Oil STILL leaking after new o-ring...now a blown h

[waveoff]

I installed the new o-ring on the oil separator and it appears that it's still leaking. While bleeding the cooling system one or two drops of oil dripped down from the oil separator. I have yet to take it for a drive. Also, while bleeding the cooling system, alot of coolant was coming out of the filler neck as the car got hotter. I thought the coolant was supposed to go down when bleeding the system. Sometimes a bubble would burble out as the coolant was rising. I've seen that before while bleeding the cooling system, just not that many times. I haven't noticed any coolant smells while driving or with my nose down by the tailpipe. My car doesn't smoke nor has the coolant level gone down. I think I'm gonna head to midas or something and have them test the coolant for hydrocarbons. What kind of bill am I looking at to have the head gasket replaced if it is blown? I've replaced one on my buddy's '88 civic dx but it was a major pain in the A$$!!! I'll report back here with any further findings after driving my car.

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Fred G.
'97 Civic EX supercharged http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/track/4059
Beech 1900D driver...2,558 shp, 10,000+ ft./lbs. tq., top speed 331 mph

[This message has been edited by waveoff (edited October 12, 2000).]

[waveoff]

Just got done test driving my car (and smoking a GS-T ) Sure enough, there's a couple of drops of oil on the oil pan and a stream of oil leading up to the oil separator box. DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMMIT!!! Looks like I'll have to live with it. What I don't understand is, how the hell did I go oil leak free for over two years and now all of a sudden it leaks. I'll just be happy if I can go 100K miles without blowing up the motor.

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Fred G.
'97 Civic EX supercharged http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/track/4059
Beech 1900D driver...2,558 shp, 10,000+ ft./lbs. tq., top speed 331 mph

[ringer]

That sucks. Did you use plenty of silicon to help seal the o-ring?

[randomwalk101]

Yeah, use the high temp silicons along with the gasket just like the way you do with valve cover gasket..should cure your problem.

[waveoff]

I used the same liquid gasket stuff that I use on the corners of my valve cover gasket. I thought about using RTV but that stuff takes a loooooong time to cure. Maybe the o-ring isn't even the problem. Perhaps the box itself is leaking from a crack that I can't see. Extreme heat followed by rapid cooling tends to do this to weak welds and such. I made a leak-free drain in the bottom of the oil separator awhile back. I drained it today and about 1/2 a cup of oil came out! Why is there so much oil collecting here? Where does it come from? Blown oil rings maybe? You know what else? Even with extra baffling that I added to the Moroso can I'm still sucking a crapload of oil. Also, my idle is still fluctuating wildly with the Moroso can. I noticed that my a/f gauge reads fully rich when it's fluctuating. As a result of this, my gas mileage with the T.O.O. setup has been a whopping 20 MPG...down from a normal 28 MPG. All vacuum connections are tight but the fluctuating idle makes me 98% sure that it's a vacuum leak somewhere. Perhaps from that possible crack I mentioned? Back to sucking alot of oil...with the open atmosphere setup, the intake runners looked brand new! Not a sign of oil in there. With the T.O.O. setup there was ALOT of oil in the intake runners. I'm gonna go back to an open atmosphere setup. There was less oil leakage from the oil separator with the Jaz can. In fact, I'm gonna use the Jaz can AND the Moroso can. A hose will run from the oil separator to the Moroso can with a filter on top of the catch can. The valve cover will vent to the Jaz can via the oil cap and the vent that's on the valve cover. Unfortunately, I have to work this weekend and won't be able to do this setup until monday. Let me know what you guys think.

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Fred G.
'97 Civic EX supercharged http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/track/4059
Beech 1900D driver...2,558 shp, 10,000+ ft./lbs. tq., top speed 331 mph

[CivicR]

First off when you are having problems with your motor its best to keep everything as simple as possible this way its easier to diagnose the problem...first thing I would do would be to do a compression and leak down test and see where you stand...If the compression test comes out low...then you have a problem with blow-by...for the mean time I would return the PCV system to its stock configuration....it will make it way easier to diagnose any problems...this way you can rule out the catch can all together...Im betting you that you have low compression numbers and that you are blow-by....and as far as the bubbles in your coolant that could also be air...are you showing signs of water in you oil(milky white)or smell burnt coolant??...if not...I dont think you have any problems with the head gasket

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John
B18C1 Powered 95 Civic EX Coupe
H22A Powered 92 Civic VX Hatch(In the works)
88 CRX HF(Coming soon)

[waveoff]

No chocolate milk looking oil or burnt coolant smell coming from my car. I've been wanting to do a compression check for a long time but just haven't gotten around to it. I'll do one on monday I guess. When I do it, I know I have to unplug that big plug by the distributor but will it keep the injectors from injecting fuel as well? At idle, my boost gauge shows a healthy 19"inHg.

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Fred G.
'97 Civic EX supercharged http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/track/4059
Beech 1900D driver...2,558 shp, 10,000+ ft./lbs. tq., top speed 331 mph

[PSICYCLE]

I'd switch back to the atmospheric system and make the leak go away. If you do it that way, you'll be back to where you were before the trouble started. I think that some engines like different approaches than others and when you find one that works, you should stick with it.

[waveoff]

With the open atmosphere system I still had an oil leak...it was just ALOT smaller.

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Fred G.
'97 Civic EX supercharged http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/track/4059
Beech 1900D driver...2,558 shp, 10,000+ ft./lbs. tq., top speed 331 mph

[jchcinmax]

I replaced my oil seperater box(it's actually called "something" breather chamber) and there is still an odor. It's coming from underneath the manifold, where it meets the engine. I bet it's the hose going from the box into the engine. It might need to be clamped tighter? I don't know....

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Romans 5:1,John 3:16
96 red GSR w/mods..like a JRSC