I have a Bryant model 388E furnace with a model AFG oil burner installed under the house in the crawl space in 1993. The furnace has operated well until recently it has started giving off a slight smell of smoke when it fires off. After the fan starts the smell dissipates quickly until the next startup. A carbon monoxide detector mounted directly on a register reads zero so it is not dangerous, just annoying. The furnace has been serviced yearly since it was installed.
I have put off getting it fixed since the normal serviceman says he is very busy and my own opinion is that the repair might require the house to be without heat for a considerable time and this is a bad time of year for that. In addition the serviceman seems to have no idea how to proceed with a repair.
A likely cause for the smell is either a cracked heat exchanger or a bad gasket. I note from the papers that came with the furnace that the heat exchanger is removeable and is also warranted against defects for as long as I own the furnace. The installing contractor has gone out of business and I expect the small print in the warranty essentially voids it anyway.
Perhaps someone on this group can advise me if the heat exchanger for this furnace is still available from Bryant as a repair part. If it is not available or repairable it seems likely that a complete furnace replacement might be required and I would need to start thinking in that direction now.
Thanks
Rod