oil in spark plug pocket

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beerdog

Registered
I am getting an increasing amount of oil in the spark plug pocket on my 98. I have always seen a little but I think it is time to adress it this summer. Is there a seal that can be replaced? The oil looks like it is dripping down from above the spark plugs. I imagine the head cover would need to be removed.
 
Which side?

The passenger side isn't too bad but the drivers side is a royal PITA.
 
The brake booster is in the way.

You don't have any excess room on the passenger side, but the drivers side is worse. Some have 'loosened' the booster to gain the 1/4" needed. The covers have to come up and out quite a bit to clear the cams. You can also judiciously jack up slightly on the engine on the drivers side to cant it just enough to help.
 
driller said:
The brake booster is in the way.

You don't have any excess room on the passenger side, but the drivers side is worse. Some have 'loosened' the booster to gain the 1/4" needed. The covers have to come up and out quite a bit to clear the cams. You can also judiciously jack up slightly on the engine on the drivers side to cant it just enough to help.
Click to expand...

Is it the same with 2nd gen, i would guess so? I have put mine off for a long time now since it is the drivers side.
 
beerdog said:
I am getting an increasing amount of oil in the spark plug pocket on my 98. I have always seen a little but I think it is time to adress it this summer. Is there a seal that can be replaced? The oil looks like it is dripping down from above the spark plugs. I imagine the head cover would need to be removed.
Click to expand...


How many miles are on the car.... Just wondering how much longer I have before.....

I've already seen most of the OTHER problems that make the Mark infamous!
 
Well, my time has come!!! Dang it!! #1 well is full or almost so. That's the only plug I've pulled - so far. Any hints since this was first posted back in May/2009? I installed these plugs not long I purchased the car in..... hell I can't even remember!! Maybe 2001 or 2
 
How old are your spark plug boots?

I'd replace those first. They are cheap and easy. If that doesn't solve the problem, then I'd do the seals.

Both my red and green Marks had oil there when I changed the plugs and wires. The new wires stopped the leaks.:)
 
budpytko said:
Well, my time has come!!! Dang it!! #1 well is full or almost so. That's the only plug I've pulled - so far. Any hints since this was first posted back in May/2009? I installed these plugs not long I purchased the car in..... hell I can't even remember!! Maybe 2001 or 2
Click to expand...

Mine have had oil for years, when i change the plugs i clean it out. It has never been an issue.
 
WOW..... now there's n answer I didn't expect to get !! From all I've heard it when you find oil at the bottom of the plug wells, it is solved by replacing the valve covers plug seals!

Anyway, some are pretty new (plug boots) and some are as old as the car!! I didn't even bother to pull any more plugs than the # 5 on the drivers side and all of them on the passenger side. Found oil in #1 and 4 on drivers side. I have some boots but I don't wanna use 'em if this isn't a fix that insures to take care of the problem.

How much oil were in your wells? Mine had a LOT down there !
 
The front wells get the oil, mostly on the driver side. Enough oil get there that i can put an oil rag down there and soak it up.
 
I don't remember which cylinders had the oil but yes, it was too much.

With all the problems these boots cause, I'll be replacing mine on my 98 when I do the plugs, even if I don't see any oil.
 
Bill, are you saying that the new boots kept the PLUGS dry or saying that they actually kept the oil out of the plug well completely???
 
Sorry if wasn't clear about this, but my plug holes and plugs were dry after I changed my wires. I checked after we pulled the engine out of the green Mark (190K miles) and they are still dry.

The gen 1 has spark plug wires, not separate boots, but the boots that go on the plugs are similar to the gen 2 boots.

You can try replacing the boots or just go ahead and replace the cam cover gaskets and seals.:D

The choice seems clear to me.:)
 
Oil will still seap in bud, but new boots and a generous soaking of dielectric grease will thwort any misfire issues.
 
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