Oil Blow out on 3.9 NAS V8

[MORover]

I was driving "spirited" the other day and my fun ended with smoke and oil dripping heavily. I suspect that I blew out the valve cover gasket on the passenger side based on the oil leak above and burning on the manifold and the mess was only passenger side.

Plan as of now...
1. replace passenger valve cover gasket (will replace driver side later when I have time)
2. replace the valve ventilator and PCV tune up kit from Atlantic British since i'm on that side.
2. Change oil and filter
3. start motor and see if this fixed the leak

Any suggestions or concerns that I should consider before attempting to remedy it this way? If it does fix the leak, any other steps to make sure all is well? Any thoughts why this would happen in the first place? Age of gasket?

My 1994 D90 has 54k miles, likely has original gaskets, ventilator, pcv filter, etc. (i'm 2nd owner @ 50k miles)

 

[1of40]

I have to wonder how many oil changes that engine has had. Low mileage is great as long as the maintenance is aligned as well.

 

[evilfij]

That’s what I would do. The PCV cans plug up and line collapse.

 

[Angus]

You really need to nail down where the oil leak is coming from. Clean the area and run it to see where the oil is coming from. If, as Ron says, the PCV valve is plugged then there could be enough pressure to push oil out. Is the leak high on the engine or low? How much oil? Is there also oil on the valley gasket? Since it is on the passenger side, look at the oil cooler adapter and the cooler lines. If you have not done so, replace the cooler lines with braided steel (Trailhead 4x4). There is a very real fire danger from the rubber lines failing. If you do replace the valve cover gaskets, do not over tighten them.

 

[JimC]

As Angus said, my first suspicion is that you blew the oil cooler lines. In any case you are ultra-lucky that your truck is not currently a smoldering mound on the side of the highway. Replace them now no matter what the problem is. Also, younreally have to crank the engine to see the oil coming out because the split isn’t typically visible unless under pressure.

 

[rocky]

I had a couple of whiffs of oil….a few months back. Got lucky. Calculated where the fire stations were between me and the shop and drove it there.

Never again.

 

[evilfij]

Good point on the cooler lines, but those are usually pretty bad like not just a little smoke. I just delete the cooler lines rather than replace them, but do as you prefer.

 

[chuckc4]

I would bet money you blew an oil cooler line and were very lucky that the engine compartment / bulkhead did not catch fire.