Cam cover oil leak - newbie

[EMS]

Spencer is correct. You can slip the cover out with the engine still in it's mounts, .

Yes, you can. You can also remove the carbs without titling the engine, as some people claim they have done. It is just a hell of a job and involves busted knuckles. Getting the cam cover out from between the frame and the cam gears and caps is like one of these trick novelty games where you have to fit a square peg through a round hole. Tilting the engine is not that bad of a job considering the aggravation you save yourself. It is also good maintenance practice.

[daves79x]

Agree with Mike on all points made.

Dave

[xrdv8]

Update - replaced the large gasket and the buttons and it still leaks. It looks like the leak is coming from the tach cable it self now and leaking donw onto the cam cover. Anyone seen this? Do I just replace the tach cable? I don't think any gasket is missing?

thanks!

[NobleHops]

Update - replaced the large gasket and the buttons and it still leaks. It looks like the leak is coming from the tach cable it self now and leaking donw onto the cam cover. Anyone seen this? Do I just replace the tach cable? I don't think any gasket is missing?

thanks!

There is a seal in there, and it's easy to dislodge. DAMHIK.

N.

[xrdv8]

- what is the fix for that if you dislodge the seal? Take it out and put it back together? Thanks!

[daves79x]

What Nils is saying is that your tach cable seal is likely badly damaged or even missing altogether. You might stack a couple of o-rings of suitable size on the end of the cable, but likely a new cable is in order.

Dave

[EMS]

The tach drive has a "sahft seal" 8x16x6, p/n 91208-551-013/015 and an O-ring, 20mm 91302-704-000. Both parts are located under the tach drive cap. Why would he need a new cable??? If these seals are kaputt, a new cable will not stop the leak.

[daves79x]

We're talking about two different things. Yes, the actual tach drive housing has the seal and o-ring noted, and I should have mentioned those. They may indeed be the culprit. What I was referring to was the small oil seal in the end of the actual tach cable that is often missing and will cause a leak there.

Dave

[xrdv8]

hey guys, I think the seals under the drive housing are intact (I think!).

When the motor is running you can see the oil coming out of the very end of the tach cable housing - where the black housing ends just before the metal coupling part that fits into the motor. The black "seathing" seems to have backed off 1/8" or so exposing the inner cable deal and then leaks down onto the cover and then the engine. For the money i guess I should just replace the cable first. I looked at the innards of the housing and the seals seem to be there.

thanks again!

[EMS]

I am still a little confused here. Aren't the two inner seals (one of them is quite a elaborate design "shaft seal"-type) supposed to prevent any oil from coming out of the valve cover/tach drive???
The easiest way to check is, to take the tach cable of and run the engine. If oil is coming out of the tach drive connection....

[daves79x]

Mike:

Yes, in theory, you are correct. There should be no oil seeping out of the top of the housing and into the cable. But Honda put that special little seal in the end of the tach cable for a reason - maybe just to keep water and dirt out of the housing, but it also seals any oil that may seep past the inner seal. I'd actually replace the housing seal also - available and easy to do.

Dave