Oil leak

[Midnight Blue]

Hi,

I noticed an oily smell after driving my 1995 3.0 Targa Auto and I think I have traced the small plume of oil smoke to what looks to be a brass plug on the left rear side of the rear side of the engine block. It is just below the head gasket line near to the left end of the block. There is a small amount of oil leaking from there and it is smoking off when the engine is hot.

You can just see the brass look fitting from through the left rear wheel well.

Can anybody tell me what this is and can I tighten it up or replace it. It looks like a tool fits into the centre to tighten it. What tool would this be?

Thanks,

Andy

[Sudesh]

Hi,

I noticed an oily smell after driving my 1995 3.0 Targa Auto and I think I have traced the small plume of oil smoke to what looks to be a brass plug on the left rear side of the rear side of the engine block. It is just below the head gasket line near to the left end of the block. There is a small amount of oil leaking from there and it is smoking off when the engine is hot.

You can just see the brass look fitting from through the left rear wheel well.

Can anybody tell me what this is and can I tighten it up or replace it. It looks like a tool fits into the centre to tighten it. What tool would this be?

Thanks,

Andy

It could be the V-Tech Spool gaskets are leaking. common problem too. They can seep slowly and gives the appearance the leak is coming from somewhere else.

[Midnight Blue]

It could be the V-Tech Spool gaskets are leaking. common problem too. They can seep slowly and gives the appearance the leak is coming from somewhere else.

That is what I originally expected it to be as it is in the right sort of area but it really does seem to be this fitting.....there again, it wouldn't be the first time in my life I have been wrong!

Regards,

Andy

[Sudesh]

That is what I originally expected it to be as it is in the right sort of area but it really does seem to be this fitting.....there again, it wouldn't be the first time in my life I have been wrong!

Regards,

Andy

So it's coming from passenger side of the engine? Is it at t back of the block [ facing the rear of the car] or towards the fire wall? Also is it visible from above?

Trying to work out where you mean.

[Midnight Blue]

So it's coming from passenger side of the engine? Is it at t back of the block [ facing the rear of the car] or towards the fire wall? Also is it visible from above?

Trying to work out where you mean.

Yes, passenger side of the engine, back of the block facing towards the rear. You cannot see it from above but if you look slightly forward and upwards through the left rear wheel arch you can see it on the rear of the block. There are no connections to it.

Regards,

Andy

[Sudesh]

Yes, passenger side of the engine, back of the block facing towards the rear. You cannot see it from above but if you look slightly forward and upwards through the left rear wheel arch you can see it on the rear of the block. There are no connections to it.

Regards,

Andy

Ah yes, I think I know the plug your referring too, it's quite low down and with hex style. I should have a photo on file, I'll post up ASAP.

If it is this, there is still a possibility the seeping is coming from the gasket plugs, not the v-tech ones, but the plugs on the valve cover gasket just above.

Pic coming.

[Sudesh]

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j77/icongroup/NSXPARTS/P1020783.jpg

[Midnight Blue]

Yes, spot on, that would be the plug in question. Can it leak oil from there or is it seeping from elsewhere? It looks as if it is screwed in place. If I get in there with a hex socket and give it a small tweak will that be OK?

Is it more likely leaking from the head gasket just above and leeching down one of the grooves in the block?

Regards,

Andy

[Sudesh]

I have not had much experience on any leaks from that particular bolt/plug. Have seen spool valve issues and the cam plugs leak ok, as seen in that photo above.

But from research over the years, seeping came from the cam plugs, and makes it appear that, that particular bolt is leaking. If you actually look at that area, you can see even above the bolt is damp looking. Im not sure if tightening will do anything but you could give it a go, no harm in trying that. If it was leaking from there I would have though there would be some type of thread lock solution on the bolts as there doesn't appear to be a seal there.

I would give the area a real could clean down, see if that bolt tightens then watch over the next few weeks, even months, to see what starts seeping again. It could be a slow process as some of the NSXs I seen, seeped very VERY slowely.

[Midnight Blue]

Thank Sudesh, I will give it a clean and a tweak and see what happens.

Regards,

Andy

[Kaz-kzukNA1]

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-FuqaVOVArk0/UECetPy9WCI/AAAAAAAAEqc/lKKmxlnC22Y/s800/IMG_0096-001.jpg


Hi, Andy.
This photo is at the rear bank.


‘A’ is the VTEC Spool valve and solenoid.
The engine oil can leak from the filter/gasket at the mating surface on the cyl head and due to the air flow inside the engine bay while driving, it tends to flow away to the rearward.

‘B’ is the rocker shaft sealing bolt. Very unlikely to leak from here because there is an aluminium washer under there and also you don’t want to see any leakage from here.

‘C’ is the cam shaft CAP that is sandwiched between the cyl head and #4 cam holder.
Very famous to see oil seepage after several years.

‘D’ is the mating edge of black valve cover to the cyl head and #4 cam holder.
Once the valve cover was removed for any reasons and if the mating surface was not prepared properly, it will allow oil seepage because the liquid gasket can’t bond itself properly.

‘E’ is the VTEC inspection plug and I think this is what you were talking about.
Although there has been some reports of oil seepage from here, it is very rare.
It is very likely to be seeping from somewhere else and again, due to the air flow while the car is moving, it tends to land on this inspection plug.

In fact if you look at another photo below, it looks as if it is seeping from the inspection plug but if you look at the trace of seepage, it is actually coming from the cam shaft Cap above.



At the rear bank, once the oil seeped from above, it tends to land on the heat shield of rear CAT area as you can see in the area ‘F’.

It also runs along the metal water pipe and then lands around the flex joint area of front down/exhaust pipe as well as the area around the intermediate shaft ‘G’.


The oil around ‘F’ and ‘G’ will cause oil smoke when the engine gets hot.


So, it is still possible but very unlikely to be leaking from inspection plug ‘E’.
As Sudesh recommended, give the area good clean and keep eye on the area to see where the oil is coming from.
It could be from the valve cover gasket as well if the six metal/rubber washers were not replaced when the valve cover was removed.



https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Ixpc2eHGgjQ/UDSrJDetgmI/AAAAAAAAEZw/MADGybk6eX0/s800/IMG_0093.JPG


Kaz

[Sudesh]

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-FuqaVOVArk0/UECetPy9WCI/AAAAAAAAEqc/lKKmxlnC22Y/s800/IMG_0096-001.jpg


Hi, Andy.
This photo is at the rear bank.


‘A’ is the VTEC Spool valve and solenoid.
The engine oil can leak from the filter/gasket at the mating surface on the cyl head and due to the air flow inside the engine bay while driving, it tends to flow away to the rearward.

‘B’ is the rocker shaft sealing bolt. Very unlikely to leak from here because there is an aluminium washer under there and also you don’t want to see any leakage from here.

‘C’ is the cam shaft CAP that is sandwiched between the cyl head and #4 cam holder.
Very famous to see oil seepage after several years.

‘D’ is the mating edge of black valve cover to the cyl head and #4 cam holder.
Once the valve cover was removed for any reasons and if the mating surface was not prepared properly, it will allow oil seepage because the liquid gasket can’t bond itself properly.

‘E’ is the VTEC inspection plug and I think this is what you were talking about.
Although there has been some reports of oil seepage from here, it is very rare.
It is very likely to be seeping from somewhere else and again, due to the air flow while the car is moving, it tends to land on this inspection plug.

In fact if you look at another photo below, it looks as if it is seeping from the inspection plug but if you look at the trace of seepage, it is actually coming from the cam shaft Cap above.



At the rear bank, once the oil seeped from above, it tends to land on the heat shield of rear CAT area as you can see in the area ‘F’.

It also runs along the metal water pipe and then lands around the flex joint area of front down/exhaust pipe as well as the area around the intermediate shaft ‘G’.


The oil around ‘F’ and ‘G’ will cause oil smoke when the engine gets hot.


So, it is still possible but very unlikely to be leaking from inspection plug ‘E’.
As Sudesh recommended, give the area good clean and keep eye on the area to see where the oil is coming from.
It could be from the valve cover gasket as well if the six metal/rubber washers were not replaced when the valve cover was removed.



https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Ixpc2eHGgjQ/UDSrJDetgmI/AAAAAAAAEZw/MADGybk6eX0/s800/IMG_0093.JPG


Kaz

Great photos Kaz! That's quite a bit damp on those engines. I haven't seen any that bad here yet. I have new Spool gaskets
on the shelf, for my own car, but it's nice and dry there. However as a precaution measure its always good to change if no history of the job being done.

[Midnight Blue]

Thank-you Kaz, at least I have a good idea what I am dealing with. I have no dealer support here and spares are difficult to come by. The Honda dealer doesn't want to know as they didn't supply the local NSXs.
I didn't want to find I fiddled with something I couldn't get back. I am away with work for the next few days but will get to it at the end of next week.

Thankfully I have nowhere near the oil leak you have on the engine photographed.

Regards,

Andy