HELP!! oil on spark plug?

Ok, so I pull the Sparkplug cable up out from the top of my engine (was gonna check my plugs since I havent done it since I got the car) and it makes the sound of a plunger in a toilet. When I pull the cable up out of teh engine the botton ha got oil all over it. WHAT THE HELL? Do you think that a leek in my cylinder head gasket would allow oil to leek into there? I drove my car earlier today but Im too afraid to drive it now since I know that the contact on the top of the plug has oil all over it. What should I do? Just take the valve cover off and put a new gasket on? What els could it be?

sounds to me like the o-rings around the hole for the plug boots are bad. take the valve cover off and there should be a black rubber o-ring makng a seal where the cover meets the head for each plug. they just pull out and cost about $5 for all for. if that doesnt fix it, then it may be the head gasket, but that is very unlikely, as the oil would not be where you aer finding it. good luck.

Oil deposits on spark plugs can be caused by worn valve guides or piston rings...

Ok, so I replaced my valve cover gasket, spark plug tube gaskets and grommets today, we'll see if that stopes the leaking. I used the high temp Flex gasket adhesive. But when I drove my car today it smelled like ass, kinda like gas, engine cleaner, and oil all mixed together. Do you think it could be the high temp glue was just not cured yet? I know it could be just a little oil spilled on my engine also but I guess im curious about the gasket glue? hoe long does it take to cure? After reinstalling my valve cover I cleaned up the garage, and then took a shower and got ready for work so Id say may 1 hour later I jumper in and drove to work and after I turned off my car some smoke was comming up from the engine bay. I could have popped my hood and checked it out but was late already so now here I am at work and Im asking you guys what you think the smoke may be? Would it be possible that any excess glue inside the valve cover could be cooking?

my guess is that you got oil on the exhaust manifold. that would cause it to smoke profusely like that

Yea, thats kinda what im thinking, also I thought about it and im sure that the gasket glue/sealer didnt have time to completely cure so that also could have been the cause of some of the smoke and the wicked smell. Thanks guy. Hopefully that will fix all the leaks.

yea i think if you read the tube it says to let it cure overnight or 24 hours. 1 hour is definitley not enough time to let it set. Thing is now...your gonna have to do it all over again. I would just replace the head gasket and the valve cover gasket(and let it set this time) and you shouldnt have any problems next time around. :)

Well I did put on new gaskets. But I read everywere on the damn tube and it doesnt say anywere how long it takes to cure, which pisses me off. Anyway I checked it adn it appears to be fine. There arnt anyleaks that I can see. I cleaned the living hell out of my valve cover when I had it off so I would be able to spot any leaks. And I dont work far from here so the the short drive was apparently enough to make the glue smoke but not hurt the seal. But I guess time will tell.

did you use RTV? or a silicone type sealer. if so, it wasn't the sealer smoking like that. i used it to seal my valve cover gasket and drove it way before it had time to set and didn't have a single problem. plus you shouldn't have used enough to cause enough smoke for you to be able to see coming from the engine bay, especially with the hod closed. hopefully you only used it at the corners of the gasket (givven its a sohc) where the timing cover is and the opposite end. (where there is a semicircle cutout) those are the only 2 places where it is needed to seal the valve cover gasket. as for the o-rings on the bottom of the spark plug tubes. using the rtv there and then driving, or even using it there period is dangerous. because if you used to much you run the risk of some of it breaking off and clogging up the oil valleys or getting into places and messing things up. as for the head gasket, why should that be replaced? he has oil on his spark plug boots. which by no means would be caused by a blown or defective head gasket

Originally posted by white97ex
did you use RTV? or a silicone type sealer. if so, it wasn't the sealer smoking like that. i used it to seal my valve cover gasket and drove it way before it had time to set and didn't have a single problem. plus you shouldn't have used enough to cause enough smoke for you to be able to see coming from the engine bay, especially with the hod closed. hopefully you only used it at the corners of the gasket (givven its a sohc) where the timing cover is and the opposite end. (where there is a semicircle cutout) those are the only 2 places where it is needed to seal the valve cover gasket. as for the o-rings on the bottom of the spark plug tubes. using the rtv there and then driving, or even using it there period is dangerous. because if you used to much you run the risk of some of it breaking off and clogging up the oil valleys or getting into places and messing things up. as for the head gasket, why should that be replaced? he has oil on his spark plug boots. which by no means would be caused by a blown or defective head gasket


Well Im not sure which RTV/Silicone I used but it does not get hard. Anyway I did not use any around the spark plug tubes just used it around the the valve cover, and I would have to say that it was the source of the smoke becuase It is completely set now and there is not a trace of smoke or any funny stuff going on. And still no leaks.

Originally posted by praxis
Oil deposits on spark plugs can be caused by worn valve guides or piston rings...

Well, yeah, but he was talking about the other end of the spark plug. :silly2: