I have a 1mz-fe toyota camry that has a leaky valve cover gasket (both front and rear)...It's not a huge leak at all...I check my oil regularly and my dip stick doesn't even move even after 3 months

Problem is, it does burn oil as it drips down the engine...I can smell it while I'm stopped at a stop light and idling...now this is my daily and I love it to death...just don't have the time and money to get the valve covers replaced...

I just want to know, is the oil going to catch on fire if I continue to drive like this? From observing my leak, it seems like theres not enough oil leaking to actually ignite anything...even a local mechanic told me he highly doubts it will catch on fire...it's more of an annoyance than a hazard he said...i.e. bad smell, oil spilling on driveway, etc

what are your opinions BITOG?? thanks!

If it's dripping it's probably no big deal, but if it is worsening you may have to pull the covers and do the gaskets.

You'd have to have the gasket completely let go and blow a lot of oil out to get a fire hazard, I'd be more worried about making a big mess of everything.

What year is your Camry? I've got a 1999 service manual that I can post info out of.

it's a 95...

Well, GM just issued a recall for the Regal GS and Grand Prix GTP because of oil leaking from the valve covers, dripping on the exhaust manifolds, catching fire, and catching a spark plug guide on fire. I only bring this up to show that it CAN happen. It's only the supercharged version because they're the only ones that create enough heat for it to be a problem. You're probably fine since I doubt you create enough heat or have anything right there to catch, but I would change them myself for piece of mind.

I cannot reconcile these two opposing claims. Are you sure you've come to the right place for an opinion?

I think you have come to the right place, its just the answer you may not like. It is quite clear, it is a health and safety issue and should monitored and done as soon as possible and practicable.

All rocker covers eventually weep over time, but there is a difference between a weep and leak. If it spilling on the driveway, this is a leak which is totally unacceptable.

You may be correct when you say you don't have the time or money to do it right away. That answer does not relieve you of your obligation to save money and get it done in the next 3 months at the next service.

In Western Australia the law states no leaks from the engines are acceptable. eg when you are stop on the road some oil can drip onto the road, and add water from rain you create a slippery hazard.

In my state the dealer who sold you the car must repair the leak at their cost under warranty regardless of the age of the vehicle.

In Maine you would fail state inspection if oil drips on the exhaust because of a perceived or real fire danger. You are apparantly, however, allowed to drip anywhere else.

this is the reason why I brought it up...because I saw this on the news...thanks again

The fire hazard has been known for a long time; some thought it was an oil leak, most thought it was leaking fuel o-rings, but it was enough to make a lot of people who were pushing the engine's abilities carry fire extinguishers in their car. It was almost always limited to the supercharged cars, though, the couple of fires known on the N/A version were generally attributed to a wiring problem in the ABS system. As I mentioned, the key on this was heat, as the underhood temps on the supercharged cars can get incredibly high. If you're not making that kind of heat, it's probably not a problem. Even if you are, you need something else combustible near the manifold to spread the flame. As you can see, this is a fairly specific issue, so unless your car has a history of catching on fire, it's probably not a problem.

On the other hand, I've looked it up for my car, and changing the gaskets and grommets would cost me <$20, so I don't see any reason not to do it if you're mechanically inclined at all.

Here's another hazard
Leaky valve cover gasket will leak oil onto intake manifold - destroying intake manifold gasket. This causes air leak - resulting in poor power output (cylinder misfires, failed cylinders, blah...).
Standard rate to replace Intake manifold gasket ~$500

~50 for valve cover gasket beats ~500 for manifold gasket replacement (a major PITA job)

$50? More like $15 (add $4 for the sealant) and 30 minutes of your time. IIRC, that $15 included the spark plug tube seals. on my old 1991.

$50 - at a local mechanic :)

Wow, that's cheap. They usually charge 1 hr labor @ $100/hr here + MSRP (or more) for parts.

Try tightening the bolts on the cover. Don't break them off, just see if they are snugged down.
Maybe that will fix or attenuate the oil leak.
Also, your PCV system may be faulty, causing higher than normal internal pressure that causes leaks. Check it out.