[daregister]

1966 mustang 289, 4 barrel holley carb. There is smoke coming from under the engine and i'm a little concerned. I put my car on some jackstands so I could find out where exactly the smoke is coming from and it seems to be coming from the passenger side of the engine. It looks like it's where the exhaust meets the engine. The smoke doesn't smell like exhaust though. It smells more like burning oil, clean oil but none the less burning. Can I still drive the car with this happening or is this an immediate concern? Also as my car is idling it is spitting out black (water?) onto the floor. More so on the side where the smoke is coming from. What can I do? It is kind of a lot of black.

[reds]

sounds like a leaking valve cover or leaking intake gasket from the rear, as far as driving it if its not to bad you could drive short drives but keep a check on the oil level.as far as the black water its problably condensation build up...you could check your water level and make sure your not loosing any.

[paul289]

That spitting black thing is normal. Water is a byproduct of combustion. And so is black carbon, if it's an older car. But yeah, the smoke could easily be a loosened valve cover, or possibly even bad piston rings and valve guide combined with an exhaust leak and a bad PCV valve, but that's a worst-case scenario.

[reds]

paul 289 is right, any of those things is something that can happen,check all of those to ensure your ride is safe,good luck bud!!

[ieatdrt]

Can you see any wetness on the head just above the exhaust manifold/header on the side that's smoking? I'd bet the house it's a valve cover gasket and a very easy repair. I wouldn't be concerned with the moisture.

[Montana's Stang]

I agree it is probably a valve cover gasket. A lot of folks don't know that OVER tightening valve cover gaskets is as bad or worse than not tight enough (it tends to make the cover "bow" upward in the space between the cover bolts). If you don't have a torque wrench to get it to spec (and if they are after-market covers you need to use the spec for the COVER not the Ford spec) the rule of thumb that I was taught is to tighten until the gasket just starts to firmly touch the cover and head at the same time and go 1/2 turn more but not so far that the gasket is less than 3/4 of it's original thickness.

I learned this by word of mouth and would like to know if there is a more reliable "ballpark" method out there. You never know when you will have to do a little "field surgery" and more info is always better.

[andrewmp6]

If it is the valve cover leaking don't use a cork gasket get the rubber ones they are great to use.

[CPRsm]

hell yes, thanks andrewmp6 - you beat me to it!