Reddit reviews FIAFESA5 - Fire Extinguisher for Gasoline/Oil/Grease/Electrical Fires
We found 1 Reddit comments about FIAFESA5 - Fire Extinguisher for Gasoline/Oil/Grease/Electrical Fires. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Mounting Bracket for placing the unit within easy reachLarge, Easy-To-Read Pressure GaugeEffective against flammable liquid fires and live electrical equipment firesExtra stability added to prevent damage in a vehicle; easy mounting (bolts not included)5-Year Limited Warranty
Oil on the exhaust manifold is a fire risk, even if it's just a slow drip.
The flash point of motor oil is not that high. It's only around 450 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature of the exhaust manifold can go well above that under load. If you have a turbo downstream of the manifold, then that temperature can get even higher. (Example: the exhaust on my turbo diesel truck can easily get to 1200 degrees Fahrenheit when I lay into it while going uphill)
A slow drip is probably not enough to start and sustain an engine fire. But the buildup of oil on the manifold eventually can sustain a fire. And you do not want an engine fire. Also consider that other stuff in the engine bay can sustain an engine fire (plastic, rubber, gasoline, etc.).
The problem in your case is that, unless you've observed the leak at operating temperature, you don't know for sure if it's too slow to sustain a fire or not. It could be that it's dripping pretty badly when the engine is warmed up and running, but not enough to create a noticeable stain when parked.
The fact that it creates smoke that's visible when you open the hood is worrisome. A slow drip shouldn't create that much smoke - you should really only be able to smell a slow leak. If you can see smoke when opening the hood, then I would consider it a bad leak with a substantial fire risk.
I would verify the severity of the leak before deciding whether it's safe to drive - find where the leak is, then drive the car around to get it up to operating temp, and then observe the leak while the engine is running to see how bad the leak is. I would also check to make sure the valve cover bolts are tightened to spec. Then, I would order the gaskets and plan on replacing them as soon as is convenient. I would definitely not plan on driving it for another month without fixing. The longer you put off fixing it, the greater the fire risk. Replace the gaskets as soon as possible.
Honestly, if it were my vehicle, I'd probably park it until the new valve cover gaskets come in. But you may not have that luxury. If you must drive it, get an automotive fire extinguisher (class BC or ABC), something like a little 2lb or 5lb extinguisher like this. Everyone should already have one in their car, but you especially should have one if you're driving something that produces blue smoke from the engine bay.