Mike said:
oil when I stop.....like oil on the exhaust manifold. Is there a valve
cover gasket that is a common problem on these? Any other place to
Hi,
A coupla places that are problematic are the valve cover gaskets and the
cam oil seals. Of these two, I'd suggest the cam seals are more commonly
problematic.
If it's valve cover gaskets, you can have oil dripping straight down
onto the exhaust, while cam seals generally cause the oil to run down
the front of the engine behind the t-belt covers, then drip and be blown
back onto the exhaust.
Valve cover gaskets are quick and easy to replace. Cam seals involve
tearing much of the front of the engine off, so you should plan them as
part of a more comprehensive "service" session: timing belts, cam seals,
front crankshaft seal, and oil pump seals (front seal, rear O-rings)
should all be included here, since the labor to do one pretty much
covers the labor to do any. Many will suggest replacing the water pump
at this time, too, again because of the labor vs potential benefit cost.
Now, there MAY be a cheap and dirty fix for you, too. Since the car's
been sitting, it's quite likely the seals are somewhat dried and
shrunken. SOMETIMES just driving it a while will help get them to swell
and seal again. Other times one of the hi-mileage oils (those you see
advertised for cars w/ 75k+ miles on them) can help due to the "seal
conditioners" in them. You may even get relief from a simple bottle of
"oil leak stop" from the auto parts store. Remember none of the chemical
fixes will help if the seal's actually damaged: torn or cracked. Only
replacement will help then.
If you can, you should probably get the engine nice and clean before
doing anything, simply so you can actually see where the leak's probably
coming from. Helps make diagnosis much simpler!
Best of luck!
Rick
But, I