Spark plug tubes filled with oil!

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No pics yet it was tooooo cold.

'94 Mitsu Galant a coworker has. Said it wouldn't start and being the weather I agreed it could be the battery.

Nope, battery is 8/12 so a little over two years and it was 80% charged. Tried to start it, smelled fuel, it tried to start but barely caught.

Looked at the valve cover and the stain at the top of the spark plug wire boots.

Cylinder 1 had a slight coating inside and did coat the plug. Cylinder 2 & 3 were dry but Cylinder 4 almost filled to the top with motor oil.

Odd he never had problems with it running before must have been the cold. Needless to say those tube seals are gone. New wires/plugs/dist. cap & rotor/valve cover gasket/ and tube seals on the way.

I will update when the parts come in and it gets at least close to 32F lol. I can work outside but 10F with a 25mph wind is pushing it.
 
That makes a mess, but it shouldn't cause a no-start. Shouldn't actually affect anything, really. Motor oil is a pretty good electrical insulator and won't cause a misfire unless it cokes to a carbon from heat, which is a possibility. But if the oil is still liquid, probably not a problem.
 
I may try and clean it up and see if it will fire off. I ordered the parts anyway because when I asked him the last time it was done I got a blank stare.

Funny thing was it ran before being parked then the cold weather hit. It is definitely not the fuel pump. Heard it prime and could smell it.
 
My then 10 year old Subaru's spark plug seals were stiff as all get out and several filled with oil three or four years ago. While valve cover gasket was and is fine, plug seals had to be changed. But I did not have any issues starting, running, etc the engine. Hope you change gaskets and be all set.
 
valve cover gasket and/or spark plug tube O-rings hardened and never get replaced (service long overdue).

Fact is, these are considered wear-n-tear item and should be carefully monitored to begin with. If you let it (VC gasket) go the way it is now, the leaked motor oil will wreak havoc to the spark plug in terms of electrical conductivity (remember: motor oil is considered insulation).

I'd replace the VC gasket + spark plug tube O-rings, replace the spark plugs with fresh set, new spark plug wires (old one soaked in oil is pretty much toasted), check dist-cap and rotor (replace them if not too expensive), check timing, etc.

Q.
 
Many times it's actually not the seals on the valve cover that seal around the tops of the tubes, but the tubes themselves have become loose in the cylinder head. Simply re-tightening them solves the issue.
 
My sons 1993 Civic did the same thing last summer. He took it to a local repair shop first and they gave him a quote of $550 for repair. I cleaned out the oil and it has been running fine since.
 
I've found that in the bitter, bitter cold, occasionally you have to crack the throttle open to get it to fire.



Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
That makes a mess, but it shouldn't cause a no-start. Shouldn't actually affect anything, really. Motor oil is a pretty good electrical insulator and won't cause a misfire unless it cokes to a carbon from heat, which is a possibility. But if the oil is still liquid, probably not a problem.


I agree.
 
I wish it was the simple, throttle and some starting fluid wasn't enough...

Parts are here now if the weather will cooperate.
 
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