07 Explorer audibly Dripping oil onto exhaust

[bigjoncoop]

I've got a 2007 Ford Explorer xlt v6 and ever since I've had it it would leak a small bit of oil that would smoke occasionally.

After taking a 200 mile trip last week and now is smoking excessively. When you turn the engine off you can audibly hear oil dripping. I'm assuming it's dripping on to the exhaust manifold which is why it's smoking.

Any ideas where it may be leaking from?

 

[BKennedy]

Valve covers? Should be noticeable with a visual inspection.

 

[94Eddie]

If oil is leaking on the exhaust manifold then odds are it is coming from a valve cover gasket. However, it could be leaking elsewhere and blowing onto the exhaust system and then burning. What you need to do is crawl under it and look for oil leaks and where it is burning on the exhaust system. Also, put some cardboard under the engine and then look for where it might be dripping. This will point you in the direction of where to look at first.

 

[alanthemad]

I've recently had the same issue. I figured yeah valve cover gasket. Mechanic told me that some of the 4.0v6 have plastic valve covers and with age and temperature changes sometimes the Plastic valve covers will get small cracks. It started leaking right after a temperature change from around 50 degrees -9 degrees. So I may be buying a couple hundred dollars worth of new Plastic for my motor. The second plastic bit I've had to replace in a year. I just did the thermostat housing. Other than that it's been a great vehicle.

 

[PotatoExplorer]

I've got a 2007 Ford Explorer xlt v6 and ever since I've had it it would leak a small bit of oil that would smoke occasionally.

After taking a 200 mile trip last week and now is smoking excessively. When you turn the engine off you can audibly hear oil dripping. I'm assuming it's dripping on to the exhaust manifold which is why it's smoking.

Any ideas where it may be leaking from?

You confirmed that it was oil and not coolant?

 

[AidansCars]

I've got a 2007 Ford Explorer xlt v6 and ever since I've had it it would leak a small bit of oil that would smoke occasionally.

After taking a 200 mile trip last week and now is smoking excessively. When you turn the engine off you can audibly hear oil dripping. I'm assuming it's dripping on to the exhaust manifold which is why it's smoking.

Any ideas where it may be leaking from?

Hey big man, did you ever figure out the issue? Im having the same issue in my 2nd gen X sport. I can almost guarantee it's one of the gaskets. Check your oil pan gasket first. The fastest way to do this would be during an oil change you'd want to wipe off every part of the pan and then drop it. Check the gasket and see if you have any oil on them, if so, it's time to replace the gasket. You can easily do this yourself with RTV sealant or a dedicated gasket for your model.
If it's not the pan gasket, check your valve cover. I've never touched mine so I don't know how to remove it, please find an article to safely remove it. But you'd want to check your gasket for that too by removing the cover and doing the same as the oil pan checks.
If the rubber is hardened or has any chipped/missing pieces, it's time to replace your gasket.
A last ditch effort can be made with Lucas oil stop leak additive. I've used it for my rear main seal and it worked like a charm.
Cheers!