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oil in the number 5 spark plug hole

18 years ago

I have a '99 Lincoln Navigator and I have found that I have standing oil in the number 5 spark plug hole and a little in the number 6 hole as well. I have removed my valve cover and have found that the seals look good. I also checked my radiator fluid and have found what looks like a foamy substance in the fluid, which usually means a head gasket correct? could it be from the valve cover leaking or are the spark plug holes filling up from a bad head gasket? Please any information would be very helpful. Brian

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Comments (3)

gary__
18 years ago
Oil in the spark plug hole means there's an oil leak...probably the valve cover gasket. It won't leak from the cylinder up. Fill up the radiator and start the engine with the radiator cap off. A steady stream of bubbles indicates a problem. You might just need the cooling system flushed and a valve cover gasket. jmo
john_g
18 years ago
The leak is still the valve cover gasket, or else it's actually at the bottom of the spark plug tube in the head. Simply replace the gasket, and the tube seals, clean the oil out, replace the plug AND the wire and don't worry about it. If it gets oil in it again, it will eventually cause a driveability issue and you will need to install new tubes in the head at that time. (That of course "assumes" the spark plug tubes are serviceable parts)

As far as the milky substance goes, your jumpng the gun on the diagnosis. Do you really have any other symptoms of a head gasket or other kind of internal coolant leak? Some condensation from exhaust blow by gasses is normal. Generally the engine oil has enough additives in it to hold this moisture in suspension, until it is boiled off and then picked up by the PCV system, and then removed from the engine.
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talon1wolf
Original Author
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No I don't have any other symptoms of a head gasket or cracked block. The only time that this truck has ever over heated on me was two years ago when the radiator went bad. Other then that it runs like a champ other than high gas consumption. There are not spark plug tubes in this vehicle it is just holes that are bored through the head and each spark plug has an indipendent coil pack. When I pulled the valve cover off I noticed that there is four round disks that sit ontop of the head where the spark plug shaft is and I'm thinking that one of those is the problem. I'm going today to get the new valve cover gasket and those little round disks and will re-assymble the valve cover and intake and I will be dumping the radiator and flushing it. I will let you all know what happens, Thanks very much for all the input.

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