Need help fast, spark plugs drenched in oil.

I have a 1991 Saturn SL Sedan 1.9L DOHC. I read a similar post about
this but wasn't sure. I pulled out the number 1, 2, and 3 plugs and
they were covered in oil, number 1 being the worst and the number 4
cylinder being completely dry. Could this be the valve cover gasket?
I replaced the plugs and it would start for half a second and then die.
After it died, I pulled out the plugs and the electrodes were covered
in oil, which is why it died. When the number 1 spark plug was out, I
looked with a flash light into the cylinder and there is quite a bit of
oil in there. How should I go about getting the oil out? and could
the valve covers leaking cause that much oil to fall into the
cylinders? Cause everytime I clean the plugs and fire it up, it shoots
oil onto the plugs and it dies. Let me know what you think. Thanks
fellas.
I hope its not the rings or valve seals. :/ I am worried

~Sean

 

Sean,

Sorry, but it sounds like rings to me. I'd do a compression test.
How many miles are on the engine? Has it been using oil?
Any bluish smoke out the tail pipe?

 

Nah, it was perfectly fine, I was driving on the highway going about 60
and then it just died and coasted to a stop. So I had it towed to my
place. I was wondering if it would be possible for the valve cover
gaskets to leak down the plugs into the cylinder and thats how the oil
got there. Cause usually the rings will all go out at the same time.
I am sure there are a lot of miles on the motor. If it is the rings,
how challenging will it be to pull the cylinder head off? Another guy
that posted here said he had the same problem and someone said it was
the valve cover gaskets, just trying to see what everyone else thought.
Thanks for the replies. Also, what PSI should each cylinder be at?
What will indicate it being rings or valve seals? Do i just screw the
compression tester into the spark plug socket and have someone kick it
over? Thanks.

~Sean

 

I had something like that happen with a leaky gasket which eventually
left the plug almost submerged in oil. When removing the plug, of
course it got drenched - as there was a small well of engine oil on all
sides of the plug.

What stopped your engine from running - I suspect might not have
anything to do with the condition of those plugs or maybe it does...

Not sure what the cylinder pressure is supposed to read, but each
cylinder should be within 5 psi at most.

I think that if the pressure builds up over a series of cranks, theres
a hint of leakage.
If a little motor oil down the plug hole doesnt alter this, the leaking
might be through the valve seats.

There is far more definative and expert material relating to this
science than I can come close to relating half as well.
-WaV

 

I would definitely check the head cover gasket first, replace it, then check
out the rings.

marx404

 

Are you saying 'covered in oil' on the cylendar side, or was the
ceramic post covered?

I had a 1996 SL2 that filled up the sparkplug hole(the ceramic part,
with the boot). It caused the engine to misfire, and I found it after
I decided to check the wires.

I first retorqued the cam cover gasket. Removed the oil as best as
could be. Temp fix till I got a new cam cover gasket. I later
replaced the cam cover gasket, and when that proved to work, I
replaced all the spark plugs and wires.

Nww this worked for me, and cost minimial time and money. Your
results might not be the same, especially if you oil problem wasn't
the same as mine.

later,

tom @ www.NoCostAds.com

 

I see. well, I am going to have to do a compression test. The oil is
hitting the electrode side of the plugs. Any way to get the oil out of
the cylinders, cause the pistons are throwing oil up onto the
electrodes causing them to stop working and the car to die after a half
of a second. Thanks.

~Sean

 

If you haven't already done so, I'd try to soak up most of that
excess oil in the plug wells prior to removing the plugs. I used
torn up strips of old t-shirts and worked that down into the
wells with the plug still in place to soak up that oil. It
worked well for me. Then I cleaned everything up and put on a
new gasket and the plugs are staying dry ever since. Think this
is a common problem.

 

Sean,
How many miles are on it?
Lin

 

If the engine's cylinder is flooding with oil, maybe having your
engine quit is a good thing. You don't want some type of hydraulic
lock occuring.

Sounds like time to visit the dealer. If it was the boot side, then
you might have had the same problem I had, a bad cam cover gasket. But
you are describing the oil being a problem on the inside of the engine
cylinder.

Good luck on you fixes, and feel free to repost what you did to fix
it.

later,

tom @ www.NoCostAds.com

 

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

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 ]

 

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