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Re: Smoke Diagnosis? Posted by Ari [Email] ![]() ![]() In Reply to: Smoke Diagnosis?, bk'85Turbo, Tue, 4 Sep 2001 00:28:10 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
If the smoke is in the engine compartment, I doubt it's the head gasket. I'm going to guess you've got oil leaking onto the exhaust system somewhere.
Two places immediately come to mind - valve cover gasket and oil filler tube. The engine is tilted, with the low side of the valve cover right over the exhaust manifold. Quite often the valve cover will weep oil, and that will go directly onto the hot manifold. Wipe the area clean (usually an oil-caked mess), run the engine, and wipe again. If the rag comes away oily, replace the valve cover gasket. It's a cheap and easy fix, and I've never seen a Saab with a valve cover gasket more than 5 years old that didn't leak some. A new gasket is about $12 / $25 (mail order / dealer), a tube of sealant is about $5. A shop should do it for about an hour's labor.
Next, look for leaks under the car. It's possible oil is leaking there, running along a suspension cross member, and onto the exhaust. Places to look - the rubber seal at the bottom of the oil filler/dipstick -it's just a press-in. Another place is the main seal behind the main pulley (belt end of the engine). Leaks can be tricky, because where they drip is not usually where they start - the oil will follow a bunch of wires, braces, and the like. Don't forget the easy stuff- like the oil filter or oil pressure sender (right by the filter).
Start with some rags and a spray bottle of degreaser.
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