Alright I was under my car this weekend and noticed A LOT of oil underneathe. A while back I went to Firestone after a backfire, and they said the codes were p0303 and than triggered P0420. The guy was great as he detailed what and where the leak is coming from. I never really dealt with this until realizing I need to fix it. Anyways, everyone on here has been awesome in helping me thus far with everything...and the HELMS free manual Awesome!

I already installed the new VTEC solenoid gasket and o-rings due to some awesome advice from a fellow femme!
Today I was doing the brakes and even though I followed the helms manual, I became pretty insecure that I was doing something wrong...had another helper post back on it.

So a major concern right now is the exhaust manifold gasket leak or as Firestone also noteda possiblerear main seal...

My major issue is can i do this repair by myself? How much does it normally cost shops to do it?

Any further advice on the matter or locals who can help me with the job is super appreciated. I was wonder if there is such a thing as mechinical garage rentals...for people who like doing their own mechanics? If not, it would be an awesome idea.

My car is 2000 Civic SI. I have my garage to work in, jackstands, normal mechanic tools and live near Dallas, Texas. By the way, I am originally from Florida, relocated here for my job. I dont have any friends who are too interested in the car stuff here.

 

wel the exhaust manifold gasket is preaty easy... just be sure to use a torque wrench on the manifold nuts. you dont want to overtighten them and snap the bolts off!!!!

you can pull the nuts off and then force the header out to pull the old gasket out and then pop a new gasket on and then pop it back on... it forces the whole exaust a bit BUT it is doable... i took my header off my 94 that way, but if you dont want to force it then unbolt the lower part of the header apart and just slide the headers top half out, but you do want to replace that seal as well. i say OEM SEAL dont cheap out.......

and for the rear main.... you have to pull the tranny off, but after you pull the tranny out take off the flywheel, along with either clutch parts or torque converter depending on which tranny you have... then you can use a simple screw driver to pull the old seal out then clean the area alittle bit free of any dirty and with the NEW OEM seal just stick the seal up thier line it up and tap it on so its even... if it doesnt want to go on even then get a few scrap pieces of wood or something soft to put around the seal.. and just keep taping it back and forth till its even with the block..... and bolt it all back up...






JUST BE SURE when removing the clutch/flywheel bolts that you use some 12 or 16sided sockets i cannt remember off hand which exactly BUT if the sockets dont fit PERFECTLY... they will strip the heads right off!!!!
if you want to know the size of the socket i can go out to my shop and look at what size sockets i used and take a close up picture of them along with the old bolts if it helps ya out...




NAPA autoparts is the only store i could find that sold the sockets! every other socket was the same typical bolt head. and I TRIED taking them off with a regular socket... and it spins off very easily and striped the head alittle while doing so! NOT A GOOD IDEA... those bolts aint to cheap OEM think i spent about 60bucks or so on new clutch and flywheel bolts on my Z6. i think you said you have a D16y8 motor so im preaty sure its almost the same as my Z6 SOHC motor.. tho like said before if you have a SI then why does it have a D16 in it?





tho the shop rental.... HIGHLY DOUBT

but if you got basic tools and a torque wrench you should be able to do the manifold gasket just fine!!!!
tho might take some time and a few more tools to remove the tranny/axles and flywheel off and at least a few days if its your first time removing axles/tranny.... if youve done it beforoe it could be done in one days work.

 

Marcus,
You rock!
I think I should focus on the exhaust manifold seal first. The rear main creeps me out, at least from the pictures and directions...I don't think I am there yet;(

My engine is the B16A2 Dual Cam Seq Multiport Fuel Inject...you mentioned another engine, dont know if that makes a difference in anything.


I can do the whole exhaust manifold gasket repair under the car...any other recommendations on needed supplies for this? I have a torque wretch.
BTW thanks for the bleeding information. I think people are very lucky to have you on here
Jenni

 

well im not a pro..... but i can say what ive done myself

but with the rear main it should be the same stuff to swap....

only thing ya need for the exuast manifold is afew sockets, torque wrench and new seals of course..... depending on what part of the header you remove youd want to go ahead and replace that gasket thier as well.... just be sure ya torque em down evenly just kinda switch sides with every other nut and increase in slow increments....
i cannt remember off hand what the torque is suposed to be but if it says like 50 id torque it down to 30first and then move to 40 and then 50. just be sure in the manual if it says INCH or FOOT pounds!
i screwed up myself when replacing my water pump and it said INCH pounds and my dumb @ss used the wrong torque wrench and did FOOT pounds and i snaped a bolt.... WOOPS.LOL but i just turned it out and replaced the bolt.. LESSON LEARNED. LMFAO

 

I'm confused... you have a lot going on here but none of it really seems related. Oil doesn't leak out of an exhaust manifold gasket. P0303 is a cylinder 3 misfire code, and P0420 may mean a bad catalytic converter.

Your oil problem might be the rear main seal, or it could be the oil pan gasket... again, I'd suggest cleaning it all off there and checking it frequently to nail down exactly where it's coming from.