Hi guys,

I have been working to get my 383 up and running, and I have been noticing smoke billowing out from under the car once it has warmed up. I am loosing alot of oil. I can only assume that I am leaking oil and it is burning off the headers.

Anyhow I tried re-installing the valvecovers, and I went for a drive to see if that helped. I came home because smoke was billowing, popped the hood, and had an engine fire down by the dipstick tube. the dipstick tube is very loose and requires ZERO effort to remove. Could oil leaking out of this hole cause an engine fire? the oil is 5W30 dino oil.

The dipstick tube was charred, along with some plug wires. the fire went out quickly when i applied my extinguisher, so hopefully nothing else was damaged (well, I know my plug wires are).

does motor oil burn like this?

 

Sure it does, remember during the Gulf War, sultans were burning thier oil fields. Oil will burn, not like gas, but remember they are derived from the same materials. Before we had gas, lamps used fats/oils to light peoples homes.

As for where its coming from, I dont know. Leaky rear main? Leaking at the head area? Feel around for moist oil and try to track down what crack its coming from, head/block or what...

 

thx for the reply...

I think it may be the dipstick tube itself. it take no effort to pull it out. If the dipstick tube were removed entirely, would oil literally pulse outta there under pressure?

 

If the tube is that loose, oil will slosh out of there. It is not really under pressure at that location.