Valve cover gasket or head gasket?

[los1950]

Hey guys
Im getting an oil leak on the drivers side thats burning on the exhaust and creating smoke. The passengers side is fine (checked maintanance records on my car an valve cover gasket was changed 20,000miles ago)

The drivers side of the engine is grimy with oil. Now, my question is, how can i be sure it is just the valve cover gasket and not the head gasket leaking oil?
Is my only way to find out just to change it?

It has progressively gotten worse in the last weeks.

Thanks

Carlos

[Huffer]

Probably valve gasket...if it's the HG then you'll have bubbles and oil in the coolant.

[ScaryFatKidGT]

probably the valve cover

if its your head gasket your car will be F'ed up

i have the the exact same thing on my passenger side. oil leaks, runs down and makes every thing grimy and burns on the exhaust making it smell and smoke

get down and look at where it is coming from mine drips slowly at where the valve cover gasket is

[99gtlimited]

valve cover FTW!!

[los1950]

greatt

good news

the valve cover aint too hard to change

thanks

[Mikey97D]

Yours sounds like a valve cover gasket, but it can be either. Could also be the front crankshaft seal and just leaking down the driver side to the exhaust.

I had the crankshaft seal replaced which was leaking and making its way to the Y pipe of the exhaust. Unfortunately for me, they also found the head gasket was also leaking under the timing cover on the driver side. I'm waiting on this repair since it doesn't even loose a quart of oil in a 3000 miles, just drives me nuts smelling oil burning on the exhaust at stop lights.

The valve cover is an easy repair and there is DIY here that explain them well.

Good Luck,
Mike