oil leak at head

[Guest]

mark in mesa here. started the '86 interstate (42,000 miles)this morning and noticed
smoke on the left side around the head. there's fresh oil on the nuts that hold the
header onto the head. seems to me that the head gasket is leaking from the bottom
side since the oil is only on the bottom of the head. does the motor have to come out to replace the head gasket? is there another possible cause of the oil leak in that area
besides the head gasket? is it ok to replace just one head gasket? thanks for any
advice from the group.

[dp]

The head gaskets can be replaced without removing the engine. For all the work involved, I would replace both head gaskets at the same time. That way you can check all the valves, clean them up, lap by hand, check your cams, etc. The only gaskets/seals I know of in the area are the head gasket, valve cover gasket, cam seals, and the shifter seal (though this one normally drips down onto the exhaust pipe). Check those areas out to see if the oil is migrating. Good luck!!

[Ed Z]

Quite possibly it's the valve cover seal... Easy fix...