Minor front main leak, can a fire start?

[Jr's Sho]

I just recently thought about my burning oil smell I get after stopping at extended highway driving. I, like most people, have a minor front seal(and rear main) oil leak. The only thing I can figure is that after driving at highway speeds, the oil blows back on the cats and burns up. Now I don't lose that much oil, I mean after 3,000 miles, I may only lose less than one quart so I don't burn or leak that much. What concerns me is the strong smell of burning oil and I wanted to get an opinion on whether I should be concerned with that little bit of oil starting a fire? What do you think? I don't have the time to fix it now so I don't need that as an opinion. Thanks.

 

[munkee]

I wouldn't really worry about it. I don't think your leaking enough oil to burn for very long if it did catch fire. You can get a small fire extinguisher for a relatively little chunk of change that won't take up much room and would probably go a long way towards easing your mind. Look for them at hardware, home improvement, or auto stores. You never know when one might come in handy anyway.

 

[billyshoe]

Jr's Sho:
I just recently thought about my burning oil smell I get after stopping at extended highway driving. I, like most people, have a minor front seal(and rear main) oil leak. The only thing I can figure is that after driving at highway speeds, the oil blows back on the cats and burns up. Now I don't lose that much oil, I mean after 3,000 miles, I may only lose less than one quart so I don't burn or leak that much. What concerns me is the strong smell of burning oil and I wanted to get an opinion on whether I should be concerned with that little bit of oil starting a fire? What do you think? I don't have the time to fix it now so I don't need that as an opinion. Thanks.

No it won't

 

[billyshoe]

Originally posted by Jr's Sho: when you pull off the hiway coming to a stop, you have just washed the oil out of the rear plenum of the intake and into & down the rear short runners and you will smell this heavy oil odor-likewise when accelerating away, the front plenum washes the same oil residue from BLOWBY gas down the front short runners giving you a good puff out the back pipe. no shit? you may also smell the oil burning off the cats at the rear pan seal & frt. seals There are about 35,000 drops of oil in a quart. do you really think your leaking that much oil?