Burnoff or Still Leaking? (Video)

[JRA2000TL]

After replacing the far rear cam seal and valve cover gaskets, I still seem to have some oil burning/smoke coming from the far rear corner on the passenger side. I checked the area around the cam seal, and it appears dry. I was extra careful when replacing both the seal and the rear vcg. I even felt around under the rear cover after I replaced it to make sure I didn't roll the gasket.

The smoke smells like burnt oil still and is not too heavy; in fact, I couldn't see it coming from the hood when I parked at work this morning, but if you open the hood, you do see some coming from that one specific spot. I'm just worried the car is going to catch fire.

Should I yank the rear valve cover and put some RTV all along that back area on the gasket or the head to seal it better? It won't take but 15 min. to remove the intake, and I think I'm going to replace the wires anyway if I have to pull the intake once again.

 

[hawkeye18]

I'm willing to bet that it's just residual oil either on the cat, or dripping slowly onto the cat. One drop of oil can produce an INCREDIBLE amount of smoke.

 

[SHOtimer]

Should I yank the rear valve cover and put some RTV all along that back area on the gasket or the head to seal it better?

No. This will cause more problems.

Did you clean and de-grease the back of the motor/head/exhause/ect while you were replacing the leaking seals?

If not then it will take a substantial amount of time for the residual oil to burn off.... Of course this also depends on how much residual oil there is.

Also, it takes a significant amount of oil/heat/ect to make oil flash on a leaking motor - enough to cause a fire.

How many cars out there leak oil? How many burst into flames? Exactly.

Just drive it, it should go away.

Doug

 

[Vnuk1]

No. This will cause more problems.

Did you clean and de-grease the back of the motor/head/exhause/ect while you were replacing the leaking seals?

Doug

It's Jeremy, of course not

 

[JRA2000TL]

I did what I could to clean back there, but I'm thinking now I will get at it from the underside, which I should have done in the first place. There's not alot of room to clean from the top. I'll jack up the car, crawl under there, and spray degreaser and/or brake clean all in that rear manifold area and see if that helps. I still noticed a decent amount of oily stuff on top of my p/s pump from where the rear cam seal was previously leaking. Those fuel lines and wiring harnesses are in the way of everything back there.

 

[rubydist]

just make sure that the valve cover gasket didn't get rolled on the back side of the valve cover - its really hard to get the cover on there w/o the gasket getting messed up.

 

[ShadetreeSHOguy]

I say it has crank cancer.

 

[SHOtimer]

just make sure that the valve cover gasket didn't get rolled on the back side of the valve cover - its really hard to get the cover on there w/o the gasket getting messed up.

This.

I always check with a mirror before re-installing the intake to make sure.

Doug

 

[platoribs]

This.

I always check with a mirror before re-installing the intake to make sure.

Dogu

This, not saying your sense of touch isn't good, but if after you clean it, its still smoking I'd re-check the VCG, FWIW!

 

[msteiny]

Be careful with the brake clean around the cam sensor. I had to replace mine after I went crazy while cleaning back there. Just sayin. And yes it will smoke for some time after doing all that work. Everything drips right on that cat and then goes under the heat shield along with a the dirt and road crud. Mine took a while to smoke off, but as you said theres already an improvement which is a good sign.

 

[St Louis SHO]

Did you replace the crank seal? That seems to be the more common leak that is overlooked when diagnosing a front oil leak.

 

[ShadetreeSHOguy]

Did you replace the crank seal? That seems to be the more common leak that is overlooked when diagnosing a front oil leak.

Nope, he's gonna bang his head on the wall and **** and moan

Nothin but love for ya jeremy

 

[JRA2000TL]

Did you replace the crank seal? That seems to be the more common leak that is overlooked when diagnosing a front oil leak.

Yessir James, halfass Jeremy replaced all 3 cam seals (but not at the same time--2 during the front 60k and the rear one just now w/ the top 60k). Front main/crank seal was done with the front 60k, and I used PVC pipe, a block of wood, and a hammer to make sure it was installed correctly.

The smoke is pinpointed in small plumes at the rear bottom side of the valve cover on the corner, right next to where the p/s reservoir hose goes into the pump. I thought it might be that leaking, and I guess It could be, but it smells like oil. When I got home I could not see smoke plumes when I raised the hood but the smell was there.

Edit: Made a video and also got a mirror back there. It looks like a little fresh oil around the valve cover gasket, but the gasket itself is not bowed out or anything. It only takes 15 min to pull the intake since I got rid of those stupid front and rear extra "brackets". Maybe I should pull the rear cover and re-seat the gasket??? It was too difficult to get the camera in there while I got the mirror in the exact spot I'm talking about.

http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n10/jasarisi/?action=view&current=89VCSmoke.mp4

 

[itwonder]

Other things can leak back there: PS hose, PS hose, OP switch, oil level sensor. I'd clean it up good from underneath, then check it later with a bright light.

 

[St Louis SHO]

Drive it for a while. the y pipe has a shield over it that will retain oil...

 

[JRA2000TL]

Well it looks like I need to pull the rear valve cover again. I've driven it to work several days and put a couple hundred miles on it. I checked the area with a mirror and I see fresh oil around the bottom corner where the valve cover meets the cam cap. Still smoking and still smells like burnt oil. The seal didn't look bowed or damaged (and looked pressed down and even). Should I put some RTV over the "****" area that clears the cam cap and maybe some along the bottom edge?

Shouldn't take long to pull the intake since I did the TB bypass and left off all those stupid vertical intake brackets. I'm going to go ahead and replace the wires anyway since I pinched one installing the intake initially.

 

[hawkeye18]

You should put RTV on every sharp angle of both VC seals as per the manual. This includes all the cam cap humps, the non-cam-cap dip on the front one, and where the seal changes elevation on the VC.

 

[JRA2000TL]

You should put RTV on every sharp angle of both VC seals as per the manual. This includes all the cam cap humps, the non-cam-cap dip on the front one, and where the seal changes elevation on the VC.

I remember RTV'ing the front one on the non-cam-dip but not so much on the rear. Maybe that was the problem. Sucks I gotta pull it again, but oh well.