Common place for a head gasket to leak? *Pic*

**jdm>usdm** · 11-30-2009, 04:37 PM

The car is a boosted integra ls. Just as of lately, Ive noticed this oil leak. I wiped everything down, and it stayed clean for a couple of days. Then I look today, and its back to looking like it did the other day. You can see where the oil is puddling up right above the block code. Its like the leak just came out of nowhere. Last I checked, the engine was beautiful, and then the next day, I see this.

Doesn't seem to be coming from anywhere on the head itself, as its still clean from when I wiped it.

So my question is that is this a common place for a honda head gasket to leak oil? Also, ever since Ive had the motor, its seemed to lose coolant very slowly. So this is why I'm really suspecting the head gasket. The car still runs very strong, but does anyone think that Ill end up damaging something major if I continue to run like this? And one final thing; it seems like the oil pressure light lingers on for a little longer than is use to now upon a cold start. Any correlation?

Knowledgeable input is appreciated!

PS- Before anybody mentions it, yes, I know that Im missing a nut for the manifold.lol

**teh_mugen18** · 11-30-2009, 05:13 PM

IDK, it seems to be on modded LS engines, because 2 or 3 LSvtec's ive seen have leaked oil from that exact spot, including my own, to varying degrees of seepage. In my experience, it seems to be a common spot to go first.

Funny part about it is, i thought it was actually leaking a little bit of oil into the engine, etc. but when i took it all apart, everything else internally looked as clean as the day i installed it.

EDIT: also, that oil light lingering for a bit longer than usual could be pointing to the oil pump, its most likely on its way out. I would replace it ASAP.

**JJSPEC Racing** · 11-30-2009, 08:24 PM

Originally Posted by teh_mugen18

I

EDIT: also, that oil light lingering for a bit longer than usual could be pointing to the oil pump, its most likely on its way out. I would replace it ASAP.

X2. Need to address that!

**SlamminCRX** · 11-30-2009, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by teh_mugen18

IDK, it seems to be on modded LS engines, because 2 or 3 LSvtec's ive seen have leaked oil from that exact spot, including my own, to varying degrees of seepage. In my experience, it seems to be a common spot to go first.

Funny part about it is, i thought it was actually leaking a little bit of oil into the engine, etc. but when i took it all apart, everything else internally looked as clean as the day i installed it.

EDIT: also, that oil light lingering for a bit longer than usual could be pointing to the oil pump, its most likely on its way out. I would replace it ASAP.

if your ls/vtec is leaking from around the area. then you might want to check your tap and plug you did on the head when you did the conversion. it might be leaking from the head where the plug goes and since there is no oil passage on ls blocks from the head it leaks out.

you will leak about all 4 quarts in a few minutes if you didnt tap it at all. due to the fact vtec heads have that hole for oil to go through and ls blocks dont have it....but if its just leaking a little bit then you might have not tapped it right and its maybe leaking...

just saying. since you said 2 or 3 ls/vtecs leak oil from around there.

if you dont findout wat it is, check your tap and plug for the head.

**teh_mugen18** · 11-30-2009, 10:45 PM

Originally Posted by SlamminCRX

if your ls/vtec is leaking from around the area. then you might want to check your tap and plug you did on the head when you did the conversion. it might be leaking from the head where the plug goes and since there is no oil passage on ls blocks from the head it leaks out.

you will leak about all 4 quarts in a few minutes if you didnt tap it at all. due to the fact vtec heads have that hole for oil to go through and ls blocks dont have it....but if its just leaking a little bit then you might have not tapped it right and its maybe leaking...

just saying. since you said 2 or 3 ls/vtecs leak oil from around there.

if you dont findout wat it is, check your tap and plug for the head.

Ah, thanks for that ill go back and check that. Cuz when i got my head, it was already pre-tapped so i was thinking it was 100% good to go.

lol, 2 or 3 lsvtec's that ive SEEN, only 1 of them was mine

**SlamminCRX** · 11-30-2009, 10:58 PM

Originally Posted by teh_mugen18

Ah, thanks for that ill go back and check that. Cuz when i got my head, it was already pre-tapped so i was thinking it was 100% good to go.

lol, 2 or 3 lsvtec's that ive SEEN, only 1 of them was mine

yea definetely check it out if it was pre tapped. you could even re tap it or use some teflon tape.

**teh_mugen18** · 11-30-2009, 11:18 PM

Originally Posted by SlamminCRX

yea definetely check it out if it was pre tapped. you could even re tap it or use some teflon tape.

Nah, i think what ill do is probably have that pesky lil tap removed and just have someone weld the aluminum to fill in the spot, and then just resurface the head... that way theres 0 worry. lol.

**ducky1177** · 11-30-2009, 05:24 PM

my ls is stock and i also find oil there
but mine seems to be coming from the oil seal...i think

**-EnVus-** · 11-30-2009, 05:29 PM

check the seal and gasket for the distributor

**SlamminCRX** · 11-30-2009, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by JDMJAY

check the seal and gasket for the distributor

+1

check your coolant to see if your headgasket is shot too.

could be your headgasket. or even a warped block or head.

but check those seals first and try to see exactly where the oil is coming from

**Elbow** · 11-30-2009, 05:31 PM

You sure you don't have a leaking valve cover gasket?

**Me86Rob** · 12-01-2009, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by simontibbett

You sure you don't have a leaking valve cover gasket?

thats what i was thinking

**green91** · 11-30-2009, 06:02 PM

The headgaskets do leak there sometimes... but its more common for the cam cap and distributor o-rings to leak oil down and look like they are coming from the headgasket.

**Barefoot** · 11-30-2009, 08:32 PM

yes

**jdm>usdm** · 11-30-2009, 10:16 PM

I appreciate all of the responses.

I'm pretty much positive that its not coming from the cam seal, dizzy or valve cover (although the VC gasket does need replacing). But Ill carefully look over it again tomorrow, just to be sure. Hopefully I just overlooked it, but I have a feeling that its the head gasket.

And I suppose that Ill go ahead and get a new oil pump for it too. Jeez its like all at once, my perfectly good engine just went to shit

**dallasb84** · 12-01-2009, 01:11 AM

its your cam seal. my boosted ls does the same thing.

could be from positive crank case pressure. mine leaked when i dogged it.... then driving easy it didnt..... then hit boost it does it again....

the spots mine leaks is the cam seal. dizzy seal. and valve cover gasket..... i suspect the oil pan is too.

a decent catch can setup and taking everything apart and cleaning will def cure the leak. with a little rtv

**dallasb84** · 12-01-2009, 01:28 AM

um..... tig welders are usually a required tool in a machine shop....

if they werent think of how much shit would get ruined on the first go around....

**marcos713** · 12-01-2009, 01:31 AM

i have a leak in the same place..i believe mine is coming from my vtec solenoid gasket since i dont loose any coolant like you say you are. GL with the fix man

**k3tsurui** · 12-01-2009, 05:45 AM

every honda get's oil pooling on top of the block stamp eventually. if you are losing coolant and oil, then it has to go somewhere. take out your spark plug and roll up some newspaper and stick them down to the piston to see if you got any coolant down there. if it is severe then you should find coolant. if it is dry, then you should boost it and open it up a lil more

**imperception** · 12-01-2009, 10:52 AM

common on damn near all worked honda heads to leak from one corner or another. typically means something isn't flat. possible bad gasket. HOWEVER, cam seals leak, dizzy leaks, etc...start deducing.

**99jdmLs** · 12-01-2009, 03:58 PM

start with the simple stuff and then move to worse case scenario.

cam seal/dizzy seal/valve cover gasket. those are your easiest and cheapest fixes. my ls had the same leak, its was the dizzy and the cam seal

- and by looking at the pic, the VC gasket looks to be leaking a little bit. its hard to tell bc the picture is blury

**jdm>usdm** · 12-01-2009, 04:27 PM

I looked over everything again today and it appears to be leaking from the cam seal!

Hopefully thats all that it is. I guess that I just jumped to worse case scenario. Ill replace that and see what happens.

Thanks to all.

**teh_mugen18** · 12-01-2009, 05:01 PM

Originally Posted by jdm>usdm

I looked over everything again today and it appears to be leaking from the cam seal!

Hopefully thats all that it is. I guess that I just jumped to worse case scenario. Ill replace that and see what happens.

Thanks to all.

LOL, the WORSTworst case scenario would be that your head and block are cracked, leaking oil. But i dont think its anything that serious.

lol just sayin'.

and GL, hope that fixes it.

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