M20 Head Gasket Oil Leak

[YosemiteSam]

So a few weeks ago I noticed that my oil leak had gotten drastically worse. After some investigation I noticed that I have oil leaking out of the head gasket right under the exhaust manifold.
I plan on rebuilding the engine in a year or so, but for now I'd really like to at least slow down the oil leak because the oil has a tendency to get on to the exhaust and then my car smokes at stop lights. I'm getting a little worried it might catch on fire.
I was considering trying to re-torque the head bolts, but being that those are torque to yield I'm worried they might break. Anybody have any ideas?

[turbo55]

Personally, I wouldn't want to risk snapping a head bolt by retorqueing it. How is oil getting on your exhaust if the leak is under the exhaust? Is the leak so bad that it is dripping from the bottom of the block onto the exhaust? Is the smoke coming from the engine bay or from the exhaust? If it's from the exhaust, it could be your valve stem seals are bad (if they're stock, they're rock hard by now and not doing too much sealing).

Unfortunately, the only way to positively stop that leak is to do the head gasket, which is a bit of work.

[Kershaw]

Don't retorque them. They can snap. Then you're in a world of shit.

That's a very common spot for an oil leak. My e30 leaks there too. It's the headgasket, not the bolt pressure. Either suck it up or replace the head gasket.

[YosemiteSam]

Yeah, I figured that would be the case. And yeah, it is not coming from the exhaust, it comes out from the passenger side fender. I guess it's time to get a DD, pull my engine and start prepping it for a build.

[turbo55]

Smoke from the passenger side fender area? You might have an exhaust leak either from the manifold to head connection or manifold to downpipe connection. Also, you could have a leak from the accordion flex section of the pipe.

Good luck!

[e30onBBSs]

smoke test.

And HG isn't too bad, if you feel good you could knock it out in a couple days. Seems quite intimidating but stuff starts flying off, just gotta keep those bags and that sharpie handy!

[DirtyTh3rty]

Just had to do my HG on the side of my busy street (where i do all my work because we have no garage or driveway space...) from a leak in the same spot very common its not too much work for the piece of mind! definitely worth it I would just do it.

[330SMG]

Use a BMW head gasket only. Victor Reintz have a lot less silicone around the passages and leak like a mutha, had it happen to me about 2 years after gasket was done.

[lcoleman]

If the head gasket is leaking oil externally, it shouldn't drip onto the exhaust manifold; it would be below that point.

There was an old bulletin about how to replace the head bolts one-by-one. without physically removing the head. If you're really that worried, I would just do that--but, I don't think it will help and I don't think an external HG leak will cause the smoking.

[digger]

yeah are you sure the leak is the HG?

the only course of actual with retightneing is adding studs that allow a higher clamp one by one and that may not do a thing if it isnt a clamp issue