The oil is all around on the top of the power steering reservoir. All signs
look like it is leaking down from there only. I do not find any oil leakage
on the lower part of the engine...
Could the powersteering be 'overcooking'??

"Caroline" <caroline10027remove@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:a7iKb.21718$lo3.771@newsread2.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
> The location of the oil on the power steering reservoir top seemed a bit
> strange, so I didn't post originally.
>
> I am chiming in now to say that, my 1991 Civic LX had a serious valve
cover
> gasket leak (but probably not due to age) last year. Oil was all over the
lower
> part of the engine. I regularly change the oil and clean up under the
hood, so I
> knew this was not usual. A low oil dipstick reading confirmed.
>
> Turns out a few weeks before a kid apprentice had taken off the valve
cover to
> troubleshoot a breakdown. It was a mom and pop shop in the middle of
nowhere, so
> they let me watch. I wasn't savvy about the gasket at the time. I am
pretty sure
> the kid was not careful when he put the valve cover back on, and so the
gasket
> was somewhat twisted and not seated properly. A new gasket and careful
> re-assembly fixed it right up. (The breakdown turned out to be the
distributor
> rotor set screw failing. That is, no working rotor. Bustards at the Honda
> dealership screwed this up at least once, to boot.)
>
> "Randolph" <trash@junkmail.com> wrote
> > If it is motor oil, check around the valve cover for a leaking valve
> > cover gasket. Never seen a leaking one on a Honda but I know other makes
> > have issues with the valve cover gasket if it is not replaced at re
> > required intervals.
> >
> > JanN wrote:
> > >
> > > Recently my 1991 Accord (2.2 liter engine) is spilling oil. Oil is
found on
> > > top of the power steering reservoir and in the area underneath that.
In my
> > > first observation it does not seem to be power steering oil, it smells
> > > different. Also the power steering oil level is still at max.
> > > I cannot find any spots where the oil may come from. At first I
thought I
> > > had driven the car with the dipstick not put in properly, but this is
not
> > > it.
> > > It seems that as long as I keep the rpms down there is no significant
> > > leakage...
> > > Any hint, suggestions what I should look for?
> > >
> > > Could it be overpressure in the powersteering system?
>
>

 

The oil is all around on the top of the power steering reservoir. All signs
look like it is leaking down from there only. I do not find any oil leakage
on the lower part of the engine...
Could the powersteering be 'overcooking'??

"Caroline" <caroline10027remove@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:a7iKb.21718$lo3.771@newsread2.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
> The location of the oil on the power steering reservoir top seemed a bit
> strange, so I didn't post originally.
>
> I am chiming in now to say that, my 1991 Civic LX had a serious valve
cover
> gasket leak (but probably not due to age) last year. Oil was all over the
lower
> part of the engine. I regularly change the oil and clean up under the
hood, so I
> knew this was not usual. A low oil dipstick reading confirmed.
>
> Turns out a few weeks before a kid apprentice had taken off the valve
cover to
> troubleshoot a breakdown. It was a mom and pop shop in the middle of
nowhere, so
> they let me watch. I wasn't savvy about the gasket at the time. I am
pretty sure
> the kid was not careful when he put the valve cover back on, and so the
gasket
> was somewhat twisted and not seated properly. A new gasket and careful
> re-assembly fixed it right up. (The breakdown turned out to be the
distributor
> rotor set screw failing. That is, no working rotor. Bustards at the Honda
> dealership screwed this up at least once, to boot.)
>
> "Randolph" <trash@junkmail.com> wrote
> > If it is motor oil, check around the valve cover for a leaking valve
> > cover gasket. Never seen a leaking one on a Honda but I know other makes
> > have issues with the valve cover gasket if it is not replaced at re
> > required intervals.
> >
> > JanN wrote:
> > >
> > > Recently my 1991 Accord (2.2 liter engine) is spilling oil. Oil is
found on
> > > top of the power steering reservoir and in the area underneath that.
In my
> > > first observation it does not seem to be power steering oil, it smells
> > > different. Also the power steering oil level is still at max.
> > > I cannot find any spots where the oil may come from. At first I
thought I
> > > had driven the car with the dipstick not put in properly, but this is
not
> > > it.
> > > It seems that as long as I keep the rpms down there is no significant
> > > leakage...
> > > Any hint, suggestions what I should look for?
> > >
> > > Could it be overpressure in the powersteering system?
>
>