Well, I am assuming this is bad...

Well, I am assuming this is bad...

Author
Discussion

JeffYoung

Original Poster:

199 posts

253 months

Monday 15th November 2004
quotequote all
Changing plugs and plug wires. All four spark plug holes have pools of oil in them (pretty serious pools of oil). Any ideas on this? Head gasket?

Also, how the hell do you route the plug wires under the turbo and behind the cylinder head? When Simon put these on at the factory, I'm pretty sure he did it with the engine in pieces. This is crazy.....do you take the chargecooler off to do this??

rlearp

391 posts

263 months

Monday 15th November 2004
quotequote all
I wouldn't worry about the oil pools, I have them too and it is from the leaking cam cover or from the cam carrier to head mating surface. Suck it out with a vacuum. Every 4 pot Esprit I've seen has the same issue, it isn't from the had gasket. Oil is cheap. Whenever you do the valve adjustment fix it then.

The wires are a difficult thing. They pass underneth a heat shield that is secured by four bolts and that holds the chargecooler mount bracket. You can undo the chargecooler and lift it a bit and you might be able to make it. Or, you could try to run them through there without removing anything - but I bet that is really hard.

R

>> Edited by rlearp on Monday 15th November 01:56

country

78 posts

240 months

Monday 15th November 2004
quotequote all
change your spark plug gromets

lotusse89

314 posts

285 months

Monday 15th November 2004
quotequote all
As someone said, the oil is from the cam cover, cam tower seals, and or the o-rings around the brass bolt covers in the camtowers. The cam cover gaskets and o-rings are versy easy to change. The cam tower seals require pretty much a full t-belt change. Also check valve clearences at that time.

The plug wires are easy to route without disassembling anything. Just do them one at a time or they won't fit between the heat shield and the engine.

Travis
Vulcan Grey 89SE
www.lotuscolorado.com/vulcangrey/

paul c

310 posts

254 months

Monday 15th November 2004
quotequote all
Cam tower leak is pretty common.
I've just had mine done, but as my car was in for 'C' service AND the cams had to come out to shim the valves, labour was little to go that bit further and take the housing off.

Mine was the lower housing. Instead of filling the plug holes, it drips onto the manifold. When i started the car i had an embarrassing puff of smoke rising through the deck vent and a smell of burning oil. This only lasted a minute as it vapourised on the warming exhaust...

...But it raised a few smiles and sneers

inno

67 posts

245 months

Wednesday 17th November 2004
quotequote all
I recently changed my plugs to NGK Iridiums. There were pools of oil that I had to remove with copious amounts of paper towels. Its just the valve covers leaking, nothing serious, just aggrevating.
Ron's car leaked so much oil that he fabricated sponges that fit around the spark plugs. He's got them for sale on eBay.

Oilfree for now...

Pete

rlearp

391 posts

263 months

Friday 19th November 2004
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I missed that Pete, nice one!!!!

I just thought it better to improve upon your method using the the Adult Depends that you follow your Esprit around with to collect the oil pools. But, I suppose it isn't hard to have a Depends handy when you've got to buy them for yourself anyhow? ;-)

PS- How'd I do?

>> Edited by rlearp on Friday 19th November 12:35

inno

67 posts

245 months

Friday 19th November 2004
quotequote all
Ouch! Nicely done sir.

rlearp

391 posts

263 months

Saturday 20th November 2004
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And, I am told they are soon coming out with some thinner verions more appropriate for dress clothing, so cheer up! ;-)

Ron

inno

67 posts

245 months

Saturday 20th November 2004
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Heck, I never dress up. I can wear the big hulking bulky ones under my Levis...