Longtermmustang

In an earlier post of mine I mentioned that there was less oil in the car (98 GT) than I expected. Well I think I know where it went.

I finally got around to changing the spark plugs and when I pulled out the first one I freaked out because it was covered in very wet oil. But wait the plug itself looked fine. After a cursory internet search mentioned oil on top of the plug before pulling the plug out, lo and behold every one of my plugs (except the most forward passenger side) has a pool of oil on them. First suspect is apparently leaking valve gaskets which also explains the oil on top of and underneath the valve covers. I don't have a torque wrench that fits one of my 8mm sockets but when I try to tighten the bolts with my regular socket wrench, they don't budge so I don't think they're loose. Guess the mustang will be down longer and cost a bit more. But I'll be able to degrease and clean up the covers so there's that.

I plan on reading and watching videos before attempting this but any tips in the mean time?

At this point I might siphon the gas from the gas tank and plan for fuel pump/filter change too since it'll be down for so long. This should be fine right?

Last unrelated question, what kind of clamps do you have on your radiator hoses? Mine have the kind that screw tight but I heard on other cars those clamps can pinch and cut through radiator hoses quickly whereas squeeze clamps (no idea if that's the name) are better. Should I switch out the clamps? I ask because the hoses look new but there's brown buildup at the connection points om the hoses.

Longtermmustang

Last question, right now the plugs are still in but I pushed a bunch of blue shop paper towels on top of them to try and absorb some oil. Any tips on cleaning out the oil? Or should I just let it seep down into the engine?

08'MustangDude

Just do the best you can to get the oil from the plug valleys, but, if you want it out,
you should spray brake clean into the valleys to force out the oil and any carbon
pieces. Yes, it will ricochet all over the place, but you can clean out those plug
valleys.

Longtermmustang

Brake cleaner huh? Good thing I happen to have a box of that stuff (no idea why though). I'll give it a shot. Thanks!

Z28KLR

Yeah, spray all that crap out with brake parts cleaner like 08 said. It's gonna blow shiz all over the place, just do your best to wipe it down. When you have everything buttoned back hp you can just spray the engine down with Simple Green and blast it off with a hose. You will want to make sure the engine is completely dry before starting it back up (this is where people run into problems with spraying their engine compartment down). If you have access to compressed air then awesome, if not go get a $30 leaf blower, they work great for this and are also a very helpful detailing tool just to get water out of all the little hiding places when you wash your car.
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Longtermmustang

The wrapped paper towels seem to be getting most of the oil so hopefully it'll reduce the mess when I hit them with the brake cleaner. I've never cleaned an engine bay before so this car will be my first attempt and I'm pretty excited. Any other tips? Anything i need to cover with plastic first etc? Guy at the parts store warned me not to get any degreaser in the alternator for example.

Z28KLR

I just use Simple Green as there are no harsh chemicals that I might potentially have to worry will cause damage or discoloration to any surfaces. Alternator should be fine, if you have an exposed air filter then cover that with a plastic bag or something. Again, just make sure everything is nice and dry before you fire it up and I would expect no problems.