oil on spark plugs

[silicon_ghost]

i have a 99 leganza and i was checking the spark plugs and there was a nice coating of oil on them. when i held them, my finger tips were covered in it. my question is does anyone know what would cause this or has anyone had this problem, and if so, what did you do to fix it? any help would be appreciated. thanks

[jcutsh]

I think you will find that the valve cover gasket is leaking. The gasket is a large rubber "o" ring in a grove in the valve cover itself. I fixed mine by removing the valve cover and applying RTV silicone gasket sealer to the "o" ring. (any auto parts store.) 12 bolts hold the valve cover in place. Add a little extra RTV in the corners near the cam gears when you replace the cover. Allow a couple of hours to dry before starting the engine. Don't gob on the RTV.
The fix is easy and only takes about twenty min.
John

[MeettheCreeper]

Originally Posted by silicon_ghost

i have a 99 leganza and i was checking the spark plugs and there was a nice coating of oil on them. when i held them, my finger tips were covered in it. my question is does anyone know what would cause this or has anyone had this problem, and if so, what did you do to fix it? any help would be appreciated. thanks

Replace the valve cover gasket with a new one. They leak into the plug holes. Common on thse vehicles.