Could someone please offer me some insight on my problem. I have a 97 Civic EX Sedan, I notice an oil leak below my engine head. I head one mechanic look at it and he said it was the V-tech Solenoid gasket, but all the parts stores say there is no such part. He went ahead and removed the V-tech solenoind and applied silicone to it. The leak still exist, I asked another mechanic and he said there is an O-ring that goes in the V-tech solenoid. Could someone please help me, is there an O-ring or not, if not could you throw some things out there that might be the reason. Its not my valve cover gasket, the leak is below my head gasket. My next course is to take it and have the head taken off and retorqued, because of course thats what another mechanic is saying the oil looks like it comes off right below the head gasket but there is also oil below my V-tech solenoid too. Thanks fellow Civicneers

 

have a shop put oil dye in the system, yes there is arubber like gasket between the head and solenoid ,

 

it's "vtec"
Try going to a honda dealer instead of just a parts store. The solenoid is above the head gasket but below the valve cover gasket

 

Yeah the VTEC system is operated by oil, so there's lots of oil under pressure at the solenoid. The solenoid itself could be leaky. Silicone is not my favorite, much better to use the proper real gasket. Clean all the oil off very carefully then start the engine for just a few seconds to see where the first drops come out.

Head gaskets typically do not leak oil to the outside, there is only one place where oil passes thru it, and I think on a Civic that place is near the center of the engine not the end. But of course anything is possible.