Need help fast, spark plugs drenched in oil.

On 24 Jul 2006 13:39:05 -0700, wrote:

>Yeah, I havent done the compression test on it yet, but I am sure it is
>probably the rings or valve seals, since down below the plugs its got a
>puddle of oil. I will post my compression readings and let you all
>know what I find out from the test.
>
>~Sean

First, no.. there is no way a leaking valve cover gasket can get oil
inside the cylinder. Think about it logically, on the compression
stroke you have 150psi+ in the cylinder. If you have 150psi pushing
out and it can't get loose how in the heck is gravity going to get oil
to drip in there? As others have said the valve cover gasket can leak
and cause the outside part of the plug to get oily, but not the
inside.

Second, I wouldn't expect rings or valve seals to be your problem.
Both of these items are failures that build and build... If either
were the problem you would have been burning oil for thousands of
miles before it got bad enough to kill the engine. A ring could break
or a seal could fail and cause a sudden problem in one cylinder but
three rings or three seals failing at exactly the same moment in time?
Nah....

I would be looking for some way that oil is getting in to the intake.
I'm not familiar enough with your engine to have any clue how that
might happen but it would seem to me that your engine is still fine,
it is just sucking in massive amounts of oil in three cylinders from
some common source.

Steve B.

Do you think it could be a head gasket? The leakage into the cylinders
is mainly in the number 1 and 2 cylinders (closest to the passenger
side). Like I said, the number 4 cylinder looked brand spanking new.

~Sean

> First, no.. there is no way a leaking valve cover gasket can get oil
> inside the cylinder.

Unless the owner pulls the plugs out to see if there is oil inside the
cylinders, and in doing so, dumps a load of oil in there that was sitting in
the plug wells from a leaking valve cover gasket...

I've replaced the valve cover gasket a number of times on my '94 in the 145k
that I've owned it. I'd be EXTREMELY surprised if it is not the gasket.

Nobody asked this, so please consider and answer this question first. When
you notice the problems starting to occur, pull the spark plug boots off of
the plugs but do not remove the plugs. Shine a flashlight down into the
plug wells. If you see any oil in them at all, your valve cover gasket is
leaking and you should replace that first before continuing any speculation
or starting any costly repairs. Then drive and observe.

Lane [ lane (at) evilplastic.com ]
---
Visit my Saturn Car Audio and Performance Page at http://www.evilplastic.com


"Steve B." > wrote in message
...
> On 24 Jul 2006 13:39:05 -0700, wrote:
>
>>Yeah, I havent done the compression test on it yet, but I am sure it is
>>probably the rings or valve seals, since down below the plugs its got a
>>puddle of oil. I will post my compression readings and let you all
>>know what I find out from the test.
>>
>>~Sean
>
> First, no.. there is no way a leaking valve cover gasket can get oil
> inside the cylinder. Think about it logically, on the compression
> stroke you have 150psi+ in the cylinder. If you have 150psi pushing
> out and it can't get loose how in the heck is gravity going to get oil
> to drip in there? As others have said the valve cover gasket can leak
> and cause the outside part of the plug to get oily, but not the
> inside.
>
> Second, I wouldn't expect rings or valve seals to be your problem.
> Both of these items are failures that build and build... If either
> were the problem you would have been burning oil for thousands of
> miles before it got bad enough to kill the engine. A ring could break
> or a seal could fail and cause a sudden problem in one cylinder but
> three rings or three seals failing at exactly the same moment in time?
> Nah....
>
> I would be looking for some way that oil is getting in to the intake.
> I'm not familiar enough with your engine to have any clue how that
> might happen but it would seem to me that your engine is still fine,
> it is just sucking in massive amounts of oil in three cylinders from
> some common source.
>
> Steve B.

I wish I could just get it started. Ever since it died on the highway,
I havent been able to get it to start. I need to get that oil out of
the cylinders somehow, any ideas? Every time I try to start it, it
starts for half a second and dies, cause the piston throws oil up onto
the plugs making them not spark. I was wondering, maybe if I can get
the oil out of the cylinders, it will start. and run long enough for me
to figure out if I let the oil fall into the cylinder or if the rings
are bad, I am going to do a compression check tomorrow.

~Sean

On 24 Jul 2006 23:06:33 -0700, wrote:

>I wish I could just get it started. Ever since it died on the highway,
>I havent been able to get it to start. I need to get that oil out of
>the cylinders somehow, any ideas? Every time I try to start it, it
>starts for half a second and dies, cause the piston throws oil up onto
>the plugs making them not spark. I was wondering, maybe if I can get
>the oil out of the cylinders, it will start. and run long enough for me
>to figure out if I let the oil fall into the cylinder or if the rings
>are bad, I am going to do a compression check tomorrow.
>
>~Sean

The only thing I can think of would be to crank the engine with the
plugs out. The compression may be enough to blow the oil out of there
although it will be a bit messy if it works.

Steve B.

In article >,
says...
> On 24 Jul 2006 23:06:33 -0700, wrote:
>
> >I wish I could just get it started. Ever since it died on the highway,
> >I havent been able to get it to start. I need to get that oil out of
> >the cylinders somehow, any ideas? Every time I try to start it, it
> >starts for half a second and dies, cause the piston throws oil up onto
> >the plugs making them not spark. I was wondering, maybe if I can get
> >the oil out of the cylinders, it will start. and run long enough for me
> >to figure out if I let the oil fall into the cylinder or if the rings
> >are bad, I am going to do a compression check tomorrow.
> >
> >~Sean
>
> The only thing I can think of would be to crank the engine with the
> plugs out. The compression may be enough to blow the oil out of there
> although it will be a bit messy if it works.
>
> Steve B.

That has worked for me in the past. Lay a rag ontop of the plug holes
to catch the splatter. One should also disconnect the "coil pack"
otherwise there will be no place for them to ground to which can ruin
them. Also to keep from throwing fuel all over the place turn the
ignition key on, press the gas pedal ALL the way to the floor for WOT,
then crank the engine. This is the clear flood mode and will keep the
fuel injectors from pulsing.

Hell yeah, thanks man, I will do that. Never knew the computers in
these cars were that smart. I am doing it tomorrow night. Getting it
towed to my work tomorrow morn at 10.

Sean