Driving home my new 560SL, first time out after sale, I stopped at a service area off the interstate and checked the oil, which looked about 1/3 down. I added a quart, and re-checked to confirm now at the high mark.

After driving an other 4 hours at 70 - 80 mph, I was stopped at a light and blue smoke was billowing out from under the engine bay area. I figured something had leaked onto the exhaust, and carried on to destination, about another hour. I opened the hood and a LOT of oil had sprayed over the right valve cover and upper engine area/right firewall area.

I checked the oil filler plug and it looks like it's missing the rubber gasket, so probably the oil had been pumped out there (where else could fresh oil come from on that side??).

How could the oil pressure get that high, or too high, to cause this? I might have over-filled some, maybe didn't wait long enough for drain down from the right cylinder head fill hole to get a proper reading. But why the higher pressure? Blowby from the cylinder(s) on compression/firing stroke? Wouldn't this cause burning oil or low compression too? How to check - a compression test.

Could a small extra volume of oil cause this by increasing the pump pressure, or maybe too much oil to send down the drain hole in the head, so it goes out the easiest way?

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1986 560SL
2002 Toyota Camry
1993 Lexus

Sounds like you need a new oil filler cap only.

When the gaskets disintegrate or get hardened they leak from the gasket area while driving.

Sometimes just taking the cap off to fill the oil distrurbs the gasket surface enough from the happy seat it had formed while stationary for all that time, then it leaks when you put it back on.

The fact that your rubber gasket is missing is a no brainer, you need a new filler cap and have to clean the oil as best as you can off your valve cover and exhaust manifold.

It could also be a leak in the valve cover gasket, although it would be unusual for it to fail suddenly like that.

I recently had my car in for a valve adjustment and asked that they replace the valve cover gaskets while they had them out. They did, but didn't seat the new gasket properly and it sprayed nearly a quart of oil all over the engine of my car.

Well, turns out the gasket was there, but hard as a rock, so I made up a rubber gasket to go over it, and it appears fine, BUT.....took the car in for mandatory inspection, a local MB knowledgeable mechanic, and lots of oil UNDER the front end too. He's quite sure it's a head gasket! Now I'm in for a treat this winter. He says it's a 16 hour job, each side, and I should do both sides.

Anyone had this experience? Can the heads leak oil out the gasket and there be no oil burning, or oil in the coolant?

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1986 560SL
2002 Toyota Camry
1993 Lexus

But I thought you could probably see the fresh oil stains on the side of the head if its that bad. The area near the plugs or even near the injectors. Also if its that bad, it probably drinks oil for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You will find your oil low every other day.

Just my thoughts

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1992 200E
M102
102.963
AKA Silver Old Grumpy
Always hope I can freeze someone with the aircon- Just change the compressor again, Subseal leaked with a psssssssss sound.
Its the NON-3 Pointed star items on my car that cost more to repair.$%^&%%*^&

I guess I;'d want a 2ndopinion

32 hour job sounds like you could build the whole car.

I assume headgaskets are no picnic
but are they 16 hours for one side???

I hope not

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83 500 SEC Euro 198K