Smelling oil on the highway, not in town

[BARRACUDA1968]

Ever since I bought my car I get a burning oil smell at highway speeds. Not so much in town.

I can really find a smoking gun under the hood. At first I thought maybe the passenger side valve cover gasket?

Then two nights ago after the car was running a little weird I found a PCV line that had fgallen off my catch can mounted behind the turbo. Kinda figured that was the problem.

Yesterday I drove the car about 100 miles on the highway and smelt burning oil the whole trip. Stopped and checked for a problem and again no smoking gun.

Got home and found a little oil on the passenger valve cover gasket but kept looking. I pulled the pcv valve out and made sure it was functioning and it was. Then I spun around the little oil breather on the passenger valve cover and it was soaked in oil on the bottom side.

My thoughts are that oil is running down the base of the valve cover.

I can't stand the smell of burning oil so what can I do to solve this problem? Seems weird that they put a breather on the front of the valve cover. Do they make a better set up I can try?

 

[Boostian]

Did you look under the car to see if there is oil on your starter or DP? My pass valve cover leaks a little but it burns off about a minute after startup....if you are smelling it on the highway you may have a steady leak?

 

[BARRACUDA1968]

I had the car on the hoist the other day and didn't see a drop of oil anywhere under it but I will check again. The motor is fresh (under 3000 miles) If I don't find anything on the starter I've got to assume it's that small breather first and then the valve cover second. Doesn't look like a fun job changing the pass side valve cover gasket.

 

[Pronto]

Oil dye, light and glasses. Clean block with brake cleaner, drive around, go hunting with the light.

 

[BARRACUDA1968]

Is there a better set up for the oil breather on the passenger side valve cover? I was thinking something with an "L" fitting out of the front so the breather is upright instead of horizontal?

 

[turbo nasty]

Spray everything thing down with brake cleaner /wipe clean...Common areas...Valve cover, Rear of intake manifold , front of manifold, turbo drain and front cover.

 

[turbofrank]

new grommet and breather has worked for me.

 

[jpratt]

Burning while driving, exhaust smoke?


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[BARRACUDA1968]

No exhaust smoke, definitely coming from the engine compartment. I'm going to address the passenger side valve cover breather first and go from there. That's the only place I can find oil at this point.

 

[earlbrown]

Have you removed the hood seal on the firewall? That can let smells into the HVAC vent opening and make underhood smells much more dramatic.

 

[BARRACUDA1968]

No I just bought the car so not sure if it is there or not?

Actually I can only smell it with the sunroof open or the windows down.

 

[notacarlo]

Check the oil return on the bottom of the turbo center cartridge. Mine leaked under boost and on highway. Very small crack. I had to atually remove it to see it.

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[BARRACUDA1968]

Check the oil return on the bottom of the turbo center cartridge. Mine leaked under boost and on highway. Very small crack. I had to atually remove it to see it.

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I'll check that when I get it on the hoist. Thanks for the tip!

 

[notacarlo]

If theres crud all over the return, 10 to 1 thats it.

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[notacarlo]

Just remove the heat shield (4 bolts). No need for a hoist.

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[earlbrown]

No I just bought the car so not sure if it is there or not?

Actually I can only smell it with the sunroof open or the windows down.

Look behind and above the coil pack. If there's a vertical metal lip, the seal has been removed, if there's a rubber seal running the width of the car, it's obviously still in place.

 

[BARRACUDA1968]

If theres crud all over the return, 10 to 1 thats it.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 4

I took the shield off and found some oil residue on a thick metal line coming off the bottom of the turbo. Looks like a spring is wrapped around this line. There is a two bolt flange that bolts it to the turbo. The bolts were a little loose so I tightened them. Probably a good time for a new gasket. This wasn't a messy find but there was some oil on the line. I'm also going to cut down the valve cover breather so it fits better. It hits on the turbo housing.

 

[notacarlo]

That is the return. It should be clean. Wipe it down and see if it gets wet after a spirited drive.

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[BARRACUDA1968]

That's what I did and put everything back together. I took the car for a drive and ran it down the highway a while. I didn't smell oil as much as before but I got on it coming home and when I pulled it in to the garage and popped the hood I could smell oil again. I got the flash lite out and there is oil on the intake where the PCV valve grommet is which wasn't there before.

I also did a couple runs today and hit the recall button. First two were spot on with knock and 02 readings.

Third run which lit the tires up through first and second I had an 8.2 knock reading? I didn't change anything. Maybe just a miss reading?

I just don't get this car.

 

[we4Mateo]

That's what I did and put everything back together. I took the car for a drive and ran it down the highway a while. I didn't smell oil as much as before but I got on it coming home and when I pulled it in to the garage and popped the hood I could smell oil again. I got the flash lite out and there is oil on the intake where the PCV valve grommet is which wasn't there before.

I also did a couple runs today and hit the recall button. First two were spot on with knock and 02 readings.

Third run which lit the tires up through first and second I had an 8.2 knock reading? I didn't change anything. Maybe just a miss reading?

I just don't get this car.

That's part of the "fun"! When you "get it" you'll feel much more accomplished than your run of the mill SBC. Hang in there, it's worth it. But these cars are like old Harley's, good luck getting them to not leak oil from somewhere, especially with a lot of boost!