oil in spark plug cavities

[nmwaldron]

Hi
How serious is lots of oil seeping into the spark plug cavities? Obviously, I know it's not normal and has to be rectified but does it cause permanent damage? I changed my valve cover gasket and went back to remove it again today as it was seeping oil from the front (the sealant I used wasn't comlete throughout the cover, causing an uneven seal-I think) I noticed that a couple of the metal washers were missing from the bolts under the ignition coils and when i removed the coils, 5 out of six of the spark cavities were half full with oil...I swore quite a bit. I'm gonna replace the washers and somehow remove the oil but could this cause any kind of permanant damage?
Thanks
Nate

[Dave M]

Half full of oil?? Ai Carumba, If that was a new gasket, better make sure you have it aligned properly this time ;)

Yes, oil in the plug cavities can cause 'arcing' (sorry for use of incorrect terminology) and melting of the rubber boots, eventually affecting ignition. If you haven't damagedthe boots, then clean things up and try again (no permanent damage). The gasket may have slipped on you when you last installed it. Make sure it isn't mis-shapen or damaged now. I use a thin film of "Hylomar" (blue, gooey gasket sealer helper outer) to hold thins in place when dropping on the head cover.
Good luck with it,

Dave M

[632 Regal]

yep, can fry the DME

[stu1]

You need to replace the spark plug gaskets found under the valve cover as soon as practical (get the oil out as soon as you can though).

Use a stick to remove any old gasket before fitting the new ones. I was amazed at how brittle the old ones had become when I did mine (compared to the new ones).

Stu.