Black & Green modding thread (1998 Civic DX Coupe base)

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Chrysler kid

... In general all parts cone from the same batch of 3rd party vendors. I manage an autozone store and can tell you to shop where the good car people are, not by parts.

Both regulators from Autozone came from the same supplier, but the O'Reilly's was a different aftermarket brand. I agree with that recommendation of going where the people are.

Originally Posted by Chrysler kid

If the next one fails I would try oem honda. I also question the strength of your fuel pump. A regulator is a simple device you may have contaminants getting past the filter

Yeah, it's true, but the fuel pressure was strong in the normal when tested. It could be fading, but it didn't reveal itself in the test. When I did the regulator again, I changed the fuel filter because I hadn't in several years and I had that part of the system partly dismantled already, so it was as easy as it'll ever get. Now, if I could finish with this oil pan already I'd be stylin' in my 98 Civic inertia-gasoline, plug-in hybrid.

[Joggernot]

Originally Posted by herberpower

if the manufacturer recommends 5w30 not change .

10w40 is recommended here .
the engine may be different.
or climate may be warmer .

It's normally hot down here, and Honda recommends 5-30W for the 2000 V6. I run 0-30W and have had no problems for the 5 years I've been running it. I've heard that the new Hondas recommend 0-30W, so I'm not too worried.

[California98Civic]

Finished the oil pan gasket replacement, part of a project to eliminate a last fluid leak so I can install a more extensive front-end undertray. The old gasket was in such bad shape it took hours to scrape the brittle and cracking old bits off the oilpan.

But I still have the oil leak.

Even before doing this job, I suspected the front main seal too but I was unable to tell for sure. The oilpan seemed easier, and it has never been replaced. But there is new oil on the cardboard I left under the car after my test drive this evening, three to five drops I would guess. Maybe it is residual oil dropping off the engine after it warmed up. But all the drops are in one small spot right under the front main seal behind the crank pulley.

I gotta do the front main seal too, don't I?

[OG VX]

I man, thank sucks to hear about the main seal. Sorry bro. I remember spending about 4 hours removing a valve cover gasket one time..Brittle and cracking. What a mess.

Next time you'll get a breeze of a project!

[Xist]

How about no repair projects for a good while, eh?

[California98Civic]

EDIT: In mild desperation I bought an 8oz bottle of "BlueDevil Stop Oil Leak" this A.M. on my way to work and added it to the oil at mile 120 on this tank. My hope is that somewhere between mile 220 and the end of the tank at maybe mile 600, the oil leak might stop entirely.

Thanks OG & Xist... can any of you say whether you have or would consider using this for a leak like mine? Amazon.com: Blue Devil Rear Main Sealer (8 oz.): Automotive

Their website says it works by "swelling" the leaking seal, stopping the leak. Even if it were only good for a few thousand miles, I would try it so as to avoid taking my daily driver off the road again right away.

[California98Civic]

Each day since the 31st, when I added BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak to my engine oil, I have tracked the oil leak. I drive 10-30 miles per day. End of each day, I slide a large cardboard sheet under the front end. In the morning I check to see if oil dripped onto the cardboard, circle and date the drips. Yesterday and today... no drips. After several days, the stuff *seems* to have stopped a steady oil leak. I'm in disbelief. But there it is.

[Xist]

You add this every day? Do you need to top off the oil?

I have always understood that stop-leak products just made a mess of the entire system. I found this: "Products like that work by attacking the seal material, causing it to swell. You can get a temporary one-time fix. It won't work again if (more likely when) the leak re-appears. And, of course, seals that were not leaking in the first place also get attacked." Blue Devil rear main sealer review - RX8Club.com

Good luck!

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Xist

You add this every day? Do you need to top off the oil?

I have always understood that stop-leak products just made a mess of the entire system. I found this: "Products like that work by attacking the seal material, causing it to swell. You can get a temporary one-time fix. It won't work again if (more likely when) the leak re-appears. And, of course, seals that were not leaking in the first place also get attacked." Blue Devil rear main sealer review - RX8Club.com

Good luck!

Yeah, there are a lot of opinions out there. The word "attacked" in this one really suggests the nature of the bias the individual is offering. Yes, it swells the seal, but swells it into place. And we're not talking about some ballooning swell here... this is a puny swelling enough to close an almost microscopic gap. So, I'm not too worried about damage. And I had no choices left... I HAD to have my DD back, period.

And yes, I had the almost full oil on the crank case, minus enough, approximately, to accommodate the contents of this 8oz bottle.

Still no leaking.

Eventually, I will replace the seals, but this saved me jacking up the car, removing an engine mount, the timing covers, the timing belt, and the crank pulley and a few other little things... in order to get at the leaking seal. And it saves me wasted oil, about a quart per oil change now, it seems.

I'll take it... I had to...

[firehawk618]

California98Civic, what 3 modifications would you say netted you your largest economy gain of all your mods.

*I admit I didn't read all 26 pages of this thread.

Thanks!

Oh yeah, and about your oil pan.

I have to assume you're running the D16Y7 engine, which has a stamped steel oil pan. I feel your pain about chiseling out all that old gasket.

If you feel it's leaking again I would HIGHLY recommend looking into a used Y8 or Y5 oil pan. It will bolt right on. I am not sure if you'll need the pickup tube with it or not. I would grab it if possible.

Another thing that is different is on the Y7 the transmission braces that wrap around the oil pan. Get them off the Y8/Y5 at the same time or just delete them. I am not convinced they server any structural purpose. I think they're only there for NVH.

Cast aluminium oil pan, COMPLETELY different gasket which is a 100% improvement over the Y7 setup.