Honda with oil in the spark plug holes!!

[MarkC]

My wife's girlfriend's 1990 Civic declined to start yesterday afternoon. It sounded as if the battery had plenty of juice, but I hooked up the jumper cables anyway, to no effect. I started pulling spark plugs and 2 of the 4 were swimming in motor oil. I mean there was oil on everything that came out of the hole. I cleaned off the plugs and put them back, and the engine started up and ran fine.
The big question is, how much is she going to be spending to fix this? I assume it's bad valve guides or piston rings or something, right?
Just looking for a good guess about the cost to repair, and whether it's worth the expense. She's not exactly rolling in cash, and the car doesn't seem to have any other problems(isn't this one enough?).

Thanks for any info.

 

[pooter WS6]

Your actually way off. Tell her to go get a new valve cover gasket with gromets. Thats all that is needed. When they are installed, put a little RTV sealent on the gasket and everything will work as if she just bought it.

 

[Gary Allan]

Mark

If it's just oil filling the plug recesses ..then there's no internal problems ..just like pooter said. You probably repaired some other spark problem by cleaning the connections.

But just two faulty plugs should have allowed this thing to start ...albeit rough.

Do her a favor ..change the gasket(s) and swap the plugs and wires and hope for the best.

You didn't mention massive deposits on the plugs.

 

[Ray H]

Nonsense. Unless the sparkplugs were loose in their threaded holes, there's no way oil will leak past them into the cylinders and result in a hydro-lock. The only other cause for oil in the cylinders means one thing - excessively worn valve guides and/or valve stem seals. I really have no idea what the total cost out the door for a head rebuild would be, but I'm guessing ~$400.00. Someone's who's done this, or had experience will probably soon chime in with a more accurate estimate.

 

[MarkC]

Two plugs had oil all over them. Not the very tips where the spark is made, but everywhere else from the gap down. The other two were dry.
A slight puff of white smoke came out the exhaust when she stated, but that's it. She said the car doesn't burn very much oil at all.

 

[pooter WS6]

I own a 91 honda accord. I do have experience with honda's. It is a on going problem with the older hondas. The reason it won't start is because the oil is actually layered between the wire and the spark plug, this is from what I have seen with these cars. The plugs will eventually start accumulating deposits as when the car sits and there is oil in the spark plug tubes, the oil will work its way to the combustion area. If you don't beleive me, do a search for the honda doctor and shoot him an email. He will clarify any question you have.

 

[MarkC]

That sorta makes sense. There was oil around the conncetion between boot and plug, but not on the other tip. And there have been problems starting the car occasioanlly after it sits for awhile.
So, a new Valve cover gasket w/ grommets?

 

[Cutehumor]

this isn't a honda but..my girl's 96 Pontiac sunfire 2.2 had oil all over the spark plugs. replaced the valve cover gasket..no problem since..pontiac suffered from hard starting also. I thought it was the starter going out the entire time. oil use went down a ton too, I guess it was leaking the entire time

 

[Virtuoso]

This is a VERY common problem with our SHOs as well. The seals that seal the plug tubes just get old and leak oil into them. New valve cover gaskets and plug well seals and you're on your way. Also might as well throw in new wires and plugs while you're in there. Get a quality seal set and you shouldn't need an RTV. (Although there's nothing wrong with it, I'm against using products if you don't have to).

 

[farang]

I got the same problems with my Accord 91. However, it isn't that serious. It is a small amount of oil and never have a starting problem.

From what I saw, the oil was leaked from the valve cover gasket (is it what it called?)

I plan to replace the gasket but I got another problem: there are 4 bolts secured the cover, one of them is broken. A few oil leaks around the cover. To temporary stop the oil leaks, I used RTV to seal outside the leak. It worked!

However I want to fix the prob. permanently.

Now my question is, can I take the cover off and replace the broken bolt (isn't that built into the engine) + change the gasket, use RTV?

THanks!

 

[Gary Allan]

quote:

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Now my question is, can I take the cover off and replace the broken bolt (isn't that built into the engine)

---

Is it a stud, using nuts to hold it on ..or a bolt?

Either way ...as long as there is someting sticking out of the head (the more the better) ...you are probably in luck. Vise grips, properly applied (an acquired skill), should get it moving. If not ..and it just twists more off ..you may be in for a drill and tap remedy.

Good luck!

 

[Matt_S]

If you have enough threads left, there's another way you can deal with this. Remove the other bolts and the valve cover, then find two nuts that will thread onto the remaining portion of the stud. Twist the nuts so they lock together, then use a wrench on the lower nut. This should remove the the stud from the head. Again, this assumes you have enough thread left for two nuts and a little wrench room.

 

[berge]

I was helping a friend change the plugs on his 92 318 and one of the plugs came out absolutely soaked in oil.

I tell you, he nearly had a heart attack until I explained to him what it MOST LIKELY was.(the spark plug grommets)

 

[mechtech]

You may be able to hacksaw a slot in the studs/bolts, and use a screwdriver to remove them.
Oil seeping/leaking into spark plug wells is common [from valve cover gasket]. If everything goes wrong, it can migrate down the spark plug threads and cause fouling problems.

 

[olddognewtrks]

Got a procedure question on removing studs (not necessarily bolts). If studs are sealed with a 'lock-tite' like substance, will it help to gently heat the area with a 'lazy' torch flame? Would this soften the hold of the thread lock goop? Don't know, just had to ask.

 

[MarkC]

What about the distibutor on these Hondas? Is that a problem, or is it most likely this oil getting past the gasket that is causing the intermittent starting problems?

 

[mechtech]

Heat is a great idea. Even a big soldering iron can work.

 

[got boost?]

that is a problems with older hondas but I'm never known it to cause starting problems. giveit a tune up *especially replace the cap and rotor*. the next time you can't get it to start, seee if it has spark and smell the exhaust. if it has spark and you don't smell gas then it is the main relay (which is another usual honda problem). hondas start to get fun at 12+ years as all sorts of hard to diagnose electrical gremlins pop up.

 

[JohnBrowning]

Markc, Listen to pooter! All that is wrong is the spark plug access tube seals are bad. It happens all the time on Toyota and old Hemi's! Toyota makes you buy the valve cover gsket in some cases to get the litle seals for the spark plug tubes.

While you are in their change the plugs, wires etc....

If you can not do this your self a decent garage that works on imports will proably charge you $24 for supplies and $100 for labor tops!! If you have them do plugs, wires and cap and rotor then the parts cost will go up a bit but labor will stay the about the same.

The only way you would looking at any major repairs if if the plugs are oil fouled at the eletrode from some mecanical faiure.

 

[mjo]

Ditto... valve cover gasket. I would also consider new spark plug wires because the electrical contacts of the wires seem to be loose since the oil leak is causing car to misfire. AFAIK all spark plug wires snap onto the ends of spark plugs and there is direct metal-to-metal contact therefore the oil should not cause an electrical problem with new wires.