Oil Leak...any ideas?

[djdrock]

My 91 NSX sat most of the winter. It has 52K miles on it. The last several days I have been driving it, and I have noticed a slight smell of oil when I park it. Today, I think I found the area. See pic below...

The picture is taken from the drivers side, looking at the back of the enginge. There is no dripping on the garage floor or anything. Any ideas on what might be leaking? I read on prime the valve covers gaskets or spook cover gaskets are common. Does this look like one of those leaks?

Thanks!

 

[Briank]

Spool valve or the cam plug or both. I would do the gasket (filter) first and see what happens.

 

[djdrock]

Brian, how did I know you would be the first to reply? :smile: Anyways, I have an appt. with Acura Saturday. Any ideas on what parts and labor are for any of the prime suspects?

 

[Flexer]

Looks just like mine did, with puddle in the same spot. It was from the back bank valve cover. I couldn't see it at all but it was OBVEOUS once I pulled the valve cover. I got new gaskets and sealed it up with honda-bond and now No leaky leaky.

J. R.

 

[Larry Bastanza]

This can be one of three things:

Valve Cover Gasket - Common
Spool Valve Seals - Common, It's a high oil pressure seal
Cam Plugs - less likely

If you can look from underneath and see a drip at the base of the spool valve flange, change them.

If it is kind of evenly wet in that area of the head do the valve cover gaskets.

If you see alot of oil around the cam plug, check carefully, change them. I like to clean off the head in that area and then run the car a while to see if it is the cam plugs. These do not really fail too often from my experience.

BTW, the valve cover gasket can be purchased as a set 12030-PR7-010, which includes the three spark plug seals, six head cover washers and one valve cover gasket. I would get two sets. The front one is just harder to see, but if the back is leaking, the front probably is too, same with the spool valve seals.

I typically do the valve cover seals and the spool valves and all is well. I have only changed three set of cam plugs in the last few years, on very high mileage cars (over 100K miles)

HTH,
LarryB

 

[djdrock]

Okay guys, thanks for the info and heads up. I love prime!!!

Now, if I replaced all the gaskets, how much in parts and labor (estimate)? I realize some of you do this yourself, but engine work is not my thing. :biggrin:

 

[djdrock]

I got the car up there 2 days early. I was unable to have any discussions regarding costs for the above mentioned possible problems.

Has anyone had such repairs done, and if so, what was the cost?