I first started to see smoke and smell buring oil from the driver's side exhaust manifold about a half a month ago. I thought for sure it was the valve cover gaskets so I changed them but still after a week the smoke is still there if not worse! I check but I don't find any spilled oil around the valve cover/exhaust manifold area after I drive it.

I'm thinking it might not be the valve cover gaskets after all. The smoke ONLY comes from around the driver's side exhaust manifold. The only other thing going on with my car right now is a leaky power steering pump/box.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

 

Smoke will only be coming off of there if something is burning on it. How much smoke is it and what color?

I'm betting it's leaking down behind the block somewhere that you can't see it and dripping around onto the Y-pipe.

 

The smoke is light gray and there is about as much smoke as there is when you blow out a candle-maybe a little bit less. But the smoke will last for about 1-2 mins after the car is off.

 

Could the fan be kicking up a little steering fluid hitting the manifold?

 

Thats what I was suspecting.. My dad disagreed because he said the smoke smelled like oil but we will investigate further this weekend..

 

Yes and he could be right sometimes those darn valve covers will warp and even with new gaskets will leak.