Hi,

I have a 2004 Honda Civic EX and I have found motor oil leaks in my garage for months already and I thought it is time to take care of it. I can't figure out if the motor oil leaks comes from the oil pan (most of it looks look, just next to the transmission looks wet) or from the part where the crankshaft connects to the transmission.

Please advise based on photos and video attached.

Thanks in advance.

 

Clean it all up and then drive a little and inspect.

If it still looks like it's coming from the bell housing and engine block mating area, that would most likely be your rear main (crank) seal and you have to drop the transmission at the bare minimum to replace it. It's an expensive job to have done if you are paying a shop.

 

+1 on Rear main

 

Thank you for your replies.

I've used the dye to detect the leak and I can see it is coming from the oil drain plug, so I am changing the washer this evening. I can see other places as well. So I am going to start easy and do the more complicated stuff later.

How many hours of work do you think it would be to get the rear main seal replaced?

 

If the R18 is anything like the K20Z3 (Si) motor, you have to drop the sub frame to drop the tranny.

I spent 10 days or so doing my clutch.
This would be about the same just to do the seal as all the same things need to come off and go back on.
If I compressed all the time together I'd say 4-5 8 hour days doing it solo with bagging and tagging everything.
There is quite a bit of parts you pull to be able to drop the tranny.
Also you need to figure out engine support.
I used two steal pipes cut to sit on top of the shock towers if I recall and ratchet straps to hold the engine to the pipes.

I also suggest a factory service manual (I bought mine off ebay for 200), it will provide you step by step instructions.


Oh wait, I typed all this up and realized, you are dealing with a 7th gen not 8th gen civic. I don't know if the 7th gen requires dropping a sub frame or if you can pull stuff out the top like the 5th and 6th gens.....

You might have it easier then the 2006-2011 models.

 

Ive done several engine swaps on 7th gens, it takes some finagling but I have always been able to drop the trans out the bottom like other D-series before it. Never had to remove a sub-frame.....I can remove one of these alone with a lift in about 2.5 hours, but Ive been doing this for years. Not a novice job

 

Thank you everyone. I think I am going to pass on doing the fix, just too much work and the leak is not bad yet. I am going to wait it out and just put a car-board underneath the car for now.

Thanks

 

Yeah on the 8th gen, there is no room to take things up and to go down there is a full square sub frame in the way that has to come down before anything will drop to the floor. Even the engine has to go down instead of up on the 8th generation.

 

If you really want you can try Blue Devil, its a stop leak product, it does usually stop the leak for a while but definitely isnt a long term fix.

 

Yet another way Honda killed their cult following with the newer Gens!

 

Is it safe to use in the engine? I don't want to create any other issues.

 

The only thing that bothers from the small leak is that the oil drips over the exhaust pipe which burns the oil and smell really bad when stopping on a red light and when parked in the garage. Is there something I can put around it, so it doesn't drip or the oil doesn't burn?

Thanks

 

I would not use it. That stuff gums up everything and creates way more problems down the road.

Blue Devil engine killer is what I call it.

 

I see, thanks.

 

Switch to high mileage oil and chances are it will stop.

 

Same grade, right? 5W20 or thicker?

 

What ever weight oil you are supposed to use is what you would us but look for the high mileage version. Most brands have a high mileage version.

Looking into it a bit further, it appears the blue devil oil stop leak is purely a seal conditioner additive for your oil.

The blue devil product that H-T users have shown to be really nasty on engines is the Blue Devil Head Gasket repair. Of which blue devil claims doesn't clog or harm engines, but users have shown otherwise on tear down.

I'm not sure I trust any blue devil product but I do trust Lucas products to not cause harm. YMMV

 

What Tom said.

I use Valvoline Max Live in both of my cars with great success. Honda case and oil pan used to be oily when I bought the car and while I used regular synthetic. Now with Max Life it is dry.