Leaking onto manifold, lots of smoke

[LV01gtp]

So I pulled up to work today and as I park it started billowing smoke from the engine bay, out the sides where fender meets and into the cabin. I checked the temp gauge and it was perfect, I immediately turn it off and open the hood. After the smoke clears it’s obvious it’s from the rear of the engine, I look under and in the 30 seconds it’s been off I’ve already left a good size puddle of what looks like oil from here. So I’m assuming something is leaking onto the manifold or downpipe area. I checked on it couple hours later and the puddle is much bigger.
I’m getting it towed home in a couple hours when I’m off work. Question is what in the back side could be leaking onto the exhaust area? I was thinking an obvious place to look first would be at the valve gasket, as it’s right above it. Anywhere else to look at? Thanks for the help

 

[Scottydoggs]

oil filter may have blown out, or came loose. your saying puddle, so thats the only thing really.

check the oil and coolant levels since it cooled off?

 

[LV01gtp]

I will be checking both in an hour or so shen I’m off work, While I wait for the tow truck. How much of a pain is it to replace the valve cover gasket if it is that? I dread working on anything in the back there lol

 

[Scottydoggs]

take a clean rag, drag it under the bottom lip of the vc, see if it comes up with oil. dont think that would make a puddle tho, not all of a sudden like that.

if you turn the wheels left all the way, from the back side of the pass tire looking to the oil filter you can grab it and see it pretty good. if the filter is loose take it off, inspect the rubber seal, replace if need be.

the op sensor is right there too, once they blow out they can leak pretty damn good too. but never seen one make smoke. they tend to drip straight down and miss all the hot pipes.

 

[LV01gtp]

Just checked oil and I’m lil over half quart low now. I’ll take a rag and wipe the valve covers clean when I get it home but just looking from above the puddle isn’t directly above the valve covers and reaching my camera back there it doesn’t look bad.

 

[LV01gtp]

Well got it home and upon further investigation I think me being low on oil is just a fluke. My oil isn’t real old...So right now it’s brownish black. But the fluid on the ground once I could actually got a close look at it, it is reddish pink. Trans is still full so I checked power steering. It was pretty much no read on the tiny little dip stick... so I’m thinking maybe my power steering pressure hose sprung a leak or something. that would be plausible that it hit the manifold or down pipe as it goes right around it.

 

[Scottydoggs]

now we are getting somewhere lol typical leak is from the rubber return line. breaks right where it clamps on the nipple. need to take the wheel off to get to the line. maybe the splash shield too. if that hose is hanging there or cracked, just cut it off and re clamp it on the pump.

 

[LV01gtp]

It’s a grimy mess down there and hard to tell where it is leaking from but I could see fresh power steering fluid on one of the pressure lines about to drip. So I decided I’m just gonna replace both return and the pressure line with new. There cheap enough.
So I got the return line off already. Before I buy the hoses and get in there, is there a recommended order to do one before another when installing? Like it’s easier to do the return line first of vice versa? Thanks

 

[Scottydoggs]

ive never done just a line before, but when doing a rack swap i had to take the bottom line off first to get the upper line off. not sure what line is what tho.

after you get both new lines on, lift both front wheels off the ground, turn the wheels lock to lock a 5-10 times, fill the fluid as needed. this will bleed the lines and rack of air.