ALright well I just got a 91 accord ex 5 speed and i was doing a tuneup and i noticed when changing the distr. cap and spark plug wires that there are only 4 terminals on the top of the distributo cap 1 for each cylinder. It seemed odd to me because the camry and numerous chevys Ive owned befor always have an extra terminal that connects to the coil. Also the new box of wires came with a fifth wire and its a sparkplug wire with 2 straight connectors on each end so it looks liek it should go from distr. to coil. It was getting dark on me so i didnt have too much time to search for the coil I was just curious as to how the distributor gets power from the coil and where am I supposed to install this 5th wire

 

Wrong set of wires??

Over the years, some Accords have the coil located inside the distributor, so there's no 5th wire. Others have the coil external, so the 5th wire is needed. Probably you got an aftermarket wire set that can be used either way.

Honda factory plug wires are kinda pricey, but they seem to last FOREVER. Do they simply need to be cleaned?

 

No the wires looked prettty old, they looked like the originals and the car has 115,000 miles on it. I got the replacements at Pep boys for like $30.

I noticed when I pulled one the #2 spark plug (im counting left to right) it was the only plug that had oil on it. It seemed to be kind of alot. Oil was around 1/3 of the way up the threads and tip. It was enough oil that when I touched it left a decent oil mark. I threaded the new plug on and took it off though and there wasnt any more oil on it so it wasnt like there was a big puddle in there. Ive been reading about the upper and lower spark plug tube seals but everyone seems to say they have it in multiple cylinders, and this is only in that 1 cylinder- the others are completelty dry. Could there be any other explanation besides the spark plug tube gaskets??

 

Each tube has it's own gasket (actually 2 - upper & lower). So it's pretty common for one or 2 or 3 to leak and not the other(s). Once you remove the valve cover, then the entire gasket (with all 4 upper tube seals) should be replaced. If you have to go back in to do the lower tube seals, THEN the VC gasket will be relatively new so most likely it'll seal again.

So what you read about sparkplug tube seals is really the only place for oil to get onto the outside of the sparkplug.

Cylinder numbering goes the other way. #1 is at the same end as the external drive belts (alternator & PS). #4 is at the flywheel end.

 

alright thanks for the help, well when i get a chance in the coming week Ill do a VC gasket and replace the upper seals and see if that cures it. If it still happens maybe Ill dive into the lower seals depending on the amount of oil it collects after being driven a few thousand miles. Quick question also, where is the coil?

 

Coil is inside the distributor, #16.


If you need to do the LOWER tube seals, go to the DIY section & look for a sticky thread about download repair manuals. Get one (or buy a Helm book). You'll want to know the bolting sequence & tightening torque for the camshaft bearing caps.

 

When you removed the old plug, the oil went right down into the cylinder, and was burned the next time you started the engine. There are some DIYs on changing the seals, but like Jim said, I would get a manual too.

 

http://www.hondaaccordforum.com/foru...ead.php?t=3088

it should have all the info on replacing upper and lower seals

but having a Helm manual is always a plus ...