OK, I have a few pics. Links at the bottom. I found out today when I took in my 95 GSR to get the oil changed that I have a few problems. The oil pan gasket, rear main seal, and maybe the front main seal are all leaking. Possible leak from the CV joint too, but could be from the other leaks. The cam seal is also leaking too, but I already got parts for that and have yet to install it. This all sounds expensive. I would like some help as to: 1) What are the front and rear main seals? 2) Where are they located? 3) How hard/expensive is it to replace? 4) How do I tell if a CV joint is going? and 5) How much is a feeler gauge, cuz I want to adjust my valves when I replace the cam seal, etc. A cost estimate would be great. Thanks for the help, in advance.

-Andrew

http://home.attbi.com/~stealth95gsr/...m_end_seal.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/~stealth95gsr/...ivers_side.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/~stealth95gsr/..._pan_front.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/~stealth95gsr/...pan_rear_2.jpg

Hope those help...and I hope it isn't expensive.

 

that looks like your oil pan gasket. mine gave out already, and i have a 1998 gs-r.

the main seals aren't leaking unless u'r losing oil while driving. does it seem low when you do an oil change and then check it 1000 miles later?

it looks like a put a lot of gasket maker by the cam seal, too... u probalby don't need to put that much. if it's messed up still, try buying a new vavle cover gasket. it's like 18 bucks.

good luck man!

 

It's the cam seal for the first picture. You can replace that yourself....just buy it from the dealer (about 5 bucks) and replace it. Get some silicone sealant to make sure you get a good seal....if you need detailed instructions...instant msg me.

For the rest it's the oil pan gasket. I've never had to replace mine but that looks like your problem

good luck

 

Degrease & clean your engine and watch for leaks to know exactly where they're coming from.

 

I ordered the cam seal about a month ago, but I haven't had time to install it, the white stuff was there when I bought the car (I was hoping the previous owner had already replaced the seal). Do I need to worry about the rear main and front main seals? It looked like just the oil pan gasket, but I wasn't sure, I don't know how I can get myself, or my camera positioned near the main seals cuz I don't really know where they are. Aren't they between the block and tranny? What is front and what is rear? I will have a look at a service manual. Any idea how much a new pan gasket is and how much install is? Should I take it to the dealership, or just a local shop? Thanks for all the help so far. Looks like my CAI and other mods are gonna be put on hold now that my baby is bleeding...

-Andrew

EDIT: I already have spark plug and valve cover gaskets to go with the cam seal along with a new PCV valve that I got from AH Motor...those will go in when I get a valve adjustment, due in about 3K miles...


[Modified by Stealth 95 GS-R, 9:48 PM 5/14/2002]


[Modified by Stealth 95 GS-R, 9:52 PM 5/14/2002]

 

here are the feeler guages you need for the valve adjustment (or atleast the ones i used to do mine )
http://www.sears.com/sr/product/summ...id=00940802000




[Modified by fiebru1119, 9:54 PM 5/14/2002]

 

Thanks...looks like some Chinese torture device I thought it was gonna be expensive, but $7.99, I'll do the valves myself, now I need a torque wrench...

EDIT: Could all these seals going bad (besides cam seal, that was bad before) be caused by me switching to synthetic?


[Modified by Stealth 95 GS-R, 9:59 PM 5/14/2002]

 

well the synthetic is more slippery and tends to leak more then conventional. Looks like cam seal and oil pan seal is bad. Actually do the cam seal first, then degrease engine, then look for leaks again, the oil from the cam seal also has a way of making it look like it comming from a lot of different places, by dripping all over the motor check that out first.

 

thats what I was hoping, cuz it looked like I was leaking oil from the top of the tranny and I traced it to the cam seal......sorry for all the replies, just keeping the topic bumped...

 

lol, torque wrench comming up (cheapest for the quality that i've found- use it myself )


its at the bottom http://www.tirerack.com/tires/accessories/tools.jsp

 

Thanks for the service man...lol, gotta love it... Now, where are directions on how to adjust the valves on a B18C1? LOL, I'm sure you can pull this one out too...

 

I beat him to it

http://www.c-speedracing.com/howto/v...lveadjust.html

 

here you go:
http://www.c-speedracing.com/howto/v...lveadjust.html

beat me damn!


[Modified by fiebru1119, 10:35 PM 5/14/2002]

 

dayyyyum, now that is service, can you guys come fix my car now? Oh well, at least it put me in a better mood...

 

how do u change a Cam seal??? I need to know cuz i have 2 tegs with the same damn problem. DAMN SEALS!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

That torque wrench looks exactly like the one I've had for about 4 years now, that I got from AutoZone. I've used it hundreds of times.

The main seals are around the crank near the clutch, and near the crank pulley. The pulleys/timing belt is always called the "front" of the engine. The tranny/distributor end is the "rear" of the engine. Just think of how the engine sits in a RWD car (belts and fan in front), it's easy to remember.

 

Thanks...does it look like either of my main seals are leaking? I'll try to take some more pictures today. Maybe it will shed some light. How hard is it to replace the oil pan gasket? TIA.

-Andrew

 

oil pan isnt that bad. it can get a little messy though, and its tedious removing the 20-somthing bolts that hold it together and torqueing each one back to specs.

just drain the oil, remove the pan (clean it thouroughly with degreaser), remove the old gasket and clean residue left by the old gasket, then apply some engine lube or Hondabond then place the new gasket and torque it down. if you hand tighten then first (with your hand not a regular ratchet) it makes it easier. good luck

 

do I have to unbolt the exhaust or anything else? A local shop said it would be about $250 for parts and labor. AH Motor said $22.50 for the oil gasket. I might do it myself if its not that bad...

-Andrew

 

^^^^BUMP^^^

 

When doing oil pan gasket use a 1/4" ratchet and don't over tighten.

-Alan

 

bump^^^

 

I talked to another shop today. They said Valvolene doesn't know what they are talking about, and he was 90% sure that it was just oil from the cam seal. Can anyone tell from the pics if the oil just leaked down and moved around the lip at the oil pan to make it look like the gasket? TIA.

-Andrew

 

bump

 

As a test, you might want to clean up all that oil so everything's clean. Then after 100 miles or so of driving, check the suspected areas for leaks to make certain that the leak is coming only from the cam seal and not the oil pan.

While you're down there, you should check to see if the oil pan bolts are loose. Amazingly, mine became loose enough to the point where I could loosen them with my fingers! And no, the oil pan has never been tampered with beforehand. So I simply tightened them to specs and I've never leaked oil from there again. It might be a longshot, but you never know.

Good luck.