Lately I have noticed that I am getting an oil burning smell from my car, but it certainly is not consistent. I sometimes smell it while idling at a red light, but only for a brief amount of time, and I took it on the highway once and could smell it after getting high in the RPMs while merging. I can not see any smoke at all, so I can not figure out where it is coming from. No smoke or odd smells from exhaust either.

What would be symptoms of a bad PCV valve? would smelling burning oil be a possibility of one that has failed??

 

nevermind. looks like the timing cover or the seal around the crank is leaking real bad. probably blowing back on the exhaust. this will not be a fun project.

 

First check to see if the oil is coming from the highest point you can see on the timing cover. If it is it's usually not the timing cover but either the water pump drive seal (most likely) or the opti seal (less likely). You'll have to take the water pump off to see the area underneath the water pump drive gear. If it looks completely dry on top of the opti then it's not wp seal and might be the opti.

Hal

 

sounds like either way the cover is going to have to come off Not really that hard, its just getting that stubborn crank hub off

 

No. The cover doesn't come off for either the opti or the wp seals. You may not even have to take off the hub if it's the wp seal, but you do have to take off the throttle body, right side fan, drain the coolant (watch your eyes), and water pump no matter what so look for the wp seal leak first.

You don't have to drain the block, just as low as the bottom bolt on the wp (lower driver side bolt). There are writeups on how to do this.

Hal

 

everything looks clean except around the crank seal. ordered a timing gasket set today, so I have to wait on that.
Now I have a world of other troubles to deal with regarding the timing cover, and also have to get my hands on a puller for this hub.