Driving with oil on spark plugs

[Sierra-7]

So I was changing spark plugs last night and I found that 3 out 4 spark plugs had oil on it. How bad would it be to be driving the vehicle? How long until it gets really bad?

[illinois_erik]

well when youre driving and it starts missing or only running on 1 cylinder then youll know its bad

[bobbycos]

Better question would be is the oil on the tip of the spark plugs or is it on the body of the spark plug

[Sierra-7]

Oh, that bad? Then I guess I better get right on it. Can I still drive it around town to gather the supplies needed for this job? How about the spark plugs are those reusable? Those were new.

If I recall correctly it was on the both and tip(?).

[XCRN]

I drove 500 miles with minor to mild leak in the tubes for a bit so you should be fine driving a few miles for parts. REMEMBER torque the rocker properly! I had the torque sheet that listed the bolts to be torqued slightly tighter than it OEM and snapped some of the bolts and resulted in a whole lot of BS.

[deevergote]

Oil on the tip will eventually cause the plug not to function. A plug that isn't sparking isn't causing the fuel to ignite. You'll be sending unburnt fuel into your exhaust manifold, and into your VERY hot catalytic converter. If it ignites after exiting the exhaust valve, major damage could occur.

You may not be at that point yet, but I'd suggest fixing it sooner rather than later. It's not a terribly difficult thing to do, but it could be a pain to fix in the cold if you're in an area that's getting frigid weather this winter.

[Sierra-7]

Okay thanks. Do you think I'll be able to reuse the spark plugs? Those are practically brand new.

[deevergote]

Absolutely not.

[Cb3vtec]

You can reuse your plugs, just clean them in gasolin and let them dry=) They dont turn bad cause of that, the only reason to replace a spark plug is if it is physicle worn. There should be no damage to your spark plugs caused by oil.

[greenhornet614]

I have the same issue with my cb7 with oil in the plugs. Ill be getting the gasket kit to fix that issue once the weather breaks. Being in Ohio it's rough to work on cars in the winter.

[Fleetw00d]

Better question would be is the oil on the tip of the spark plugs or is it on the body of the spark plug

If he had substantial oil on the body of the plug from the tube seals leaking, that oil will run down the plug onto the tip as you remove the plug from the head. If the oil comes off the tip using gasoline or brake cleaner, they could be reused. If the oil is really baked/coked on the plug, replace them after you replace the lower tube seals.

As implied earlier, to solve the oil leakage into the plug tubes, you have to remove the rocker assembly. Back off all the adjusting screws (if not before removing the assembly at least before reinstalling it) so that the torque on the rocker assembly bolts goes into properly clamping the rocker assembly to the head instead of compressing some of the valve springs. Then properly adjust the valve clearance and install new upper tube seals and valve cover gasket.

I have the same issue with my cb7 with oil in the plugs. Ill be getting the gasket kit to fix that issue once the weather breaks. Being in Ohio it's rough to work on cars in the winter.

It was over 50 in Cincinnati on Saturday, what more do you want?