just bought my first third gen and first car in general in February, and don't have to much experience with engines, so i need a little help. currently my car is leaking oil out onto the passenger side manifold, but i cant find where it's coming from. it could be coming off something that looks to be broken between the furthest back 2 spark plugs on that side. doesn't smoke on startup, then has a little white smoke, then a bunch of blue smoke after warming up, and it also has a ticking, which is making me think it's a cracked head. Its got the LG4 305.

Thanks

 

Not coming from the thing between the 2 spark plugs. If that leaked, it would be leaking coolant.

Prolly not a cracked head. While I'm NOT saying "you don't have a cracked head" or "heads never crack" or anything of the kind, what I will say is, there is virtually NO PLACE WHATSOEVER that a crack can create oil smoke.

Most likely, it's valve guide seals, and/or intake gaskets. I'd suggest doing both at the same time. Both are SOOOOOPER CHEEEEEEEP and eeeeeeezzzzzzy, especially when doing both at once; by the time you do what it takes to do one, you're at least halfway to doing the other as well.

Use the "positive" type seals on the intake side, and "umbrella" type on the exhaust. Don't bother with the O-rings. Regular stock replacement FelPro gaskets are perfectly fine. Straighten the valve cover flanges around the bolt holes before putting them back on; in fact, it helps if you bend them UP a little bit, so that when you tighten the bolts, they put plenty of uniform pressure all the way around, at the point that the bolts flatten the flange back out. DO NOT overtighten them!!!!

Might want to consider new valve springs at the same time... just somebody's entry-level 1.25" dia one, the "Z28" ones or Howards are perfectly good choices for a stock cam.

 

At least the intake manifold gasket was replaced by the previous owner, and most likely the valve guide seals as well.

 

Even more reason to replace them yourself.

 

I second that... You would not believe how many things I have seen done wrong by other owners.

Oil leak could be valve cover gasket.. Pretty common in fact.
Oil dipstick could be another place that can leak.

Cracked head would not cause a ticking, or oil smoke really. When a head cracks it most of the time cracks under the bottom in the chamber, next to a valve. Cracked head(s) will let coolant into oil, or oil into coolant along with cylinder pressure (compression)
So you would get milkshake looking oil or coolant, plus higher levels of oil or coolant and maybe even blowing the pressure release valve on rad. cap or blowing off the upper rad. hose

Ticking could be an exhaust gasket leak, or a valve in need of adjusting or a lifter not working right, fuel pump, and a few other things..

Get you a length of rubber heater hose, an old garden hose, etc and put to your ear and with engine running touch the other end of it to the valve covers, oil pan, fuel pump, timing cover, etc and when you touch it on where ever the clicking is coming from you will know. It will sound much louder.

The smoking sounds like valve seals