Howdy!

I went out looking for an Accord to replace my 3/4 ton Suburban, and ran across a 97 2.5. Car is in excellent cond, with the exception of an oil leak, which appears to originate at the front of the engine, on the passenger side. I'm guessing this has nothing to do with the distrib/filter leaks many of you seem to be dealing with. The oil has not been changed, and isn't cloudy, so I'm guessing it isn't the head gasket.

Any idea what's leaking?

How much of a pain in the ass is it to tear the front of this engine off if I have to?

And with 142K on the ticker, at $4250, is it just too cheap to matter?

Thanks,
NOOB

 

It could be the valve cover gasket, camshaft seal or crankshaft seal. Valve cover gasket is more likely.

The oil filter extension can be spotted w/ a good light by looking directly down through the intake manifold runners. If you see a large oily spot where the filter extension meets the engine body, the oil filter extension oring is leaking.

You may need to perform timing belt service, which is $600-$1000, if you have a shop perform, or $100-$200 parts + your labor if DIY. If you can't confirm it's been done, you should plan on performing the service. Check my posts for results of loss of timing between crankshaft and camshaft (not broken belt in my case, but same results).

good luck