Help? oil out of dipstick tube

[SGFMORover]

my 95 disco (3.9) has an issue:

reader's digest condensed version: while running oil is getting pushed out of my dipstick tube and leaking out, burning smoking etc.

long story; so... i had a big mess awhile back and assumed it was my valve cover gasket on the driver side as i had done the passenger side long ago and neglected this one. well, did the valve cover gasket and whatdya know started smoking last night only to discover that oil is being pushed up the dipstick tube and out.... dribbling down the block and burning off. oil level is normal otherwise and check's fine on the dipstick.

Help? i've no idea why its doing this. granted there's a seal a t the top of the tube that i could replace, but i can't imagine there should be pressure enough to force oil up and out?! unless i've got rings that are shot or somethin? drvin down the road it smokes like mad after hard accelerating (basically if I've run the rpms over 3000-3500 ish) beacuse of the excessive oil pushing out and dripping down onto the exhaust.

doesn't seem to be running poorly otherwise (granted its got 187,000 on it). mileage seems the same as its been the last few years, plenty of power and essentially no smoke through the exhaust. aside from the relatively small amount that it takes to create a huge mess she's really not using any oil. i think i've used 1/4 quart in 3 months 1,200 miles; allowing for drips from cooling lines and oil pan seal, etc. that ain't half bad.

any ideas? i'm sure i can fix the leak, but what am i covering up by doing so?

[Joey4420]

Sounds like you may have a bad pvc valve.. this will cause the engine to build up pressure... IIRC it is on the passenger side valve cover.

[Terrys]

It's probably coming from excessive ring blowby. Clean the vent on the back of the drivers side valve cover, and the flame trap, front of the pass side valve cover. Check the lines from the flame trap, clean the Tee piece,and thats the best you can do till you can get to the rings.

[SGFMORover]

no pcv valve to speak of on the 3.9 bosch; flame trap/oil separator (right rocker cover where a pcv valve would normally be) and hoses but they seem clear enough. i did notice in rave that it says there's an air filter on the left rocker cover that has to be maintained to keep pressure from building up..... I don't seem to have one. left cover just has the oil fill. there is a nub at the back side of it but it doesn't appear to even have a hole in it or anything. ????

[SGFMORover]

woops didn't see terrys...
thanks....

so that lil nub should "vent" to some degree. that'd be a start.

if its ring blowby i'm not gonna do more damage to keep drivin it am i? i assume i've lost some compression\power\economy but she feels good enough? not really in a position to rebuild it.

[Terrys]

The little nub should have had a steel disc, about 3/4" in diameter atop it. A small plastic cap held a foam filter to it. The hole through it is very small. Use a wire or compressed air. I never tried, but I doubt a pipe cleaner will go through it. I use a torch tip wire cleaner.
You won't hurt the engine any more by driving it, just a loss of fuel economy (yeah, right) and performance.
If you're mechanically inclined, you can do rings, rod & main bearings, cam and lifters, timing chain and sprocket in a weekend. Not sure a '95 Disco is worth the expense, that's your call.

[SGFMORover]

she's less about the expense and more about my attachment; she's my baby. saved my life a couple of times now - literally. worth it - no. but i'll do it anyway. tryin to decide if I'd rather rebuild the engine myself or just buy a rebuild somewhere and put it in.

thanks for all the help though; greatly appreciated.

[Terrys]

I've seen them build so much pressure they will push the intake manifold gasket right up like a big bubble. If nothing more, take a piece of hose and stick it on the dipstick tube and put the other end into a beer can, tucked off to the side.
I know what you mean about doing things that make no economic sense. and I suspect I may not be alone on this board either.