New TCT leaking
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New TCT leaking
I recently bought an AP1 with 120,000 KM and have been trying to do some DIY mechanics watching youtube vids and reading this forum. A couple days ago I drained the oil, put ap2 oil bolts in there, an oil pan baffle and changed out some pulleys/ bearings and the serpentine belt. Today I installed a ballade sport timing chain tensioner and then filled the oil back up. Not going to lie I was pretty relieved that the car started because I was afraid I might have messed something up being an inexperienced mechanic. The only problem is I found a drop of oil on the ground and looked up and saw some drips from the oil filter but traced it up to the TCT. I’m glad the oil pan isn’t leaking because it was my first time using gasket maker, but I’m not really sure what I did wrong with the install. Should I just take it apart and try to torque it down again? It seemed pretty tight around the O-rings on the main body so I think the leak might be from small back plate. It’s too late for me to fix tonight and the car is parked for winter anyways I’m just hoping someone has some wisdom to share with me before I go in there again.
Joined: May 2011
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From: Great White North
I'm still baffled that people use those junk ass tensioners.
You need to find the source of the leak, we don't have pictures so there's not much we can do to help here. It's either going to leak from the o-rings or the back plate. Torquing has nothing to do with leaking at this point.
You need to find the source of the leak, we don't have pictures so there's not much we can do to help here. It's either going to leak from the o-rings or the back plate. Torquing has nothing to do with leaking at this point.
Joined: Jul 2013
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9/10 times it's the VTEC solenoid top gasket that leaks. The TCT hardly ever leaks, or develops leaks for that matter. You can either get a new VTEC solenoid or a Kraken gasket.
Another TCT affected by VTEC solenoid oil leak, it's almost like the TCT gets its oil from the VTEC solenoid. When the VTEC gasket starts leaking it affects oil flow to the TCT, leading to the rattle.
Another TCT affected by VTEC solenoid oil leak, it's almost like the TCT gets its oil from the VTEC solenoid. When the VTEC gasket starts leaking it affects oil flow to the TCT, leading to the rattle.
Joined: Sep 2014
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I recently bought an AP1 with 120,000 KM and have been trying to do some DIY mechanics watching youtube vids and reading this forum. A couple days ago I drained the oil, put ap2 oil bolts in there, an oil pan baffle and changed out some pulleys/ bearings and the serpentine belt. Today I installed a ballade sport timing chain tensioner and then filled the oil back up. Not going to lie I was pretty relieved that the car started because I was afraid I might have messed something up being an inexperienced mechanic. The only problem is I found a drop of oil on the ground and looked up and saw some drips from the oil filter but traced it up to the TCT. I’m glad the oil pan isn’t leaking because it was my first time using gasket maker, but I’m not really sure what I did wrong with the install. Should I just take it apart and try to torque it down again? It seemed pretty tight around the O-rings on the main body so I think the leak might be from small back plate. It’s too late for me to fix tonight and the car is parked for winter anyways I’m just hoping someone has some wisdom to share with me before I go in there again.
Joined: Jul 2013
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Where does the TCT get its oil feed from? Why are TCT rattles and leaking VTEC solenoids always happening together?
I am not making things up, I am trying to use logic to understand. I am not inventing how oil gets pumped through the engine. I'm not inventing any magical properties, if you have a leak you reduce pressure. If you have a leak in your brake lines you will lose hydraulic pressure, if you have a leak before the TCT the TCT will lose hydraulic pressure. That is how hydraulics work. The TCT is hydraulic, it is not pneumatic it is not mechanical.
Why enlarge the oil feed to the TCT. Because hydraulic pressure is a function of flow and resistance to flow. The OEM oil feed is tiny and cannot flow much oil, interrupt that flow with a leaky gasket and you get a rattle, you have the resistance, but at the oil feed not the TCT piston. So you come along and increase the oil feed and put the piston closer to the guide, increasing oil flow and reducing the amount of hydraulic pressure needed to keep the piston pressed to the guide.
Your TCT then provides proper hydraulic pressure to the piston no matter what happens. The OEM one cannot cope with any disturbance to the oil pressure before the oil feed.
I am not making things up, I am trying to use logic to understand. I am not inventing how oil gets pumped through the engine. I'm not inventing any magical properties, if you have a leak you reduce pressure. If you have a leak in your brake lines you will lose hydraulic pressure, if you have a leak before the TCT the TCT will lose hydraulic pressure. That is how hydraulics work. The TCT is hydraulic, it is not pneumatic it is not mechanical.
Why enlarge the oil feed to the TCT. Because hydraulic pressure is a function of flow and resistance to flow. The OEM oil feed is tiny and cannot flow much oil, interrupt that flow with a leaky gasket and you get a rattle, you have the resistance, but at the oil feed not the TCT piston. So you come along and increase the oil feed and put the piston closer to the guide, increasing oil flow and reducing the amount of hydraulic pressure needed to keep the piston pressed to the guide.
Your TCT then provides proper hydraulic pressure to the piston no matter what happens. The OEM one cannot cope with any disturbance to the oil pressure before the oil feed.
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Joined: May 2011
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From: Great White North
Where does the TCT get its oil feed from? Why are TCT rattles and leaking VTEC solenoids always happening together?
I am not making things up, I am trying to use logic to understand. I am not inventing how oil gets pumped through the engine. I'm not inventing any magical properties, if you have a leak you reduce pressure. If you have a leak in your brake lines you will lose hydraulic pressure, if you have a leak before the TCT the TCT will lose hydraulic pressure. That is how hydraulics work. The TCT is hydraulic, it is not pneumatic it is not mechanical.
Why enlarge the oil feed to the TCT. Because hydraulic pressure is a function of flow and resistance to flow. The OEM oil feed is tiny and cannot flow much oil, interrupt that flow with a leaky gasket and you get a rattle, you have the resistance, but at the oil feed not the TCT piston. So you come along and increase the oil feed and put the piston closer to the guide, increasing oil flow and reducing the amount of hydraulic pressure needed to keep the piston pressed to the guide.
Your TCT then provides proper hydraulic pressure to the piston no matter what happens. The OEM one cannot cope with any disturbance to the oil pressure before the oil feed.
I am not making things up, I am trying to use logic to understand. I am not inventing how oil gets pumped through the engine. I'm not inventing any magical properties, if you have a leak you reduce pressure. If you have a leak in your brake lines you will lose hydraulic pressure, if you have a leak before the TCT the TCT will lose hydraulic pressure. That is how hydraulics work. The TCT is hydraulic, it is not pneumatic it is not mechanical.
Why enlarge the oil feed to the TCT. Because hydraulic pressure is a function of flow and resistance to flow. The OEM oil feed is tiny and cannot flow much oil, interrupt that flow with a leaky gasket and you get a rattle, you have the resistance, but at the oil feed not the TCT piston. So you come along and increase the oil feed and put the piston closer to the guide, increasing oil flow and reducing the amount of hydraulic pressure needed to keep the piston pressed to the guide.
Your TCT then provides proper hydraulic pressure to the piston no matter what happens. The OEM one cannot cope with any disturbance to the oil pressure before the oil feed.
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Okay I’ll do some more investigating when I get home. I doubt it is the vtec solenoid as there was no leak before I changed the TCT. One thing I’ll admit is that I couldn’t get the TCT flush to the block before I torqued it there was probably a 2mm gap that I assumed it was the O-ring not wanting to squeeze in. I hesitated to torque it but when I watched a couple YouTube videos it looked like the people installing them also had a small gap there before tightening so I went for it but maybe that was the wrong move. I did not realize the ballade sports stuff had such a bad reputation or I would have bought an alternative. To be honest I don’t think there was anything wrong with my OEM tensioner yet I just wanted to do preventative maintenence. Should I try putting that one back in? I gotta figure out how to compress it again.. and the ballade sports one for that matter.
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 5,424
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From: Great White North
I'll wait for Billman to chime in, but that is 100% no bueno and waiting to grenade your engine.