SalzundPfeffer

I have been having this problem with my car lately with it smoking under the hood and smelling like burned rubber (already know the clutch is not the issue). This usually only occurs after I have been on the interstate for a while and then get off and wait at a stoplight or something. The smoke appears to have a bluish tint to it, and it originates from around the exhaust manifold area/headers. Under the car, there is fluid coating most of the left side of the engine (if you are looking at the car from the front, the left side). The fluid coats most everything around the boot and the under side of the rack behind the power steering pump.

The catch is, is that the power steering pump has not had a belt since I bought it because the PO thought the pump was bad. The rack is completely new, however.

The fluid usually only leaks/burns/smells after I have been running the car. Not much fluid ends up on the ground after it has cooled off.

Any thoughts? Should oil dripping on the exhaust smell like burnt rubber or would that be power steering fluid?

Thanks in advance,
-bp

'84 944 N/A

billthe3

The Oil filter and lines to the oil cooler (wait, do N/A cars have oil cooler's?) are also in that area, so it could be one of those. Also check the cam housing gasket. If oil is leaking down onto headers I would assume that driving at highway speed would cause you to not smell any issues because of the windflow, but then once you slowed down you would smell it in the car.

SalzundPfeffer

There is an oil cooler, and I will be sure to check that area again once I degrease. Do you know what the burning rubber smell can be attributed to (oil or power steering fluid?) The smell is a result of the light blue smoke.

SalzundPfeffer

Well, I removed the power steering pump and degreased the area around the leak to see what is going on. The pictures try to show where the leak is. It primarily drips down from the power steering bracket (see photo). Everything above that area appears dry.

I am still smelling burnt rubber and a little bit of bluish smoke. The previous owner also put header wrap on the car recently, so I was also want to know if this could be a source for the smell/smoke until the wrap wears in.

tomrc

Looks like the front balance shaft seal, might as well do the timing belt and a whole front engine seal while your there.

billthe3

I'd get rid of the header wrap ASAP if you're having oil leak problems. That's just asking for a fire.

austin944

That area tends to get very messy with oil during an oil filter change. It might be some leftover oil slowly making its way down.

I tend to doubt that a leak in that area would get on the exhaust headers, unless the true source was higher up like the front cam seal or something like that.

To isolate the smoke you can run the engine in a very dark garage and wave a flashlight over the engine and the source of the smoke is usually easier to pinpoint than in daylight.

alordofchaos

This is a little OT, but doesn't using power steering fluid in the power steering cause it to leak sometimes?

It's supposed to be ATF in the power steering, but sometimes people throw in power steering fluid, which causes problems.

SalzundPfeffer

I just did an oil change, and that seemed to cause more oil leaking and smoking. But the oil that is now leaking is clear (new) oil, which leads me to believe that it's not oil left over from the oil change. I would think that would have been darker.

I inspected the exhaust headers and wrap, but it appears that there is no discoloration in the wrap. So, I don't think the smoke is coming from those.

BTW, what is the proper fluid to put in the power steering system? I will need to do this eventually when I reinstall the pump.

alordofchaos

Dexron ATF is what the manual recommends.

go to alordofchaos.com, click on the 944 link on the left, go to the bottom of the page. There's a link to a manual there; search the page for "Dexron" or "ATF" and you'll see it. I was kinda surprised myself - power steering that doesn't use PS fluid?