Gambled on a 94 civic. did I lose?
 

I bought a 94 civic ex at the auction planning to use it as a project car but now i realised I don't know much about cars like I thouhgt I did. So first of all it is obvious that the engine has been swapped. the valve cover reads v-tech but how do I know it the whole engine is a v-tech and it has some serious oil leaks. I'm thinking the whole engine has to come out to fix those leaks. I don't have an engine hoist so how much should I expect to pay to get it fixed? any ideas? thats not all, my speedometer is not working right. when the car is off the needle is all the way at the bottom and when I turn the car on it moves up to the 0mph mark but it wont move up (all othe gagues work fine.) VSS or wiring malfunction? Any advice is greatly appreciated. thank you in advance.

Look for the VTEC solenoid on the back of the head near the distributor. You can also check the engine number on the block.

Where is the oil leaking out? The VTEC solenoid gasket is prone to blow and cause a major leak. The leaked oil can run down and look like a crank seal leak. All leaks except the rear crank seal (where the engine meets the transmission) are fixable without major disassembly. The crank seal requires taking the transmission out.

If your CEL is not on (and it works), the VSS should be OK. The problem would be the speedometer head. I think the needle should point exactly zero with the key off.

Well the oil leak is definately not from the rear crank. its on the side where the alternator is. I dont understand when you say "if your CEL is not on" if the problem is the speedometer head that means I have to change the whole cluster right?

CEL = Check Engine Light, the yellow light on the dash with the engine icon. It should come on for 2 seconds then go out when you turn the key on but don't start. (This proves that no one has removed the bulb, as is common on used cars). If the VSS is bad the CEL will eventually come on while driving, typically after rolling down a hill in gear with your foot off the gas. The speed sensor code (17) can be confirmed by installing the test jumper and reading the codes OBD1 style by counting blinks of the CEL.

The cluster can be taken apart and the speedometer part removed. After doing that, try resoldering all the connections on the speedometer circuit board.

Oil leaking from the back side of the engine (as installed in the car) could be the oil filter or the oil pressure switch, these are in the center on the back. If it's from near the accessory pulley that would be the "front" crank seal.

Thank you for all this great info. I'm glad their is still people like you who dont mind offering advice. My CEL does turn on when i turn the key but it does not come on when I drive it. I am having a JDM'er come look at the leaks later this week. hopefully it wont be a pain in the a$$ to fix it.

i have a 94 dx and was asking different things,some one offered a service manual as a down load,hopefully its useful to you
Honda Civic Shop Manual 92-95 by Sinkhet.pdf