I pulled my sparkplugs, one had some fresh oil on it.....what does this mean?

 

Oily coating caused by poor oil control - think of the only places it could come from.. Oil is leaking past worn valve guides, piston rings, or on some engines a possible intake gasket leak and then entering the combustion chamber (probably not your case).

Check for worn valve guides (NEVER knurl valve guides), intake gasket sealing alignment, as well as worn cylinder walls and piston rings. A leak down test is a good place to start for what is causing this. I'd bet valve guides, unless your engine has very high miles...then cylinder walls, etc. may be possible...

 

I installed heads and cam last year. Got new valve guides, valves and seals. The cylinder walls are fine. Car has 28k on the odometer. Two plugs had oil on them, the rest were fine. The oil was on the threads of the plugs, not the electrode.

 

also, I resealed my intake last week, all is good. Now trying to figure this problem out.

 

What plugs were they? Was there possibly a leak on the outside or some spilt oil that ran along the block into the plug holes? Vale covers? I'd just look around - especially above the plugs you found oily... If there's blue smoke coming out of exhaust, then its guids, etc... If that's fine, look around at covers, etc..

 

plugs are autolite 106's. 6 plugs were fine, 2 were wet around the threads...one on each side of the engine...

 

What specifically do you mean when you say it's "on" the plug? Is it on the threads, electrode or porcelen? Depending on where the oil is it could be as simple as a leaky valve cover gasket.

 

Yea - he said threads - and I suggested valve covers. He also said one plug on each side of the engine... I would just check everything - I know that sounds general, but just be thankful is not on the electrodes....

 

the plugs had oil around the threads, not the porcelin nor the electrode. The valve covers are not leaking....the rest of the plugs looked great. could there be too much pressure in the crank case and oil could be coming up from somewhere? My car stumbles sometimes and now that I see oil on the plugs, makes me think that is the issue.

 

Are you positive the VC gasket is not leaking? If you haven't already your finger on the underside of the lip on the VC. Check the sides of the heads as well. Unless your heads are cracked there's really no other way oil would get onto the threads of the plugs...

 

I am as confused as a todler at a nudie bar. My car has been missing here and there..I check wires, plugs and gap....thats when I noticed oil on two of the plugs....and if there is oil coming onto the plug, who knows if it's not interfering with the spark and the car then stumbles when this occurs....it happens when the car is warm. I am confused and not sure what to do from here. Am I using the right plugs with my setup? A106 gapped at .40.

 

I am thinking that it may be the coil and the icm. I think I should replace these and see what happens.

 

I know this is old, but did you find the cause to this, I have the same issue with the plugs...