big problem!!!

[lsgheero]

okay i fixed my starter issue but i went to change the sparkplugs and there is oil/gasoline in the place where the spark plugs go!!! any ideas what would cause this so far i have had people tell me its a BHG and that its bad seals, and rings.

Any takers as to what the prob might be and also if what they said is the case then should i just try for a engine swap?

-larry

[dcrusupra]

Its just bad valve cover gaskets. Cheap fix. Use a shop vac to suck the oil out, replace the gaskets, clean or replace the spark plugs and wires and ur good to go.

[lsgheero]

okay sounds great i'll do that, altho one thing bothers me would blown valve gaskets cause both oil and gas to be there, (also i check again last night and its the same mixture in the oil pan when i pull out my dipstick..

thanks again larry

[Bill UK]

As dcrusupa correctly said change the cam cover seals, No 5 & 6 plugs normally fill with oil due to the engine being slightly at an angle. May be worth using a set of stainless steel 6mm socket cap screws when refitting the cam covers back on. This will enable you to tighten the covers down a bit more but be careful not to over do it, the head is alloy.You said “gas and oil” how do you know its gas, I would of thought the gas would evaporate.

[lsgheero]

Originally Posted by Bill UK

You said “gas and oil” how do you know its gas, I would of thought the gas would evaporate.

this is due to the fact that my oil smells like gasoline.

both where the spark plugs are and when i pull out the dipstick

[scruffboy]

Has it been a while since you changed the oil? If you have let it go for too long gasoline will get into the oil, that's why it's best to change it as often as possible.

[mrnickleye]

Originally Posted by scruffboy

Has it been a while since you changed the oil? If you have let it go for too long gasoline will get into the oil, that's why it's best to change it as often as possible.

Some wwill argue (like Democrats & repulicans), but if you are using petro oil, change it every 3k miles. Synthetic could go 5-6k miles.

Gasoline (raw, unburned) will slip past the ring gaps, and dilute the motor oil. Just a fact of combustion engines.

Also, if the engine has over 100k on it, and has some oil loss issues, like burning it or leaks, I recommend using 20w-50 oil to slow down the oil consumption, and to fill in the increased clearances on the parts due to the normal wear incurred over those 100k + miles. (All 1 sentence, that made sense)

[scruffboy]

You are the one who told me about gasoline naturally getting into the oil past the rings so I figured I'd answer that one for you and give you a break. I had a great summer with the 20w50 and changing it more often. So as you can see, I try to retain what you teach me (and sometimes pass it on), thanks. By the way, I got an oil change in the middle of November to take me till February, and I used 10w40. February and March can be really cold here, should I switch to 10w30 in February?

Scruffboy

[mrnickleye]

Great to hear your car is working good.
The 10w is the viscocity (pouring weight; thickness) of the oil, and the 40 is the molecular strength. So I don't even see a need to use 10w-30.

[lsgheero]

well as far as when the oil was changed.. or for that matter any type of maitenance on the car I honestly have no clue. I just got the car about 2 weeks ago on an abandoned vehicle claim... and before i filed it had been sitting in a parking lot for 3 months. So not sure about any of that I am just trying to get it running again, so I am fixing things as they come up.

Here's how i discovered the oil issue....

I was doing the regular routine maintenance (change oil, spark plugs, ect) I decided to replace the spark plugs/wires first and upon removing the spark plug cap I discovered that there was oil inside all the plug compartments... once again keep in mind that to my knowledge this car has been sitting @ least 4 months without being driven. anything beyond that i have no clue... now what i can tell you is that there was alot of oil in the spark plug compartments (prolly like 1-2 bottles worth) now when i measure the dip stick it says that I am over the full mark...I mention this because it may be the cause for the oil being there as there was too much and it just found a way to release some. well I will stop my rant for now and wait to see if anything comes out of this.

Also what would be involved in fixing the valve covers...

Once again any help is appreciated.

Edit... sorry forgot to put this but the engine has like 170k on it

-larry