My roommate's car is a '94 Accord EX and he's got a nasty vibration at idle and the thing has about 50 hp. It's clear that the engine is not running on all 4 cylinders. So, I checked the plug wires...and they look pretty new. The plugs look fairly new too, so that's out. The distributor is stuck on the head and I can't get it to rotate...but I didn't smack it with a hammer yet.

Here's the thing:

There are drops of oil beneath the distributor (the cap actually) that are on this plastic sheath that goes over some wiring. It's clear that there is an oil leak from it, so that's my question.

Is there just a seal in there that needs replaced? Does he need to buy a new distributor? Just a cap and rotor?

I've never really worked on a Honda before, but this stuff seems pretty simple. And this being my first post, I'd just like to say that this is a nice site...but I don't own a Honda.

 

There is a seal inside the distributor but it is not servicable. If it is leaking, you need to replace the distributor sub assembly.


According to the service manual, you need at least a 15 Kg hammer to adjust the timing on a Honda. ...You have three 12mm screws that hold the distributor to the head...it should move with little effort.