Exhaust/oil leak

[FordPrefect]

Hey all!

I've always had an oil leak somewhere in the back of the engine near the exhaust manifold, but didn't bother with it until now. (Pretty sure it's not the dizzy, it's under the exhaust manifold I think, really hard to see down there)

The car started making a bit of a pinging noise recently which I've been trying to track down, and I've come to suspect an exhaust leak. (Valves appear ok, and I've noticed wisps of smoke now and then which I thought was the leaking oil burning.) So I've launched into finding the source of the sound and maybe the leak at the same time.

I've got the heatshield off (sheared an ancient stud off in the process) and noticed a long bolt holding a heatshield flange to the engine under the distributor is really oily. Also I think the last stud on the bottom of the exhaust manifold hasn't got a nut on it.

I have to get a bit more grime off the area (under the exhaust manifold) to examine the area more carefully but thought I'd float this out there for an expert opinion.

Are oil leaks in this area common, and solved by just replacing/torquing nuts and bolts back?
Would an exhaust leak be solved by replacing/torquing nuts and bolts back?
What are the odds I'm gonna have to pull the whole manifold and replace it and/or the gasket?

(car is a 77, by the way, no emissions stuff in the area)

[So Cal Mark]

the two upper studs in the exhaust manifold flange to into an oil galley. They will leak oil if the stud isn't tight. Merely tightening the nut won't help, the stud has to be tight into the head

[FordPrefect]

Got the area cleaned up, and it appears the leak is from the cambox gasket right at the last bolt by the firewall, where the heat shield flange was attached. I suppose that oil leak could be responsible for random whisps o'smoke, but would it also be responsible for the ticking sound as well?

[kgkmd80]

Seem to be having the same problem on my 1983 Fuel injected 2000, (Oil leaking around the back side of the cambox gasket next to fire wall, no ticking noise in my case) Any words of advise on the fix/parts?

[124cso]

With a name like Ford Prefect, I would have thought that you would be well used to oil leaks and all sorts of strange engine noises ? And terrible performance and lack of any comfort.
Is it leaking from the cam box top cover, cam box base or the head/block joint ? Top cover is easily delt with but be carefull to to get too carried away as the top caps just go into alloy.

I mention the head joint as that was a problem back to the 70s. The pressure galleries are doweled but the returns are not and they used to weep occasionally. Could not see why they did not dowel them all. The rear return gallery is very close to the edge and can weep for years with no other head gasket failure issues arrising. Just an annoyance.