Oil Leak/Smoking--Stumped

[elvismith]

I have a small oil leak and a smoking/stinking problem that I think are related. Smoking appears to be coming from where the passenger side exhaust manifold connects to the exhaust pipe, directly above the heat riser. Also appears that oil is leaking from there. Is that possible? Or is it more likely that I have a separate exhaust leak at that point (the smoke) and an oil leak somewhere else? Oil leak does appear to be on that side, and the smoking does smell like burning oil. If oil is not leaking from the exh manifold/pipe connection, what else over there could be the culprit? Thanks.

[joe]

You wouldn't have oil leaking out of the exh manifold. Odds are good it's valve cover gasket leak and the oil is working it's way to the manifold.

[twisted frame]

I agree that it's probably a leaky valve cover gasket. If it's smoking that badly, pop the hood after you've driven it for a bit and see if you see sludgy oil trails burning off the manifold.

[elvismith]

Joe/twisted frame--Thanks for being so fast. The "sludgy oil trail" describes pretty well what I see at the manifold/exhaust pipe connect. I assume if it is the valve cover gasket the oil's leaking onto the outside of the manifold, burning off, smoking and stinking, right? Is it possible that I could also have an exhaust leak at the connect b/t the manifold and the exh pipe, which would add to the smoke/stink factor? Thanks again.

[grand_wag_85]

I have a similar problem.

When I start my wag there is no smoke, then about 30 seconds later I get a huge cloud of gray smoke outa the exhaust pipe(looks like the car from the movie Uncle Buck), after 2-3 minutes it slowly goes away, and I get small puffs of blue smoke.

Any idea's what's wrong?