Oil Leak

[Kev1990]

Hello I have a F22A1 engine. Earlier today I did a coolant flush/change while I was under there I was like FUCK! Realized something is still dripping onto the oil filter and a little onto the oil pan itself now I have replaced the oil sensor/switch new oil filter as of 200-400 miles ago and new VCG all done by me and none of them are leaking as I've checked already something higher then the oil pressure sending unit/oil filter is leaking down onto the oil filter then onto the oil pan then onto part of the exhaust it's a very small leak and I've had it for the past 3 years it really hasn't gotten any worse then what it was 3 years ago very very small leak lol but now it's time to fix it for good my main question is what seals/gaskets could be leaking in that area? Or could it be something leaking to the left of the engine? That is if your standing in front of it. It's not the distributor o-ring ether that's fairly new the whole assembly is. I don't like seeing a tiny drip of oil under my car when I go to drive it if anyone has any ideas of what gasket it could be please help me. Thank you in advanced to anyone who does.

[spiderpig]

Trace leak to it's highest point there is where leak is happening

[Kev1990]

Did and it seems to be leaking around the new aftermarket oil pressure switch I mean is there anything else in that area it could be? There's no leaks around the VCG so it must be further under there but it's some-wheres around the oil pressure switch it'd be hard to believe a new one is leaking but it's possible. I may just take it out and put some kind of other sealant on it when I did originally I used ultra grey should I use some hondabond or teflon tape?

[Kev1990]

Could it be possible that the oil pressure sending unit housing is leaking if so where would I get a new housing for it? And like I said it's just a very small leak could I possibly have to take the sensor off again and put hondabond on it? I originally used a small amount of ultra grey.

[spiderpig]

I had to replace ny oil pressure switch on my 96 Accord due to old one leaking , did yours have a rubber gromnet around it? Mines did but I couldn't re use it, maybe its leaking around where gromnet goes?

[Kev1990]

Don't think mine has a rubber grommet but why would a brand new sensor leak? I don't know.

[spiderpig]

Why do any of them leak? Maybe it is not pressure switch but oil filter that is leaking are you using a Honda oil filter ?

[Kev1990]

Not OEM oil filter but there's signs of oil in the very top of the oil filter that's why I would think its something above. I was reading on other websites it could be the oil pressure switch housing? I'm probably just going to try using my current sensor with some hondabond this weekend

[oyajicool]

An oil pressure switch I bought had somewhat questionable threads, but it was installed anyways. Shortly after that, oil leak from it was noted.
Replaced that switch with other brand from another parts store. Checked the threads on it and they looked good as they can be.

No more leak from the area since.

[Kev1990]

Hmm I'd like that to be my case lol but its a really small leak it takes a while for it to reach the exhaust and oil pan again to soak it tomorrow i plan on getting some hondabind and hopefully that will fix it if not looks like I'm buying another sensor. I'd like to only pay 8-10 bucks for another sensor if I have to but if it continues to leak ill just buy one at the dealer for 21-22 bucks.

[owequitit]

I haven't had one off in a few years, but I would expect that oil pressure sensor to have some type of seal on it, since it is effectively probing an oil galley.

Can't remember if it was a rubber seal or a washer, but there should definitely be a seal on it as I recall.

Also, there are two bolts on the back of the block that both have crush washers on them one 28MM and one 12MM. The crush washers usually aren't an issue unless someone tries to reuse them, and even then a lot of times they will work twice, at least for awhile.

Other than that, you really only have the VC gasket and the oil filter housing up that high on the block. You might want to check the filter with the car running to make sure it isn't seeping out from around the filter seal either due to a seal that isn't tightened enough, or a faulty seal on the filter.

You may also want to check your distributor seals and see if it is them. They have a tendency to leak over time as they get really old, and when the oil leaks from there, it will tend to run down along the transmission bell housing and may make its way around the back, making it look like it is coming from higher up on the block. If your sensor area below the dizzy is wet, that could also be the culprit. There is an O-ring on the outside of the dizzy where it mates to the head that should be changed every time it is removed. There is also an internal seal in the dizzy that can leak, but usually you can tell that one is bad if there is oil inside the distributor housing when you pull the cap off.

Other than that, there really isn't much back there that can leak oil, so it should be one of those things.

You will also commonly see a leak from the oil pan gasket as it ages, or the front and rear main seals, however they typically won't end up with oil that far up, even though the airflow through the compartment can blow it around.

I don't know if you have done it yet, but a spray of Simple Green will usually remove light and fresh oil residues. If that isn't strong enough, diluting Purple Power or Castrol Superclean will usually remove most other residues, making it a lot easier to find the source of the oil.

[oyajicool]

The oil pressure switch on our cars has pipe threads.

If you were to use any type of sealant, it shall be used from two threads down from the end in order to prevent the sealant getting into oil galley.

If it goes into the galley and if it blocks the oil passage, you have a time bomb on your hand. I had worked on such engine on a Civic with CVCC.

[johnl]

Why do any of them leak?

Because there is at least one internal gasket in the switch. The switch is held together by a swaged metal lip around it's top edge, the gasket stops it leaking. When the switch gets old the gasket material degrades (never pulled one apart, but my guess is the gasket will be some kind of neoprenish rubber, maybe an O ring). Some new switches may not have been correctly assembled (I would think a rare problem).

[Kev1990]

I believe it's a crush washer that's on the oil pressure switch but anyways would it be safe to put some hondabond on the sensor to try and seal it better? Please get back to me as soon as possible and how many threads up should I put it on like two like the guy above me said? BTW what are those bolts for that your telling me about? Is it not oil pressure switch related?

[dj_ender]

Every oil pressure switch I've seen just has some sealant on the threads, no o ring, no crush washer. If it's leaking from the switch, the plastic housing broke, you didn't screw it in far enough, you over tightened it, or there was no sealant used.