blackcat 0 Posted January 30, 2005 I took one of my spark plugs out yesterday and it has some oil on it.......is this a bad thing?? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dr_mat 0 Posted January 30, 2005 Depends what you took it out of... Well it's not suppose to be covered in oil, so I'd say whichever way round it's not a Good Thing . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JBOB 0 Posted January 30, 2005 I found oil on my mates valvers No 2 plug and it turned out to be a broken rocker cover gasket. £10 from GSF and it took me about an hour to fit as id never done one before. Easy now that ive done it....... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blackcat 0 Posted January 31, 2005 only checked the first one so far. How did you know it was a broken rocker cover gasket? I wouldn't know how to check for stuff like that and I have fallen out with the local vw garage cos they broke my immobiliser but thats another story! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scottgroovez 0 Posted January 31, 2005 Does it burn oil at all? I've had this recently and it was a dodgy valve stem oil seal. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blackcat 0 Posted January 31, 2005 yes it burns oil a lot! I seem to fill it all the time! How would I check the valve stem oil seal and is it expensive to fix?? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JBOB 0 Posted January 31, 2005 The rocker cover was a guess, It could have either been the R/C gasket or the valve stem oil seal so i changed the gasket cos that was the cheapest fix first and it was just lucky that it was that and not the seals. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
craigbeal 0 Posted February 3, 2005 Mine has the same thing. Only one plug has oil on it. The others are fine. Does burn oil and have to top the oil up every now and then (every 6 weeks) and u can smell it burning oil :( Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Si B 0 Posted February 3, 2005 If the engine is burning oil then look towards the valve stem oil seals as the culprits. If not then oil can often (read as nearly always!) pass through the rocker cover gaskets and down the front (8v) or middle (16v) of the head before accumulating where the plugs screw into the head. As you remove the plugs the oil works its way down the thread giving the impression that you have oil in the combustion chamber. Basically if you get smoke from the exhaust when you boot it then oil is getting into the combustion chambers and the valve stem seams are likely to be shot. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
craigbeal 0 Posted February 3, 2005 how much would it cost to get the valve stem oil seal done if it was that? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Si B 0 Posted February 3, 2005 It is pretty labour intensive as the head needs to come off to do it so as a very rough estimate £3-400. If the head is off the car then you may as well get the thing fully reconditioned with all new guides and tappets and although it is not really worth gas flowing a 16v head on it's own it is worth considering if the head is off the car. You are probably looking at about £500 for a recon unit excluding the labour to swap them over. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Roger Blassberg 0 Posted February 4, 2005 I have been told that you can get the stem oil seals changed without lifting the head. There is a cunning bit of kit which keeps the valves up by pneumatic pressure via an adapter into the plug hole, so that the springs can be compressed and removed in situ. Sounds like The Work of the Devil to me.......... Best wishes RB Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Henny 0 Posted February 4, 2005 yup, seen these too Roger... never used 'em but heard they're OK... 8) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blackcat 0 Posted February 4, 2005 Basically if you get smoke from the exhaust when you boot it then oil is getting into the combustion chambers and the valve stem seams are likely to be shot. This happened to me the other day, put my foot down as I got on bypass and noticed loads of smoke in rear view mirror. Is this easy to fix? It sounds expensive?! :( Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevemac 0 Posted February 4, 2005 blackcat16v, basically (as stated above), it looks like your valve oil seals have become brittle. This is caused by age & eventually happens to all cars. The remedy is to have the valve oil seals changed. It is possible to change them with the cylinder head still on the car, although it is better to remove the cylinder head & do the job properly. If your valve guides are also worn, the cylinder head will definitely need removing from the car. Rough costings are as stated above. The best & ultimately the cheapest way for this kind of work is to replace the cylinder head with a re-conditioned one. :wink: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blackcat 0 Posted February 5, 2005 ok, replacing the cylinder head it is then. Thanks for all your help, sorry to ask loads of questions but I don't know much about engines. :wink: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supercharged 2 Posted February 5, 2005 Thats quite drastic! - I'd get it checked out first by a reputable specialist like Stealth Racing... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blackcat 0 Posted February 5, 2005 Yeah, just tried to ring them but they're obviously not there now, I'll ring on Monday. I was thinking about getting the head rebuilt/recond anyway cos I don't think its ever been done and car's done 130k now. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supercharged 2 Posted February 5, 2005 Yeah, they close at lunchtime - try monday afternoon as they will be busy first thing... Fair enough the head may benifit from a rebuild at that mileage but I'd get it in there for a look first to see if there are any other problems.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
