I'm pulling my engine this weekend in order to upgrade from manual to power steering. I'm also going to pretty up the engine and engine compartment. The first thing I did was do a compression test. A few of the plugs have oil on them above the threads. The diode areas on all the plugs are nice and clean. The compression readings are: 140, 155, 150, 150, 155, 160, 160, 145. Is this oil a problem?


[IMG]local://upfiles/64151/9A8E6B3177F14030B1ADCA4AC8C79174.jpg[/IMG]

 

It looks like your compression rings are just fine. Are you burning any oil? Is your valve cover leaking down onto the plugs?

 

Before I drained the oil, I check the level. It was full. The previous owner had recently installed aluminum valve covers with new gaskets.

 

If the oil is only on the threads it could be from leaky valve cover gaskets, or sometimes people will oil the threads for lubrication when they install them to get proper torque readings. When you stick them back in clean the oil off anf use anti-size on the threads, it'll prevent the plugs from getting stuck

 

If those plugs were in your engine any lenght of time, then it certainly wasn't burning any oil, since the ceramic at the center electrode is not black and oily. I would guess the PO oiled the threads on those plugs. Take a close look at the side of the engine block and see if there is any oil running down the sides.

YLeefox

 

since the oil was full just hope the old owner oiled the plugs or a leaking valve cover like they said the compression looks normal to me. id pull the valve covers if the gaskets are the old cork ones id toss them for the rubber kind they seal better