Ripped boot, white smoke, oil in tb, wtf

[movementality]

So a couple nights ago, my car started idling like horse shit so I poke around under the hood and find that my intake boot has decided to tear itself horribly


while taking the intake boot off there were noticeable, well I would just say a lot of oil in my throttle body and the earlier mentioned ripped boot!


This isn't normal is it...
I don't know the first thing about engines, what do I do? Rebuild?

[Sagaris]

The ripped boot just happens. Silicone it up or buy a new one for $25/ get a used one for less. The oil is coming from the PCV hose. its the one that connects to the throttle body, hides under the intake manifold, and connects to the valve cover.

Clean the oil up real good (be an example to BP) drive it for a few days and take another look. It is normal for an older car to have a little bit of oil in there (a thin, yellowish film around the edges of the hole, but not a pooled up spot of dark oil like you have there)

oil in the intake is caused by "excessive blowby" or air+oil that slips past the piston rings, gets into the crank case, then vents up to the valve cover through the head and into the intake. You will want to do a compression test to see how your piston rings are holding up.

The white smoke is coolant getting into the combustion chamber. You have a leaky head gasket. It may be due to the older style of head bolt (pre 88?) read up on e30 head bolt / head gasket issues there is plenty of info, but basically they updated the head bolt design to prevent head gasket problems. Otherwise its a weak gasket or you overheated it.

I would run a test with a vac. gauge (should measure a steady number between 15-22 inHg. at idle), do a compression test, and just do your own overall assessment of the engine based on your budget and your priorites. Some people are on a tight budget and need a car to get A to B, others are tremendous d-bags and have S50's falling out of their pockets :P (only kidding, dont taze me bro's)

[movementality]

oh thanks for the quick reply, it's actually a late model. 89.
man if this had happened earlier in the summer I would be diving into a M or S swap but with school starting up, it's unlikely I can do anything like that
I'm heading to the dealership for a new intake boot
probably stop by advance auto and pick up a compression tester while i'm at it.

[Sagaris]

pick up a real hose clamp for your brake booster line while you are at it :P might get rid of a vac. leak

[movementality]

lol yeaaah i've been meaning to do that. now's a good time. shouldn't be a vac leak there though, it's been there for a year or so now