Hi guys...I just paid a ton of money to have my pushrod tube seals replaced along with a valve adjustment. When I got it home, there is just as much smoke from the engine compartment as there was BEFORE!!! I'm going to take it back obviously, but where else should I look for a leak? Guys at the shop tell me the oil cooler seals look fine. I'm pretty sure something is dripping onto the heat exchangers and burning. Very, very frustrating....
Thanks,
Mike

Start the car on ramps.
Lay down there with a flashlight and start looking.

It could well be that all that smoke now is the existing oil/tar burning off the exchangers, and the smoke will go away. Or you could be leaking from elsewhere. With the car idling, start looking for drips. You should be able to see them.
Zach

I've been chasing a similar smokey oil leak. I suspected valve cover gaskets - replaced but still smoking from heat exchanger area. I can hear it sizzling but I can't see any drips.

heres my suggestion, which i just had to do recently to locate a pinhole leak. clean it up real well and sprinkle baby powder in the suspected area while its running. fresh oil is kinda hard to see. powder it up and look for the wet spot....LOL

OK....lol.

mr Bubblehead that should work for this application! I have never thought of that but however I have heard using it for similar applications

it does work....its a little messy. but i would rather clean up baby powder once than have oil leaking every day.

oh i get it.....! it is the same principle that you are thinking of....
where do you think i got the idea

Remember to check the oil pressure sending unit.

Yes, I tried to check it but don't seem to have a deep socket that fits down there.
Do you know off hand what size it is? I'm thinking maybe 20 or 21mm?
Mike

its 15/16 deep socket. if it was my car, i would be real nervous about trying to tighten it. i would go ahead and remove it and reseal it. with my luck, i would try tightening it and the damn thing would break. the i would be dead in the water....

"Reseal it"? It's a pipe thread, and needs to be grounded, as well. NO sealant, EVER. You shouldn't need a socket to see if it's leaking, just look at it with the engine running.

The Cap'n

do you have an idea where it is leaking from? front of the engine? back of the engine? above the cylinders or below. unfortunately oil tends to travel especially with the car running. the wind from the fan pushes it. does it drip only when its running/under pressure? what if it sits for a few days? still driping?

YUP! reseal... never ever had a problem with not grounding.

Well, I've just spent about an hour under the car and I can't find any oil leaking at all. Possibly it was just the residual oil from the pushrod tube seals replacement.
I doubt I'm that lucky however. I've been fighting with this thing all summer.
Thanks for the advice.
Mike

fingers crossed

To answer your question about where it leaks...I can't see where it's leaking but I get alot of smoke out the top through the engine lid grill.
Frustrating....
Mike

Mike, it can take awhile for the oil to burn off. If you want to expedite this process take a few rags and mop up the oil that is setting in the channel on top of the HE then drive it for 30 min's. That should burn any remaining oil off. BTDT

hose the heat exchanger down with brake cleaner will help too.

I have cleaned the heat exchangers really well. The guys at the shop that did the pushrod tube seals gave it the brake cleaner treatmen as well.
Here's hoping it will stop smoking after a few drives...
Mike