@#$% 160 - Part 3

Another day of frustration. You can see the gap between the wiring plug and and the case here. It's supposed to be a press fit that closes the holes for the wires when the cover is screwed down. Age and heat cycles have caused it to shrink and leave a gap.

Sealed with HondaBond 4 and two layers of Rescue Tape have filled the gap and sealed any path for oil to escape. If you don't know about Rescue Tape, read up on it here. It's the best friend a rider ever had on the road!

You can see the talcum powder liberally applied to trace out any leaks. A tiny bit is seeping at the bottom of the sprocket seal but not enough to cause alarm. Certainly not our problem.

We felt confident enough to take a test ride as the engine performed well on the work bench. After a mile down the road we did a reality check and everything looked good. We were all smiles. Then at about 2 miles the engine started to smoke prolifically. Following in the pickup I wondered if the wiring was on fire or a piston had holed. No words (at least no "good" words) could express my frustration as I rolled it up into the back of the truck for the trip home.

A stream of oil was dripping down the head and onto the exhaust pipes. What now!?!? Calm down, take a deep breath, look at the problem dispassionately. Tracing the oil flow back to the source led to the points cover. From there it was a short trip to the left cam seal under the advancer. By sealing the alternator cover I had forced the pressure to find another exit. This time by blowing out the cam seal. 

How much pressure is there and how big a breather does it need? This engine has new pistons and rings and should be very tight. The head has been completely reworked so I expect nothing past the valve guides to cause this. Something is wrong and I have yet to figure it out. More tomorrow after I look into it some more.

Again, thanks to everyone who has added comments to help solve this problem. They have been very helpful and much appreciated! Keep them coming.