daflee

Hey I was really having trouble searching for others with my problem because there's so many topics on oil leaks and I'm not sure what to call this part here to even reference it in my searches.... Car is a 92 LT1 - I get a burning oil smell that I don't believe I had before - I have had the car for a few months and have been taking care of issues as they arise. See photo of the driver side exhaust manifold for source of burning oil. I have a pretty sludgy engine bay because I think something power steering related is leaking. The level is slowly depleting and it seems to be a source of engine grime compared to other components. Could that be the source? Is this a common issue? I made a short video to show it - you can even see it smoking after a short drive.

krackenvette

Hard to tell, but valve cover possibly.. The bolts on top that hold them over time leak? Follow the one bracket going to behind alternator, and see if any oil is being blown onto it via air flow over time..
Brake clean it off and see if it comes back..

daflee

That's good idea, i'll do that.

I followed the bracket and it goes directly to the rear of the AC compressor, which seems relatively clean, but directly in front of the area seems to be the power steering pump which is just coated with grime, so that's why I mentioned it before. I think I'll go clean it and when I do, I'll grab some more photos of the engine bay. In terms of "What's changed recently?" I am a little worried that possibly it could be from the AC because I recently charged the system myself with some R12, but at the same time, (and I could be wrong) I don't see how it could be leaking from the rear of the compressor... not to mention when I charged it there was no indications of there being a leak in the system.

~~~Will report back!!

coupeguy2001

I had a power steering leak as well.
i found out that my leak was the back cover on the pump.
turns out that the o ring shrinks over time, and begins to leak.
i bought a reseal kit for the pump, and just used the rear cover o ring.
it weeped a little, as there was irregularities in the oring land and i put in half a can of power steering stop leak, and it’s been dry for a year.
the pump has a pully pressed onto it’s shaft and is a pain to get off with just a light coating of rust on the bare shaft.
i was glad I didn’t have to change the pump and pull that pulley off

bud40oz

i don't think it is a valve cover myself. the pictures so the manifold and nut on the engine side of the power steering bracket there is dry as a bone and wet on the bracket and outer nut for some reason. when i just had my engine out and put a different power steering pump on for other reasons than being bad... yes it was leaking horribly. the rubber return hose was completely caked on old fluid and a greasy nasty mess. the o-ring was in place and still an O shape but it had shriveled up and deformed from being hot and cold a zillion times or just plain 30 years old maybe who knows but it was a leaky sloppy mess everywhere.