My 91 Civic HB DX 1.5L D15B1 is up on jackstand in my freezing cold garage, with a rented engine hoist and transmission jack standing by. When my car started leaking copious amounts of oil, I was told by the obviously competent mechanics in the pit at the local oil change place that the engine was leaking from the rear main seal.

So, I am ready to do the work this weekend, get the hoist to support the engine and the tranny jack to drop the transaxle. Then, I discover a couple of things that start to make me wonder about the diagnosis. First, the oil filter was just hand tight, and just barely so. Seems to me that under pressure, it might have easily leaked, but I can't be sure now. The 'clean' trail, where the leaking hot oil would have cleaned away the grit and grim of 164,000 miles is directly under the oil filter.

Second, when I remove the access plate (not sure of it's proper name) at the bottom side of the transmission, where you can see about 1/3 of the flywheel and disconnect the cable for the gear shift, there is no oil in there. Completely dry and clean. I was under the impression, given the location of the rear main seal, that this area should have been quiet wet with oil.

Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated. The hoist and tranny jack are due back tomorrow morning or I have to pay more.

Thanks,
David

 

I would tighten the oil filter, take the car off the jackstands, and drive a lot and see if you still lose oil.

I would also do my own oil changes for now on if I were you.

 

I would love to just put it back together with a new oil filter and oil take it for a drive, but I have already done a substantial amount of work to remove the transaxle, just short of unbolting the engine/tranny mounts. I would hate to put it all back together only to discover it was the rear main seal.

I do do all my own oil changes. I just drove in there because it was easier than jacking up and crawling under a hot car that the time. My bad for trusting their advice.

 

in that case i'd replace the main seal, since you're already taken so much apart

 

I guess my main question here is - if there is no oil on the flywheel/or in the 'bell housing' (I know that the civic does have a bell housing, but the same idea), can there still be a rear main seal leak? Seams to me that if there was, the leaking oil would hit the back of the fly wheel and sling all over the place inside that area.

 

It really sounds like the oil change guys screwed you with shoddy work and bad advice. Put you Civic back together and then have a couple of beers.

 

Thanks for the input. Based on input from here and another site, I am going to assume the rear main seal is good, replaced the oil pan seal and will put a new filter and oil in the car after putting it all back together.

Thanks,
GRIZZ

 

The thing to do with oil leaks is first realize that even at today's oil prices, you can buy a lot of oil for what it might cost to fix the leak.

To find leaks, clean all the oil off then watch closely for where it first appears. Oil can run down from parts near the top and appear to be leaking from the seal or oil pan.

 

Cost wasn't my concern - up until the point I parked the car, I had lost 3 quarts in 150 miles. I don't care who you are, that's a lot. In hindsight, the only way I can figure I would lose that much is if the oil filter was loose, and it was.