Why do i smell burnt oil in my a/c vents? If i pop the hood and take a big whif i smell nothing. I know i have a couple of leaks (intake manifol and front seal) could one of those be where the smell is coming from?

 

Yeah...if the intake mainfold is leaking a lot you'll smell it. It comes in from the air duct in front of the windshield area. If you turn off the duct, you'll still smell it. It comes from the duct on the dash as well.

 

is there any way to slow an intake manifold leak until i have time to redo the gaskets? Would that stop leak stuff from autozone work or perhaps going to like 10W-40 oil?

 

I have the same exact problem. After driving a while I'll smell like I've been standing behind the exhaust all day. The car runs fine though. Compared to installing headers, how hard and how much time to replace intake gaskets?

 

I've done it once before (obviously not correctly, else it wouldn't be leaking again) it wasn't too hard. I think it took me about 3 hours. I imagine someone who is a little more mechanicaly inclined could do it faster.

 

I can't really add much to the topic, but I just have to say...that your topic title is the funniest thing I have ever read! LOL. I saw it and had to click on it.

 

I have the same problem after doing headers. Is it that the intake manifold is leaking oil onto the headers in most cases so you smell the burning or is it usually something else that is burning up the oil? the intake manifold doesnt usually get all that hot does it?

 

how did you all know that you intake manifold was leaking, oil on the ground?

 

Reach behind the intake manifold and feel for oil i believe

 

That's how I found mine. Sometimes a small puddle on the groud too. Mine even seems to drip down onto my oil filter. Feel right behind the intake manifold, where it mates the block, that's where my leak is coming from.

 

The intake leak is a da*n fire hazard. My starter hung one day and kept turning the motor over, overheated, and set on fire a for a couple of seconds. I was mad and scared at the same time.

Funny thing was my car still started after that, but from good common sense i replaced the starter.

My car had the IM leak since 97 and 30k ish miles. It had 55k when i fixed it this summer. There was oil caked up about a quarter inch thick in some places. Before i fixed it the puddles were the size of a frisbee.