pass by the new seal. happened on my old distributor, ended up purchasing a reman. and swapping out the shaft and rotor assembly from it after determining the reman shaft was ungrooved.

 

Very good to know. Thank you!

 

It is easy to damage oil seals during installation. You have to be very careful to press evenly all the way around, and only on the very outside perimeter.

Or the bearing in the distributor is worn letting the shaft wobble and it can't make a good seal.

 

Also, a bad distributor bearing is often associated with red or brown dust accumulation inside the distributor.

OP, did you see red/brown dust inside the distributor?

 

From what I can remember the bearing itself might have had a little brown rust stuck on it. But there wasn't red or brown dust anywhere else inside the distributor or distributor cap. The leak is definitely much smaller now. I used my fingers to push in the internal seal so I'm thinking perhaps I didn't seat it correctly. Waiting on a new seal to get here and then I will take it apart again and also reexamine the bearing. When I spun the bearing by hand it rotated freely and stopped shortly afterwards. Anything else I should look for that would indicate a bad bearing?

 

There is a possibility that it is not your distributor. I currently have the same problem. I bought a brand new WPS distributor, still leaking. Then I dropped $470 on a brand new Honda OEM Tec distributor, still leaking. The problem is either there is too much internal pressure buildup from blow by due to worn out piston rings, or the oil is seeping past that seal because you are using synthetic oil. I haven't found out yet which of these is true of false, but I know that oil can still get past the inner shaft seal without there being anything wrong with the actual seal or distributor.

 

But am I wrong or wouldn't the PCV valve alleviate any excessive internal pressure buildup from blow by? I actually replaced the PCV valve thinking perhaps a clogged valve could have led to excessive pressure build up and pushed oil past the internal seal, but putting in a new valve hasn't changed the leak. It's small enough that I've just been living with it, but it irritates me every time I open my engine bay and see it.

 

Yes it alleviates excessive pressure, and if you have a brand new one then it is probably not the cause of your leak. If you are using synthetic oil, try switching to conventional. I read that conventional is better at swelling up gaskets and has a larger molecular structure which doesn't leak as easily. I just changed my oil today and am praying the leak goes away over the next couple of days.

 

I am seeing red/brown dust inside my cap - what does this indicate?
Is there a solid thread on rebuilding a B18 dizzy?

 

O_o red/brown dust is associated with/indicates a bad distributor bearing....you literally quoted the answer you are looking for.

 

Ah, my mistake, thank you!

Will these bearings make a squeaking noise when they are on the way out?

Is there a guide that breaks down what distributor markings were used in each Honda/Acura vehicle?

 

Oil leak because cylinder head broken, must to fix.