I think I might have blown my rear oil seal last night. I've got a '88 Vert with a Street ported Cosmo and a hybred Turbo.

The car was misfiring and poping when I would get on it and finally seemed to start runing right.

I thought I had done too much around town driving and it got fouled-up and needed to be run hard.

I did a first-second to about 7000 each and backed-down after about 5000 in third.

Then I smelt something and saw smoke coming from the opening where the radio should be.

It still seemed to run good, but when I got it in the garage and looked under the hood, I could see some oil. Not a lot, but definitly oil.

If I am right, will the engine have to come out to replace the seal?

Is it safe to drive the 2 miles to the shop?

 

are you referring to the rear oil seal on the rotor or the rear main seal on the engine? either way, you should be getting oil spray on the hood because of it (unless you're missing that inspection-plate between the motor and tranny) and even then, it could only be the rear main.

the rear main could cause the smoking, but you should notice 2 things if it's that bad. (1) a slipping/burning clutch, and (2) serious oil loss at the dipstick. hmmm ... it just sounds strange to me though ...

do you have any underhood pics?

 

I havn't checked the dipstick and I will do that.
I didn't see any spray on the hood. The oil was in the pan under the engine and I thought it looked like it was coming from the bellhousing to engine joint.

The clutch did not slip, I did accelerate briskly, but didn't really get-on-it since I wanted to avoid further damage.

I'll take some pics tomorrow.

 

If you say it was popping and stuff you may have cracked the rear side housing on the back side of the engine due to detonation. I have not seen a rear main oil seal just up and destroy itself quickly. The normally go slow and it will first show up as a wet spot. I lean more towards a cracked endplate.

 

just for the record, that should read "shouldn't be getting oil spray ..." looks like i need to pack it in for the night.

if you were simply referring to the oil on the bottom of the engine, then it could be as simple as the oil pan gasket. while the car is moving it's going to blow toward the back and if some of it touched the exhaust ... poof! smoke. it could also be leaking from somewhere else, OMP, turbo, cooler line, etc.

i'll just wait for the pics ...

 

Thanks, I feel a little better with the alternative causes to consider.

 

I'm thinking a cracked rear iron aswell. check around the oil filter pedestal for oil. This would mean you need a rebuild and replace the rear iron.

 

There is a wet circle about 4" in diameter on the inside of the hood just about above the oil filter. The leak *looks* to be between the aluminum and iron close to the oild filter pedestal and maybe a little more toward the engine bay center.

Carzy: I pm'd you