Please help! Smoking and oil in Air filter enclosure!!!

[thowe]

I'm a newbie w/ a 74 911 w/ an 86 3.2l

I THINK I may have overfilled the oil at one point and drove it about 30miles before I drained some off. Days later I added a little more when I noticed that it was a little low. Now all of the sudden I see the oil in the air filter area and some oil on the sides down by the engine mount and I'm smoking VERY bad from the engine compartment not the exhaust. I'm sure I have some small leaks but I cleaned it all up as best I can and it's still smoking!! If I did overfill it, what else do I need to do to clean it out or is it likely two problems at once? Ideas, suggestions??

Thanks!!!

[rstoll]

Sounds like you may be overfilled. The oil level will go up a bit as the engine heats. My 83 SC will go from the bottom of the guage cold to halfway up the guage when fully hot. Be sure and check idling on a level surface with engine fully warm.

[pegasus9]

The excess oil probably overflowed into the air box and got sucked into the intake tract and made a hell of a mess, the smoking is probably from the oil that has gummed up things that shouldn't be.

[thowe]

Okay...starting w/ that, what can I do to fix this???

Thanks!

[pwd72s]

The ONE time I overfilled? I used a small diameter tube, engine running on idle, and simply syphoned the excess oil out of the tank. BTW, don't get too mad at yourself here. It's a very common newbie mistake. I'm sure that all of us, other than the perfect few, have done the same... Not much harm, so it's just a small foul.

[thowe]

PWD72S,

Well actually I pulled the drain plug and let some out. That was a few days ago and I've drove it a lot since. I've cleaned out the air filter intake but havn't taken off all the hoses and etc connected there and cleaned them out. It still smokes though!
Think it will eventually burn out or should I try cleaning something else?
Thanks for the rookie comment...it's like you're trying to makesure everything is good and taken care of and then you do something like this...makes me sick!

[thowe]

Just a side note...it's not horrible smoke but it is VERY noticible...just like it appears from no where!

[pwd72s]

Unless there is another problem? I do think the smoke will eventually clear. After all, the smoke is caused by excess oil still in the intake system. Eventually it will either burn or drip away??

[thowe]

PWD

That's what I was thinking too...but wouldn't I be getting smoke out of my exhaust and not just off the engine compartment? I've sprayed it down good and don't see any major leaks.

[Rick Lee]

It doesn't take much oil to make a lot of smoke. Count your blessings that the smoke is NOT coming from your exhaust. That could mean a lot of other very bad things. Your car will recover - this is a very common newbie mistake. Remember that these cars like the oil level smack dab in the middle of the dipstick tick marks.

[88911coupe]

Just a follow up comment on this subject. I did some testing on my 88 3.2 and found that the oil level continued to rise even though the temp guage had been at it's maximum level for a good 30 minutes or so. I tested the level several times over about 1 1/2 hours of hard driving and the level eventually reached over 3/4 full. Previously I would just wait till it got warmed up per the temp guage I have probably have overfilled it.
Later,

[autobonrun]

Make sure your vent hose from the oil fill tube to the air box has not come loose or broken off.

Mine came loose and the engine compartment smoked badly. The oil reservoir also collects fumes from the crankcase which adds to the smoke if this hose is loose.

Also, there will be some oil blow by through this tube that ends up in the air box housing

[thowe]

Autobonrun,

Thanks I'll check it out....Yeah I already cleaned out my air filter enclosure but it leaked on the engine and is smoking like crazy. I've got all of it off that I can see but it mysteriously smokes from the engine compartment somewhere when it gets warm.

Thanks