I was getting on it going down interstate the other day and I started smelling something burning. I got off and went to a parking lot and popped my hood. When I opened it, it was a strong wiff of the smell. I couldn't see any smoke or anything and went home. I looked again when I got home and seen that my spark plug wire metal cover (first one on the passanger side) was almost covered in oil. After it cooled off, I pulled the plug out and a few drops of oil ran off of it. I took the spark plug out and it had some on it, but I couldn't tell where it was coming from. It was only around where I had pulled the spark plug out, in and around that part of the head. What is this? Anybody else have this problem before? Thanks.

 

Could the fill cap gasket be leaking?

 

valvecover or filler cap?? maybe, i'm no expert though

 

No, it's not that. Thanks though. The oil that's on the side of the head starts right under the header flange. Any more ideas on what it could be?
I'm beginning to think that it's a bad piston ring and that it's got oil in the combustion chamber or something, I don't know.

 

If it's a bad oil ring, you exhaust would have a hint of blue smoke to it.
Does it?
Philip S.

 

It does smoke occasionally, I don't think it's blue. I'll check on that, thanks for the info.

If it is a bad oil ring, do I have until summer to get the LS1 ready to swap it out?

 

Well, if it's a bad oil ring, it will get worse as time passes. You might just have smoke now, but eventually you'll be fowling plugs. Eventually you'll be pouring a quart of oil and changing plugs every week. Just drive very conservitive and no-high RPMs, this will just make the problem worse.
Philip S

 

When I took the plug out, it was white....