Good afternoon,

i wanted to check in with you guys and see if you have had a coolant passage leak near the EGR valve before. i THINK that is what it is. It looks like there is a bit of liquid that is coming from that area. Have you guys had experience with that before?

If so, how much would the repair cost? Would i be able to do it on my own?

Thanks!

George Jin

 

Have ya checked all of the nearby coolant hoses and connecting clamps ?

 

Can you post a picture of the "fluid/leak" and where exactly it is coming from? Is it the head? or one of the near by hoses?

 

Kris,

The fluid leak is near the head. But i will let the pictures speak of themselves. You can see it to the left of the EGR valve (the black valve with the blue sticker)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/121275182@N04/13379555874

http://www.flickr.com/photos/121275182@N04/13379564024

(Let me know if you cannot access the photos. If so, i will try to fix it)

i did a bit of online searching and it seems that a few honda engines have these leaks come from the coolant passage (that is shared with the EGR valve). What do you think?

If that is in fact the problem, would an average person be able to replace that gasket? if not, how much would you estimate that the dealer would charge?

Thanks i really appreciate the help!

George Jin

 

Hey Gcjin2007, first of all.....ya need to determine if the liquid leaking is actually coolant.
The area where ya showed is a prime area for oil leaking from the valve cover. So......wipe the area clean and then tell us what ya found the liquid to be. Thanks for helping us to better help ya !

 

^ Agree. What is in the pics isnt coolant, but oil. It looks as though it may be from the cam seals or the valve cover gasket.

 

Thanks for the help guys,

i was checking to see what the fluid was. i couldn't really smell the oil; which is why i thought it was coolant. but the liquid does not seem to be evaporating (its been like this for a few weeks). Its also collecting a ton of grit and dirt. so it may be oil.

Is there anyway i can find out (besides licking it haha). maybe carb cleaner? When i wipe a towel on it. the dirt comes right off and sticks to the paper towel.

IF it is the valve cover gasket, would i have to perform these steps from the Acura TL service manual? What would you rank the difficulty in removing the intake manifold and such.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/121275...4/13390779903/

FYI, i have upgraded my rotors (stop tech drilled/slotted), pads, and sway bar (excelerate rear sway) all DIY. So that can give you a bit of background in my experience

Thanks!

George

 

I did my VC gaskets 2 weekends ago. No idea when the last time they were done, if ever, I'm at 224k.
Took me 6 hours. Partly probably not having the proper tools, but the gaskets were hardened & brittle, so they came out in about 40 pieces.
Also took my time & cleaned up the EGR passages in the intake.

Overall, the disassembly/reassembly was easy. The rear VC is a little tough to remove, but nothing overly difficult. Just make sure all of the hoses & such are reconnected when you're done.

 

I would use brake cleaner to clean the residue on that area and wait for it to seep out then you will be able to pin point the leak.(make sure the engine is cold before spraying)

Coolant has a distinct odor,you should be able to detect it when the engine bay is hot.

I agree with the guys though it looks more like oil making its way out through the cam seal or valve cover.

 

If it's the cam seal is it a easy fix?

 

It would be simpler to rule out the valve cover gasket first.

 

Would unbolting & replacing the camshaft cover plate affect cam end play, throw it off spec?

 

No, there is just a small rubber O ring as a gasket. Remove the 2 bolts and pop the cover off.

 

Good to know.
I noticed a build up of dirt and grime on the cover and underneath. I'll give changing the o-ring a shot.
Thanks