The Honda and Acura B-Series inline-4 engines were used in many Honda and Acura applications between 1989 and 2001. Available in 1.6L, 1.7L, 1.8L and 2.0L displacements, this family of Dual Overhead Cam (DOHC) engines was the first to feature Honda’s VTEC variable valve timing system and were a higher-performing alternative to the D-series SOHC engines. These engines are reliable and are found in many vehicles that are still on the roads today, along with being a popular engine swap option for performance enthusiasts.
As with any engine, leaks can develop as time and miles go by. The oil pan gasket is a common leak found on the B series engines – unfortunately, many owners or shops may try to tighten the oil pan bolts to stop the leak.
This makes matters worse, as the oil pan on these engines have raised dimples that are stamped in the flange to prevent over compression of the gasket on the assembly line.
By tightening the bolts beyond the original torque specification, these dimples can be crushed and the oil pan sealing flange can deform, creating leak paths and will resulting in an even worse leak!
At this point, the OE-style oil pan gasket design will no longer work, because it relies on the correct formed dimples to prevent over compression of the gasket. In this case, there are two options – replace the pan at over $100, or install the new Fel-Pro PermaDryPlus oil pan gasket – OS 30630 T.
FYI – Installation TipThe OE gasket does have two compression limiters molded into it – they can be found only on the transmission side of the pan. When removing the old gasket, these limiters can be left behind, stuck to the pan. If these limiters are left in place, the limiters built into the Fel-Pro gasket will stack on top of them and result in an oil leak.
Be sure to inspect and remove them when cleaning the flange.
Like every Fel-Pro PermaDryPlus gasket, the OS 30630 T must be installed on clean and dry sealing surfaces, with no sealers, adhesives, or RTV applied to the gasket. The repair manual replacement procedure instructions should be followed for this gasket, as with all Fel-Pro gaskets unless otherwise noted. As directed by the repair manual for these applications, there are 4 areas on the engine block where RTV must be applied – the two joints created by the oil pump and the two joints created by the right side cover. RTV is needed at these points because the components coming together creates a joint which no gasket can “flow” into. A little bit of RTV will get on the gasket when the gasket and pan are placed on the block, which is ok as long as RTV is not applied anywhere else.