My mom got the oil changed in her '01 Accord EX with 125k miles at Uncle Eds on Saturday and noticed on Sunday when she got in it that it sounded funny. She decided to drive it anyway thinking that it was just cold. After a few minutes the car apparently shut down and showed a low oil light on restart.

My cousin went by the house and found the oil that should have been in her car was in fact all over her floor. She had her car towed to M&M motors (who I hate) where, completely unexpectedly, they diagnosed the car as having a bad seal somewhere beneath the timing belt cover. Apparently the drain plug is in and `gooped` and the oil filter is on tightly with only one ring. They said that after adding 4Q to the car they observed no leaks anywhere except for out of the timing cover which would mean that she is accountable for the expense and not Uncle Ed's. Somehow, they say, the oil change that happened the day prior was not related to the car gushing out several quarts of oil in 5min of running in the garage.

I don't believe in coincidences but there is nothing that I can do from here. What I have proposed to my mom is that she tow the car to her house where my cousin can inspect it while running to see if what he sees is in line with what M&M is reporting. If not, we will take it somewhere else for a professional estimate. However, if it really did happen the way they explain, I would like to save her some money and have someone I know swap it.

So the offer is this:
350$ for your time to swap my moms motor (and possibly trans, depending on what I find). You will need to provide any/all tools but she will provide the motor, the fluids, and a heated garage. My cousin is also going to be there for help and to make sure things stay tidy. If anyone is interested, qualified, and has a schedule open enough to do it sometime this week please let me know by PM'ing or calling me, Mike, at 269.501.1198. Obviously since I won't personally know most of you, we will have to talk for a bit so that I a can be sure you have the skills and knowledge to do this. I have done many, many, many swaps, a number of which came from helping people who misjudged their knowledge.

As well, I would appreciate some other hypothesis here in this thread if you have them. I am also unsure of what businesses sell Honda motors in the Chicago/Kzoo/GR/Detroit areas these days. Any help on websites?

Which Uncle Ed's did the oil change?

Good luck on that one.

It's an F-series, not the EX-V6? You said 4qts of oil, so I assume it's the F-series.

Automatic or manual trans too?

-Richard-

Without a doubt Uncle Ed should have noticed something. But that is beside the point if they write it on the reciept that there were no leaks. I do not know anyone of hand.

If you really need someone to do it that bad im offering, but I have no qualifications as far as that goes but I have done an Motor Swap in my truck and know the process involved and also have worked on a few FWD 4 cylinders.

No clue on which Uncle Eds did the labor. My cousin went to M&M to act as my eyes. He said that they were actually correct and that there was no oil at all whatsoever on the back of the motor, only where they had said it was coming from -- underneath the timing belt cover. The mechanic said that when they put 4Q of oil into it, it dumped all 4Q in less than 1 min of running. To me that means there is a hole in either the block or the oil pump. I am trying to figure out what happened as she took the car to uncle eds, drove it straight home, parked it, started it the next morning where it grenaded under idle in the garage.

Ideas?

never done a swap on this specific model; but i don't think it should be much worse than any other honda... unfortunately; the F23A sits pretty close to the firewall in these, but other than that it doesn't look bad...

Shop Manual wants you to pull it through the bottom, at a crazy angle that's a total pita to achieve.

Easiest way to remove it though, is from the top. You have to remove the radiator and front crossbeam though.

It's a big block D-series...Nate and I should be an expert by now.

-Richard-

i've always dropped D-series out the bottom... way easier (especially when i don't have a hoist, lol) Is there a front cross-member on the accords? i'm spoiled by EG's where there is not much below the engine to get in your way..

i'd always recommend pulling the radiator and fans, but if you drop it i don't think you'd really NEED to...

92-96 looks much easier to work on than 98-01...

I would offer but Im out of space this week and I dont like people standing over my shoulder making sure things are "tidy".

And it is possible a front crank seal is bad if its running out of front timing cover.