DIY Guide:
Cam Seal Replacement
Before proceeding please read the diy disclaimer. This is a guide to replacing the exhaust cam seal in an Acura Integra LS motor (B18B1). The cam seal is a common source of oil leaks in many cars and very much so in the older integras. At a particular year, Acura/Honda redesigned this part slightly so that some of the newer cars may not leak at all. For the many of us who do have leaky cam seals, we will need to replace this part with either a new OEM cam seal OR an aftermarket replacement Cam Seal. You will find that some aftermarket cam seals are made better than the OEM so this guide will show the usage of a Golden Eagle Cam Seal. A comparison picture of the new aftermarket Cam Seal and the used OEM piece is provided. This installation process was performed on a 1994 Acura Integra LS, but the process will be very similar for the B18A motors and B18C motors as well. The B18C motors will require the removal of one additional part in order to access the Cam Seal location and although a picture of this part is not include, it will be noted in the following instructions.
Difficulty:
3 (out of 5, 5 being the most difficult)
Tools needed:
- Basic hand tools & 10mm socket and ratchet
- Torque Wrench
- Flat Head Screw Driver
Parts:
-Cam Seal ( OEM or Aftermarket Replacement)
-Valve Cover Gasket ( Honda/Acura Part#: 12341-PR4-A00 ) Recommended
-Spark Plug Hole Valve Cover Gasket ( Honda/Acura Part#: ? ; 4 pieces ) Recommended
FIGURE 1
Additional materials:
-Hondabond
-Small Cloth or Paper towel
Approximate Time to Complete:
30 minutes - 1 hour
Personal Review:
Its working great so far; no sign of any leaking. Nice little addition to the engine bay as well. The Golden Eagle's seal looked noticeably better than the OEM piece.
FIGURE 2
Special Attention:
This process can be done rather quickly as there is nothing particularly difficult, however I suggest that everyone take their time with removing the cam holder. It is really easy to damage the head and cam holder so show special care when removing this piece.
1) Remove the Spark Plug Wires from the spark plugs/valve cover by pulling it up. Pull the wires off the wire clips that are bolted to the valve cover so that you expose all the bolts that are underneath, and put the plugwires aside and out of your way. Using your needle nose pliers, push back the hose clamp on the breather hose and remove the hose from the valve cover. Unbolt the Power Steering hose bracket from the valve cover.
FIGURE 3
2) Remove the 7 10mm valve cover nuts (Figure 3). Put aside the spark plug wire clips and grounding wire. Remove and put aside the 7 black washer caps that were underneath the nuts (Figure 4).
FIGURE 4
Remove the valve cover from the head by pulling up on the points shown in Figure 3. DO NOT USE A SCREWDRIVER OR PRYBAR! I say this so that you do not cause unnecessary damage to your head.
Remove the valve cover gasket from the valve cover and the small spark plug hole ring gaskets that may be either stuck on the bottom of your valve cover or sitting inside your head as shown in Figure 5.
FIGURE 5
3) This is by far the hardest step, or rather where you should exercise the most caution. ( If you have a B18C motor, this is where you would have to remove the cam holder plate before proceeding ) Remove the 4 10mm bolts that are holding on the cam holder (Figure6). Remember which bolt went where.
FIGURE 6
Now along the front, the cam holder hangs over the edge of the head. By hand or some other non-destructive method pull up on the cam holder enough to separate the cam holder from the head a bit. Then in the space that you have pulled open between the cam holder and the head, insert your flathead screwdriver with the tip wrapped in a folded cloth or paper towel so you won't damage either of the parts. Use that to pry around the cam holder to separate it from the head (Figure 7).
FIGURE 7
Again, be VERY CAREFUL! It defeats the purpose of the whole project to damage the head or cam holder and cause another leak. Also note that there are two guide pins in the cam holder, so try to pry up on the cam holder evenly so that you do not bend the pins. The pins are more noticable in Figure 8 where the cam holder is pictured off and upside down for your viewing. FIGURE 8
4) With the cam holder removed from the head, you should now be able to easily slip off the old cam seal (Figure 9).
FIGURE 9
Wipe off the excess oil from the area where you will place the new cam seal and also off the surface of the head where you will put back your cam holder. This is so that there is no oil present to counter the adhesion of our hondabond.
FIGURE 10
FIGURE 11
5) Place the new cam seal in place of the old after applying some hondabond around it. Apply hondabond (or an equivalent high temp sealant) to the surface of the head surrounding where the cam holder would meet the head as shown in Figure 12. Place back the cam holder and bolt it back down (9.8Nm = 7.2lbft)
FIGURE 12
6) Inspect your head and insure that you have no loose tools left in it or any sockets or anything and make sure you have done everything correctly up to this point. With that done, place the new valve cover gasket and sparkplug hole gaskets onto the underside of the valve cover (Figure 13).
FIGURE 13
Make sure that the gaskets are seated properly inside the grooves of the valve cover. Then apply Hondabond to the gaskets as shown in Figure 14. Place your valve cover back onto the head.
FIGURE 14
7) Reinstallation of your valve cover is nearly the reverse of the removal process. Reinstall the 7 washer caps, sparkplug wire clips, and grounding wire. Now screw on the nuts and torque to 9.8Nm ( 7.2lbft ) in the order numbered in Figure 15.
FIGURE 15
Reinstall your breather hose, Power Steering hose bracket, & plug wires. You are now done and it should look like Figure 16! Note: Depending on how much oil spilled out when you removed your old cam seal, you may need to top off your motor with some additional oil. FIGURE 16
Final Note: After you are done, inspect everything and make sure there is a tight seal.
Inspect again in another couple days to insure that the procedure was completely correctly without any problems. THANKS TO TAESUKOHI