93 EX Wagon F22a6 Oil Leak

[4U2H8ME]

Heres my dilema. I noticed a burning oil smell and slight smoke from under the
hood. Checked and found the rear of my engine covered in oil. I cleaned the area, run the engine and noticed oil leaking from between the oil cooler and engine block. I ordered a new seal from a local parts store and installed it. The next day I noticed the burning oil smell again, at first I thought residual oil burning off the exhaust. Nope, put the car in the air and the back of the engine is coated in oil again. so I cleaned the area off, ran the engine but this time I placed a rag on top of the oil filter and cooler in case it was coming from higher up, like the oil pressure switch. What do you know, its leaking from between the cooler again. This time I order one from Honda, remove the filter
and cooler clean and check the mating surfaces, install oem o-ring. 1 day later burn oil smell and slight smoke. Repeat the process, and again leaking from between oil cooler. I'm think about pulling it down again, add some Honda bond to the block, reinstall cooler and call it a day. Wondering if anyone else has experienced this, any good advice would be appreciated.

[wildBill83]

Sounds like the problem I'm dealing with. Motor comes out as soon as I get a beater.

[4U2H8ME]

So what have you been doing in dealing with your oil leak?

[jdmfreak]

I had the same problem when I bought my recent CB. I see you changed the oil cooler gasket, try changing the oil pressure switch which is right above the oil cooler. If you have changed it did you apply teflon tape or thread lock to the threads of the oil press. switch?

[dj_ender]

I had the same problem when I bought my recent CB. I see you changed the oil cooler gasket, try changing the oil pressure switch which is right above the oil cooler. If you have changed it did you apply teflon tape or thread lock to the threads of the oil press. switch?

He already stated in the OP, he checked, and its not coming from the pressure sensor.

OP are you sure your torquing the nut holding the cooler on to the right setting? And are you sure it's not leaking from the oil filter seal?

[jdmfreak]

Mybad, thought he might have overlooked something with the switch. You have a point with that nut, I remember changing that gasket out and it being finger loose when I took off the cooler.

[4U2H8ME]

Changed the oil and filter the first time as a precaution. I work in a shop so I have access to a lift. I actually watched it leak while it was in the air, and I torqued it down to 54 ftlbs.

[dj_ender]

Changed the oil and filter the first time as a precaution. I work in a shop so I have access to a lift. I actually watched it leak while it was in the air, and I torqued it down to 54 ftlbs.

Then i would try grabbing another oil cooler, yours might be damaged.

[4U2H8ME]

Yeah, I was thinking of going that route, But 300.00 from honda is a lil tough to swallow. I might be making a trip to the pick and pull in Pa soon. It's a 2 1/2 hour drive, but it's still less in gas and tolls than the dealer. I'm gonna try using some hondabond to seal for now until I can replace it.

[4U2H8ME]

***UPDATE***
Well I used the hondabond. So far no leak. Now I'm not calling this a successful repair, I think of it as a successful patch job until I replace the cooler. Its been a good 6 days with no leak, no burning oil smell.
If anyone is interested in knowing what to do in case they run into this problem and need a temp repair until they can get a replacement cooler, here's what I did.
1) remove oil filter.
2) remove oil filter/cooler housing screw using 30mm socket.
3) Drained oil from cooler.
4) Cleaned cooler and where cooler mounts to engine with brake cleaner.
5) Applied Hondabond to engine where cooler mounts, I didn't use the nipple that comes with it so I could get a nice fat bead.
6) Reinstall cooler with the seal and torque it down to 54 ftlbs of torque.
7) Wait 3 hours before reinstalling oil filter in order to let the hondabond get a good cure time.
8) Reinstall oil filter and clean off any oil that may still be on the engine and exhaust.

[wildBill83]

So what have you been doing in dealing with your oil leak?

I used a bit of assembly grease and seated the oil cooler o-ring. I used a generic o-ring from autozone/o'rielly kit 82562. First seat did not take, and spewed oil, second seat with grease worked.

I had considered using the oil cooler from my H22A6 I'm building or deleting it and running the back cooling hose from an F22A1 and the short mounting threaded stud from the F22A1 to just delete it. Hope you fixed it permanently. It was a headache for me.

[4U2H8ME]

Hope you fixed it permanently. It was a headache for me.

Yeah, I replaced the cooler. I managed to get to the u-pull-it and find one that looked almost new. The Honda bond worked great, even though I had to fight to get the old cooler off, I think I could have rode around with the honda bond forever without it leaking again. Though now I have another leak that has been puzzling me. Its on the transmission side, but it's engine oil. It comes from the top of the tranny runs down and under the passenger side. I noticed my dizzy seal leaking, so I replaced it, cleaned everything and a couple of days later drips under the car again. Checked the dizzy and its clean. I haven't had much free time to get under the hood and start tracing, and it isn't a major leak, but a leak none the less. It's been bugging me to know that it's there. Hopefully I get a chance this evening.

[Mishakol129]

I had the same problem when I bought my recent CB. I see you changed the oil cooler gasket, try changing the oil pressure switch which is right above the oil cooler. If you have changed it did you apply teflon tape or thread lock to the threads of the oil press. switch?

The manual actually recommends using gasket maker to seal the pressure switch threads. The torque spec is 13 ft lbs on the switch. And idk why they don't say to use teflon tape.

[wildBill83]

Yeah, I replaced the cooler. I managed to get to the u-pull-it and find one that looked almost new. The Honda bond worked great, even though I had to fight to get the old cooler off, I think I could have rode around with the honda bond forever without it leaking again. Though now I have another leak that has been puzzling me. Its on the transmission side, but it's engine oil. It comes from the top of the tranny runs down and under the passenger side. I noticed my dizzy seal leaking, so I replaced it, cleaned everything and a couple of days later drips under the car again. Checked the dizzy and its clean. I haven't had much free time to get under the hood and start tracing, and it isn't a major leak, but a leak none the less. It's been bugging me to know that it's there. Hopefully I get a chance this evening.

$10 says it is the o-ring where the dizzy interfaces the cam. Replace it before you need another dizzy. It will take out the ignitor module. O-ring is $4, new distributor is $150...

The manual actually recommends using gasket maker to seal the pressure switch threads. The torque spec is 13 ft lbs on the switch. And idk why they don't say to use teflon tape.

Teflon tape will insulate too much, gasket maker still allows metal to metal contact. Use teflon tape and your sensor will not work because it needs to use the engine block as ground.

[4U2H8ME]

$10 says it is the o-ring where the dizzy interfaces the cam. Replace it before you need another dizzy. It will take out the ignitor module. O-ring is $4, new distributor is $150...

PAY UP!!! I did state that I replaced that seal. I rechecked and it is bone dry under the dizzy.

I noticed my dizzy seal leaking, so I replaced it, cleaned everything and a couple of days later drips under the car again. Checked the dizzy and its clean.