Has anyone heard of this?
1986 V6 Auto
I noticed a little oil there a long time ago but I couldn't see the level going down. Now I am adding a quart every 150 miles.
The oil is dripping off the EGR tube onto the exhaust pipe. I took off the EGR tube and it looks like it was coming from where it bolts to the intake manafold. I then took the rubber intake manifold off and found a little oil in there but not as much as I was seeing on the egr tube. My guess is that the PCV valve is stuck open and is letting oil flow through the tube into the intake and down the egr tube? There wasn't a mess of oil in the intake though (like there was on the egr tube) just a small puddle in the low spots.
Any input or ideas would be helpful.

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Speak softly and carry a big engine.

I've never heard of oil leaking out of the EGR tube, but the distributer "O" ring is notorious for leaking and can put a fair amount of oil in that general area. The PCV valve is easy to change if you think it may be causing the problem.

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Rod Schneider, Woodstock, Ga.
"You can't have too many toys!"
1988 Fiero GT
1966 Porsche 911
Van's RV-6 airplane-under construction

Ok I was wrong, its not the PCV tube but the black metal tube that goes from the forward valve cover to the rubber intake manafold, I'm not sure what it's for but it seems very similar to the PCV system.
Anyone know what this tube is for and how I can stop this oil leak?

I believe the tube you are talking about is another crankcase breather tube. If I read you right, it runs from the firewall side valve cover to the intake tube - mounts between the throttle body and the air cleaner? Still may be your PCV is not working and you may be sucking oil out of the valve cover into the intake tube. Pull the PCV out of the rear valve cover and see if it rattles. If not, replace it..Just my thoughts....

Yes! not the only one with that problem. I have a 86 v6 auto and it leaks in the same place and the oil drops onto the exhaust and burns out. I replaced the EGR valve and it basically resolved itself. My suggestion is to replace EGR valve or the gaskets. Just my .02

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The PCV valve does rattle. But I'll replace it anyway, for $3.99 it can't hurt.
I'm still wondering what the other breather tube is for? Yes it is the one that goes between the air cleaner and the throttle body. There isn't a valve in this tube so it seems that oil and vapors are always being sucked from the forward valve cover.

Thanks for the input guys

quote Originally posted by Fiero_Fan_88: Yes! not the only one with that problem. I have a 86 v6 auto and it leaks in the same place and the oil drops onto the exhaust and burns out. I replaced the EGR valve and it basically resolved itself. My suggestion is to replace EGR valve or the gaskets. Just my .02

I also have this problem. I already have a new valve and gaskets on the way. Would it be a bad idea to plug this tube with something untile the parts arrive. THis is one of those systems I don't know much about any car in general. Is the tube supposed to be connected to something at the driver's side-ish area of the emgine bay? Mine is not.

quote Originally posted by StoicMe: I also have this problem. I already have a new valve and gaskets on the way. Would it be a bad idea to plug this tube with something untile the parts arrive. THis is one of those systems I don't know much about any car in general. Is the tube supposed to be connected to something at the driver's side-ish area of the emgine bay? Mine is not.

This may be a tube left over from a recall that doesn't do anything. IF it comes from the fire wall in front of the filter canister and ends near the intake tube, just leave it alone.

It must be connected to SOMEthing, as oil and what seems to be a bit of white smoke comes from it. Also it is connected to the cabin-side quite clearly.

[This message has been edited by StoicMe (edited 05-18-2008).]

If it is the tube that runs from the front driver/passenger compartment valve cover to the stock air filter you may have a serious "blow by" problem. That is, one cylinder has a cracked piston or cracked piston rings causing the compression stroke to allow compressed gasses to "blow by" the piston into and pressurizing your crankcase. The crankcase is supposed to not have any pressure. This situation forces oil up through the engine into the valve covers and in the case of the front valve cover tube, into the stock air filter.
See if anyone else jumps in and agrees with my thinking. Ed

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That would be right by my thinking Ed. A quick compression check on all the cylinders would determine if that's the problem.

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Marc in sunny Titusville, FL

• 84 SE son's car, loaded
  
• 85 Coup w/V6 transplant
  
• 85 GT newly on the road
  
• 86 SE/GT "The Chameleon" - big plans!

You are describing excessive blow-by. The pcv can not keep up and the suction in the crankcase tirns to preasure. The preasure has to escape someplace and it goes "out" the "in" tube, bringing with it vaporized oil. Do not plug off the line or you will get a leak on every potential leak point on the engine.

quote Originally posted by Electrathon: You are describing excessive blow-by. The pcv can not keep up and the suction in the crankcase tirns to preasure. The preasure has to escape someplace and it goes "out" the "in" tube, bringing with it vaporized oil. Do not plug off the line or you will get a leak on every potential leak point on the engine.

That doesn't sound good at all. Shouldn't my car run rather rough if this is the case? I'll admit it doesn't rune as smooth as I thing it should, but still. Would this issue come with a bit of a power loss as well?

Thank you all for the replies, by the way.

quote Originally posted by StoicMe: That doesn't sound good at all. Shouldn't my car run rather rough if this is the case? I'll admit it doesn't rune as smooth as I thing it should, but still. Would this issue come with a bit of a power loss as well? Thank you all for the replies, by the way.

A car can run well with blowby, it is just the first stage of a worn out engine. The easy home test for blowby is to remove the oil fill cap and lay a dollar bill over the hole with the engine running. If it is sucked down, all is good. If it is pushed away there is excessive blowby.

In doing research I found this thread.

I pulled the EGR tube off the EGR and it started leaking black, oily looking fluid. The engine has been running good, but has low oil pressure. The engine has ~122K miles on it. I thought I just needed to replace the clutch. Should I be worried?

Electrathon or others could you give some advice for the oil coming from my EGR tube?

While I had the clutch out I was going to fix some oil leaks. Am I just wasting my time if the increased crankcase pressure from blow by is going to make it leak again?

[This message has been edited by sjmaye (edited 09-14-2008).]

My Formula was doing the same thing. 112k+ on the odo, and I would get what looked like oil seepage where the tube bolts under the intake and where it joins the EGR valve base. At the EGR valve, it would actually smoke.

My PCV valve still rattled, but I replaced it anyway. I also noticed that the PCV tube that runs from the valve cover on the firewall side to the intake hose was shoved too far in at both places, so I corrected that. Finally, I noticed that my oil fill cap gasket wasn't very tight, so I made a shim to fit between the cap and the rubber gasket so it sealed better. Problem is now solved. FWIW, I did the dollar bill trick and was pleased to see it get sucked in (albeit slightly).

[This message has been edited by WhiteFormula (edited 09-14-2008).]