Oil on spark plugs 1 & 2

[melloh]

Hello, all.  

As it says, there is oil on spark plugs 1 & 2... a LOT on 1 (the one closest to oil fill cap), and a little on 2.  3 & 4 are dry.

I believe this same thing happened about 4 years ago (~2 years of driving daily) and the mechanic changed the gasket.  Is something else causing the gasket to fail prematurely???      Your advice is appreciated!



Thanks in advance.

Cheers,

Henry

[Geoff]

bout 2 years is all you get..time to re-do the valve cover gasket.   the design I guess is less than perfect, and they all leak after a while.   Doing the job carefully and cleanly results in a 2-3 year life span,  just throw it together and it'll leak before you start it, lol
                                                                G

[keflaman]

And probably better than half of the valve cover bolt hole threads are stripped so it can't be torqued properly.

[BimwadM42]

I've had them retain a seal for longer than two years, but eventually, the gaskets harden up, and the washers on the bolts (which really provide the clamping force on the cover) lose their elasticity, and the seepage starts.

It's always cylinder #2 on mine.  My VC has been off four times (2x dealer, 2x me), and all my threads are intact.

If the plug tube seepage is the sole issue, and the gasket is relatively new, apply some black RTV sealant (like Permatex Ultra Black) around the seam between the cover and the head.

In your case, that is a lot on #1; replace the gaskets, and just as importantly, the washers.

[DesktopDave]

I'm convinced that this is by design.  Those clever Bavarians selected a material that meters oil to the plugs.  This protects them from rust, provides an anti-seize coating, and cools them during high-RPM performance!

[Geoff]

ach du lieber,  I should have known that:p

[///m42 sport]

hmm same thing on mine. I didnt know it was valve cover related.  Thanks.