Oh F*ck!
12-14-2007, 04:07 PM
#1
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Oh F*ck!
am i screwed???
i have never changed out my spark plugs since i owned the car. now im changing it out and its covered in engine oil!! wtf?? please tell me this is normal??
i have never changed out my spark plugs since i owned the car. now im changing it out and its covered in engine oil!! wtf?? please tell me this is normal??
12-14-2007, 04:45 PM
#4
Punctuation Nazi
Define 'covered'. And are they covered above the threads or below the threads? This difference can make it a significant issue or a bad gasket that is easily changed.
12-14-2007, 05:37 PM
#5
Safety Car
Thread Starter
oil from the thread down. im also guessing I have to change out the valve gasket.
so after i was done installing the wires and plugs, which by the way, one of the wire is TOO short!, i started the car and now white smoke is coming out of the exhaust. I know for a fact that white smoke means oil is being burned.
back to that short wire. the short wire is that one wire that doesn't go into the engine. know what im talking about? for the 2.5TL it goes from the distributor cap into some thingy in front of the car battery. the previous wire was long enough to wrap around the aluminum divider thingy that separates the car battery from the engine. now the new wire, i can't wrap it around the divider.. now it goes on TOP of the aluminum divider
so after i was done installing the wires and plugs, which by the way, one of the wire is TOO short!, i started the car and now white smoke is coming out of the exhaust. I know for a fact that white smoke means oil is being burned.
back to that short wire. the short wire is that one wire that doesn't go into the engine. know what im talking about? for the 2.5TL it goes from the distributor cap into some thingy in front of the car battery. the previous wire was long enough to wrap around the aluminum divider thingy that separates the car battery from the engine. now the new wire, i can't wrap it around the divider.. now it goes on TOP of the aluminum divider
12-14-2007, 06:16 PM
#6
大日本帝国
Originally Posted by TLBaller
oil from the thread down. im also guessing I have to change out the valve gasket.
so after i was done installing the wires and plugs, which by the way, one of the wire is TOO short!, i started the car and now white smoke is coming out of the exhaust. I know for a fact that white smoke means oil is being burned.
back to that short wire. the short wire is that one wire that doesn't go into the engine. know what im talking about? for the 2.5TL it goes from the distributor cap into some thingy in front of the car battery. the previous wire was long enough to wrap around the aluminum divider thingy that separates the car battery from the engine. now the new wire, i can't wrap it around the divider.. now it goes on TOP of the aluminum divider
so after i was done installing the wires and plugs, which by the way, one of the wire is TOO short!, i started the car and now white smoke is coming out of the exhaust. I know for a fact that white smoke means oil is being burned.
back to that short wire. the short wire is that one wire that doesn't go into the engine. know what im talking about? for the 2.5TL it goes from the distributor cap into some thingy in front of the car battery. the previous wire was long enough to wrap around the aluminum divider thingy that separates the car battery from the engine. now the new wire, i can't wrap it around the divider.. now it goes on TOP of the aluminum divider
~Cheers~
P.S. The short wire is the supply from the ignition coil to the dizzy.
12-14-2007, 06:30 PM
#7
Oil around the base of the spark plugs is caused by the seals under the valve cover hardening and leaking. New spark plug well seals come w/ the valve cover gasket. Relatively simple DIY.
good luck
good luck
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12-15-2007, 02:16 AM
#8
Three Wheelin'
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I remember when i did the sparkplugs on my dad's legend, a few were covered in oil from the threads up, I spray some carb cleaner into there, cleaned it up, and torqued it on correctly and started it up, it ran for a little bit and the smoke cleared up. White smoke is moisture, blue smoke is motor oil.
12-15-2007, 04:52 PM
#10
Burning Brakes
Originally Posted by TLBaller
my smoke is definately white. should i just let it run for awhile? it'll clear right up, right? i guess i dont need to change out the gasket then??
you will need to change the plug seals.
the valve cover gasket kit with plug seals would cost around $30.00 and up.
This happened to me and I changed the seals, I still see some oil but not as much.
12-15-2007, 10:49 PM
#12
大日本帝国
Basic idea. The big one is obviously the valve cover gasket, and the little rings are for the spark plug holes. It keeps the oil from the crankcase from entering the holes and the combustion chamber (first line of defense, at least).
~Cheers~
12-17-2007, 04:08 PM
#14
大日本帝国
^ Well, not longer than a usual warmup of 2-3 minutes. Just check your oil and coolant levels periodically (something you should be doing anyhow) you should be fine. A valve cover gasket job should run about $100-$200 including labour, so it's not exactly a very expensive repair.
~Cheers~
~Cheers~
12-18-2007, 08:17 AM
#15
Burning Brakes
Originally Posted by Go90go
^ Well, not longer than a usual warmup of 2-3 minutes. Just check your oil and coolant levels periodically (something you should be doing anyhow) you should be fine. A valve cover gasket job should run about $100-$200 including labour, so it's not exactly a very expensive repair.
~Cheers~
~Cheers~
the job should not take more than 30 min to an hour for a first timer.
All you need to do is remove the spark plugs, I think 4 small bolts, prey open the valve cove, be careful not to damage anything. Remove and replace the spark plug seals and the valve cover gasket.
Put everthing back.
DIY... it is still warm in HO... if u were up here then i would understand bringing it to someone... like what i will have to do with my axle...
12-18-2007, 08:57 AM
#17
Safety Car
Thread Starter
The thing about me is I don't want to risk doing something ive never done before, fearing id break something by accident which will cost me more to fix. The only diy things that i do are things that i know if i screw up, i can still drive my car until i get it fixed/done. things like cosmetic work or interior jobs..or audio.
12-18-2007, 03:35 PM
#18
i wouldn't be too worried... if you can change your spark plugs and spark plug wires you can do this DIY... it is literally just removing the spark plug wires, then removing the 4 bolts that hold the valve cover on the top of the block and prying it off, change that gaskets and pop it back on... u shouldn't be concerned with messing with the engine since you won't get down with the timing or compression of the engine... even if you take your time and have never done anything like this before, you can finish it in an hour....
12-18-2007, 05:05 PM
#19
大日本帝国
^ Yes, it's not too big of a job, just need some elbow grease to pop off the valve cover. Still, the cost difference from DIY and shop isn't too big, so if you're really worried about it, just take it to a shop who'll let you watch them do it. That way, if you ever have to do it again, you will have an idea of what to do.
~Cheers~
~Cheers~