How do you replace a camshaft seal on 1997 civic?

Answer 1

Materials Needed:

Cam SealMaterials Needed:

Cam Seal

Valve Cover Gasket (optional)

Distributor O-Ring (optional)

First, loosen the lugs on the drivers side front wheel. Next, jack the car up, and secure it on jackstands. NEVER work on a car with just a jack holding it up. Finish taking your lugs off, and remove the wheel. The reason for removing the wheel, is to gain access to the crank pulley, so you can set the engine to TDC.

Using your 17mm socket and ratchet, set the engine to TDC. Make sure the white mark on the crank pulley is lined up with the marks on the lower timing cover. Also make sure the "UP" on the cam gear is at 12 o'clock, and the marks on the outter rim of the gear are level with the head.

Remove the plug wires, and either lay them in a way you'll remember which goes where, or number them somehow. Whatever way will make you remember which wire goes to what cylinder. Next, remove the 5 10mm bolts holding the valve cover down.

Remove the distributor by removing the 3 12mm bolts holding it to the head. (No pic of these, sorry).

Next, you'll want to loosen the 12mm bolt holding the cam gear to the camshaft. You may have to wedge a screw driver between the gear and the head, so when you turn the gear, it binds on the screw driver so you can break the bolt free. Do NOT remove the bolt. Just loosen it alittle.

Now you want to start unbolting the rocker assembly. Remove the 10, 12mm bolts, and the 4, 10mm bolts.

As you're removing the rocker assembly bolts, be cautious that the camshaft dosent come flying upwards. The cam should move alittle, but nothing that'll cause serious injury. Once all the bolts are removed, you may need to take your flat head screw driver, and pry the assembly up and off the head. Once you get it removed, move the whole assembly aside onto a rag or something of the like.

Now, you can either take a white sharpie or something of the like, a peice of tape, or something to mark on both the cam gear and the timing belt so you know where the belt should be on the gear. I didnt mark mine, because when setting mine to TDC before I started, I realized it was off a few teeth.

Tilt the camshaft up on the distributor size, and slide the timing belt off the cam gear. Dont spin the timing belt at all, that way when you put it back together, its easier to make sure your aligned.

Once you have the camshaft in your hands, go ahead and remove the 12mm bolt holding the gear onto the camshaft. (**Make sure you dont lose the key)

Now, grab your new cam seal. Compare them, to make sure theyre the same size and shape. You dont want to be using a seal that is too small or too big. If its too small it wont fit over the camshaft. If its too big, it'll leak.

Take some oil, and put some on the inner ring (where it meets the camshaft) so it goes over the camshaft easier. I just used the oil thats pooled up in the head. When you put the seal over the camshaft, make sure the inner lip doesnt fold up over itself. If that happens, the seal wont seal properly. It takes alittle trial and error at first, but it does fit over the camshaft.

Once you get the seal on, put the cam gear back onto the camshaft, making sure your using the key and lining it all up with the notch in the camshaft. Just finger tighten the bolt for now.

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Now, heres the harder part of the project; putting the camshaft back in, so its still in time. Slide the camshaft back into place into the head, making sure you line up your marks you made before you took it out.

Once lined up, slide the camshaft back into place. Double check yourself by making sure you havent moved the crank pulley from TDC, and make sure the cam gear is aligned. The "UP" on the gear should be at 12 o'clock, and the marks should be aligned with the head like it was before you removed it.

Place your rocker assembly back into place. Make sure all the rocker arms (including the middle Vtec rocker on Vtec heads) are where they are supposed to be. This may take a few tries, but once everything is in place, the rocker assemby will sort of pop into place. Before just randomly tightening bolts, make sure you follow the correct sequence.

Once your sure every bolt is tightened properly, go ahead and tighten your 12mm cam gear bolt. You might need to use the screw driver again, but since your going the opposite way, you should be OK without it.

Go ahead and re-install your valve cover, and fire the motor up. If theres no more oil, mission accomplished. If it still leaks, you either didnt get the seal on properly, or your leaking from somewhere else.