Oil in spark plug sleeve...

9double8 · Feb 22nd, 2004, 01:25 PM

It warmed up a bit so I figured I would start to clean up the engine from all the salt. I was taking out the spark plug wires to clean the valve cover and in the #2 spark plug there was a lot of oil in the sleeve once I pulled the plug wire out. The plug was not that tight when I unscrewed it. Could it just be that the plug was loose and the oil came out thru the threads? That is the only thing that I can think of. The last time I touched the plugs were last summer when I did a cam install. Thanks for the help guys/girls.

Chuck · Feb 22nd, 2004, 02:20 PM

check your head gasket..

NismoPC · Feb 22nd, 2004, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck

check your head gasket..

Huh? Head gasket? What?

If the plug was loose, the oil could easily seap into the spark plug cylinder. The only other potential location that the oil could seap into there is through the valve cover gasket if the gasket is leaking at the spark plug cylinders.

9double8 · Feb 22nd, 2004, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NismoPC

Huh? Head gasket? What?

If the plug was loose, the oil could easily seap into the spark plug cylinder. The only other potential location that the oil could seap into there is through the valve cover gasket if the gasket is leaking at the spark plug cylinders.

Thats what it was. I took off the valve cover and the rubber sealer ring around #2 was not there. Luckily I had another valve cover and took off the seal and replaced it.

baba · Jul 14th, 2006, 02:20 PM

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I WAS CHANGING THE SPARK PLUG ON MY '97 540i AND ONE OF THE SPARK PLUGS HAS ENGINE OIL ON IT. CAN SOMEONE TELLS ME WHAT CAUSES THIS AND IF THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM.
WHAT CAN I DO TO ELIMINATE THIS OIL FROM REACHING THE PLUG.
I NEED HELP, HELP AND HELP. THANKS

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I know you have a similar problem in the past, can you help or you think my problem is different from yours. Thanks

HATEnFATE · Jul 14th, 2006, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baba

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I WAS CHANGING THE SPARK PLUG ON MY '97 540i AND ONE OF THE SPARK PLUGS HAS ENGINE OIL ON IT. CAN SOMEONE TELLS ME WHAT CAUSES THIS AND IF THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM.
WHAT CAN I DO TO ELIMINATE THIS OIL FROM REACHING THE PLUG.
I NEED HELP, HELP AND HELP. THANKS

First off, please don't type in all caps. It's yelling and it's kind of a pain to read.

If you have oil in your spark plug tubes it's usually because your tube seals are leaking.

There are seals around the spark plug tubes, on an SR20, and when you replace a valve cover gasket, YOU REPLACE THE TUBE SEALS. If you replace your valve cover gasket without replacing those seals you will usually have a leakinto your spark plug tubes. What happens is you replace your V/C gasket, which is going to be a little thicker because it's new. Your tube seals are old and hard and have been squished and when you put it back together, they dont reseal.

You replace 6 total gaskets. 1 Valve cover gasket, 4 spark plug tube seals, and one center gasket that seals your center stud. ALSO you should replce your washer seals on the top side of the valve cover also.

**wes** · Jul 22nd, 2006, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baba

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I WAS CHANGING THE SPARK PLUG ON MY '97 540i AND ONE OF THE SPARK PLUGS HAS ENGINE OIL ON IT. CAN SOMEONE TELLS ME WHAT CAUSES THIS AND IF THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM.
WHAT CAN I DO TO ELIMINATE THIS OIL FROM REACHING THE PLUG.
I NEED HELP, HELP AND HELP. THANKS

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I know you have a similar problem in the past, can you help or you think my problem is different from yours. Thanks

PLEASE do not post questions about a BMW 540 in the SR20 forum. While it might be a similar issue we cannot begin to tell you what exactly needs to be done.