Spark plug change and maintenance

rlc3854

Original poster
Member
May 22, 2013
4
Well to start off I'm an old fart and wouldn't even know where to find the sparks without this site. Decided to change the spark plugs, air filter and the serpentine belt. T he vehicle has 154976 miles on it and this is the first rplacement of plugs and belt. I surprised myself in only taking about 20 minuets to change the belt and about 2 hours on the others including a test drive. Everything went great since I got all the info to do this here first. Plug 6 was the hardest and I also removed the throttle body and cleaned. I do have a question for you experts. Plugs 4 and 6 had what looked to be oil on the threads and electros. The color was almost like a brite copper. The other plugs had this on the threads but not the electros. The other plugs were a nice dry light sand color, all the old plugs gaps were right at about .043 although a lot thinner. The old plugs were ACDELCO 41-981 and I installed the ACDELCO 41-103's. So what do you think about the oil on the plugs?
 

gmcman

Member
Dec 12, 2011
4,656
There are gaskets around each plug well under the valve cover, or part of the valve cover. Oil has a tendency to leak there if they are going bad.
 

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rlc3854

Original poster
Member
May 22, 2013
4
gmcman said:
There are gaskets around each plug well under the valve cover, or part of the valve cover. Oil has a tendency to leak there if they are going bad.

Thanks gmcman, I noticed the gaskests and they didn't look too bad. I didn't see any oil on top of the head, the only thing I did find was acorns stuffed in between the number 1 & 2 coil packs.???
 

Billdaman

Member
Jan 19, 2012
32
rlc3854 said:
Thanks gmcman, I noticed the gaskests and they didn't look too bad. I didn't see any oil on top of the head, the only thing I did find was acorns stuffed in between the number 1 & 2 coil packs.???

The same location recently on my truck, changed the plugs and found a large nut / pit (looked like the size of two peach pits together) wedged in there around #4 coil. Amazing that something as big a squirrel could cary that into the compartment and work it into place with the air box in place!
 

Wooluf1952

Member
Nov 20, 2011
2,663
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
gmcman said:
There are gaskets around each plug well under the valve cover, or part of the valve cover. Oil has a tendency to leak there if they are going bad.

I agree if the oil is only on the threads, but there shouldn't be oil on the electrodes. Unless it's just oil that got there while removing the plugs. Or, with almost 155k miles on them, they were just not burning very good. :twocents:
 

rlc3854

Original poster
Member
May 22, 2013
4
I just hope it is blow by or because of the age/condition of the plugs. My worst thoughts or concerns is leaky valves or rings.
 

imotto

Member
May 28, 2013
4
squirrels or mice took a lot of my hood insulation, they also left me some acorn and walnut shells
 

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