After turning some R's and get out of the car, there is s strong smell of oil. So I got under the car yesterday and there seems to be a leak, some of the oil pan bolts have oil on em, some on the o2 sensor, and down the shift linkages?

Is there a common oil leak, er any ideas of where to look?

Also, on the right side of the motor, on the bottom, where the tranny and motor meet, it looks like a black cover (maybe a dust shield) what is this? What does it do?

 

that dust shield is the clutch/flywheel dust cover. it does what any other dust cover does, reduces foreign debris from entering the bellhousing.

as for the oil on the shift linkage and o2 sensor and all that...it sounds like you have a pretty mean leak. get the car securely on jackstands and have the engine running while you're underneath. if its a major leak, you should be able to see where its coming from. a good way to start is to give everything a good amount of degreaser and some good water pressure. that way you can source the leaks easier.

 

Sounds kind of like the pan gasket. They leak sometimes, and can be a pain to replace if you're not careful. It's not hard to do, just hard to get it to seal well.

 

I think it maybe the pan gasket, only selected pan bolts have some oil on em.. otherwise could it possible be the oil cooler? (black box lookin thing on back of motor next to the oil filter)?
Can I just pull that cooler out and replace a seal, or will oil come out?

Thanks!!

 

that would be your PCV Canister i believe.

 

Start up top first. Oil does one thing when it leaks, it moves down. Replace your valve cover gasket and make sure your oil filter is on tight and not double-gasketed. Make sure your oil drain plug is on tight and with a new washer. I would do what Spec R says and just clean off the engine as much as possible to see where leaks start.

 

The black box your referring to is a factory catch can, used in the crank case ventilation system.

Common oil leaks on hondas are the cam seal plug, valve cover gasket, and oil pan gasket.

I would double check your oil filter also, as its located direcly above the o2 sensor, and shift linkage.