blown cam seal - Honda Prelude Forum

ViZ · 07-08-2002, 08:33 AM

Well my wonderfull new motor just took a step back. And im wondering if anyone has had this problem. I have a 94 h22a1 swapped into my 93 lude. It has all the basic bolt ons with a stage 5 head by DPR, the compression is raised from a milled deck.
Well i went to the store the other day and on the way home i went to a back road to practice launching i got 2 passes on but there was too much traffic. I didnt red line or really push it but on the way home i started a trail and when i pulled up i noticed it was oil.

there was a puddle under my car now and it was coming out where the bottom of the shroud is that covers the cam gears right at the bottom of the head. I havent torn it apart yet but im assuming its a cam seal... Anyone have a problem like this with there motor? I take good care of it and its only been about 2k miles since the swap...

I changed the oil about 500miles ago and am using mobil 1 synthetic 15w-50

ViZ

PreludesR4Speed · 07-08-2002, 10:04 AM

Stay away from synthetic and tell everybody else to!! If your engine didn't use synthetic from the factory it will really mess things up. My friend's lude lost oil so quickly after he started using synthetic that he ended up spinning a bearing. I would get the seal replaced and go back to regular oil ASAP!!

chance031977 · 07-08-2002, 10:08 AM

how much oil are you losing? and how is the engine running? i had oil coming out the same place you did when i melted my num 1 piston, but that was due to n2o and running lean. the engine was drained of oil and undriveable.

Dr. James · 07-08-2002, 10:26 AM

There is absolutley nothing wrong with using Synthetic oil. It makes no difference if the car never used it before. Please don't spread false info, thanks.

As for the oil leak, it could possibly be the balancer shaft seal that has backed out. This was a recall issue with these cars. Since your car has the engine swapped in, I doubt that Honda will fix it under warranty. But the repair is quite easy once you get the timing covers off. if it is the seal, then just pull it out, tap in a new one, and install the retainer. You can get the retainer from Honda, this is what they installed under the recall to prevent the seal from backing out. You most likely got oil all over timing belt, so i would suggest you replace the belts, as oil soaked belts can stretch and break. If it was the cam seal, then you will still need to get in behind the timing covers to replce the belt, so go ahead and install the balancer shaft seal retainer then for good measure. The cam seals are a little more indepth, as you will need to remove the cam gears to access the seals. but still something that anybody with good tools and spare time can do.

vile10 · 07-08-2002, 09:21 PM

i started using syn. oil when the car has 60k, i never have any problem, if the car itself already leaking oil, no matter what kind of oil you use the car will still be leaking

Tola · 07-08-2002, 11:24 PM

I have switched back and forth between synthetic and regular oil. You will not have a problem if you have a good running engine.

Fast&furiuslude · 07-08-2002, 11:35 PM

Dude this just happened to me last weak. blew my cam seal and a huge puddle of oil spewed out. i also replaced timing blet,retainers, water pump, crankshaft seal, and balance shaft seal while i was in there. 800 dollar bill

fourthgeneration · 07-09-2002, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dr. James
There is absolutley nothing wrong with using Synthetic oil. It makes no difference if the car never used it before. Please don't spread false info, thanks.

As for the oil leak, it could possibly be the balancer shaft seal that has backed out. This was a recall issue with these cars. Since your car has the engine swapped in, I doubt that Honda will fix it under warranty. But the repair is quite easy once you get the timing covers off. if it is the seal, then just pull it out, tap in a new one, and install the retainer. You can get the retainer from Honda, this is what they installed under the recall to prevent the seal from backing out. You most likely got oil all over timing belt, so i would suggest you replace the belts, as oil soaked belts can stretch and break. If it was the cam seal, then you will still need to get in behind the timing covers to replce the belt, so go ahead and install the balancer shaft seal retainer then for good measure. The cam seals are a little more indepth, as you will need to remove the cam gears to access the seals. but still something that anybody with good tools and spare time can do.

I thought you had to switch to synthetic prior to hitting 50,000 miles?

ViZ · 07-09-2002, 08:22 AM

thanks for the input, im still pretty sure its a cam seal but i wont be able to tell untill this weekend when i can tear it apart. I do all my own work so it shouldnt cost more then the seals and the belts...

ViZ

Satan_SRV · 07-09-2002, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ViZ
thanks for the input, im still pretty sure its a cam seal but i wont be able to tell untill this weekend when i can tear it apart. I do all my own work so it shouldnt cost more then the seals and the belts...

ViZ

Dude if it's the recall it would be free. Go to the dealer. The balancer shaft oils seal comes right out where the timing belt is too...

Dr. James · 07-09-2002, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Dude if it's the recall it would be free. Go to the dealer. The balancer shaft oils seal comes right out where the timing belt is too...

Honda most likely will not cover the recall on his car, as the engine is a swap from another car. They go by the VIN#. if the car was originally an H23 or F22, and he swapped in an H22 they won't cover the repair.

tastyratz · 04-29-2003, 07:19 AM

dude the only reason people say that is that the molecules are all typically smaller in synthetic. regular oil has all different sizes because the filtration process leaves slight variation. if you have a leak some synthetic may leak faster, but mobil-1 rocks if your motor is good.

SuperSH · 04-29-2003, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Fast&furiuslude
Dude this just happened to me last weak. blew my cam seal and a huge puddle of oil spewed out. i also replaced timing blet,retainers, water pump, crankshaft seal, and balance shaft seal while i was in there. 800 dollar bill

Damn $800! I know thats not just for parts. I could have worked you in to my schedual. Hit me up if you need some extensive repais done (but for tranny and engine rebuilds we may have to talk $)

SLICK96 · 04-29-2003, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by PreludesR4Speed
Stay away from synthetic and tell everybody else to!! If your engine didn't use synthetic from the factory it will really mess things up. My friend's lude lost oil so quickly after he started using synthetic that he ended up spinning a bearing. I would get the seal replaced and go back to regular oil ASAP!!

Are you high?? There is NOTHING wrong w/ using synthetic, at any point. The higher the mileage you have, the more chances of burning oil you might have if you suddenly switched, but otherwise, you're WAY off...

J

yield · 04-29-2003, 11:04 AM

was this resurrected just to make fun of that guy???

rkonfire · 11-20-2003, 03:58 AM

So the recall retainer just sits over the balancer seal? So if your seal hasn't blown, then don't replace it and just put the retainer over it? Or put a new seal in no matter what and then put the retainer on? Thanks.