September 1990

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Dear Tom and Ray:
When starting a 1985 Ford Escort one morning, there was a loud explosion. The motor ran extremely rough for a while and the engine area was splattered with oil. The gaskets of the valve cover, the oil pan, and the front engine seal had to be replaced. What could have caused this gasket failure?
Willie

RAY: We hear about this sort of thing happening occasionally to diplomats in hostile foreign countries, Willie.

TOM: But assuming that you're not employed by the CIA or State Department, what you probably experienced was a flashback. It's normal for gasoline vapors to be inside the crankcase. Somehow, a flame from a carburetor backfire got in there, and the result, as we say in the industry, was "kaboom!."

RAY: The crankcase ventilation system is supposed to prevent this from happening, but yours must have been malfunctioning.

TOM: You might ask the repair shop if they found anything wrong with the crankcase ventilation system when they performed the repair. If they say "what's that?", make sure you wear your Bronko Nagurski football helmet until you get it checked out.

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© 2006 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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Auto repairs can be costly! Save money by ordering Tom and Ray's pamphlet: "Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Car Without Even Knowing It!" To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.