super6

iTrader: (5)

i know this belogs on the "other cars" forum but i figured i wouldnt get much help there...so here it is...

i bought a 1990 miata for $1640 as a 2nd car, it runs very nicely but as i was changing the spark plugs today i noticed a wierd thing...the first plug was clean, the second had a drop of oil, the 3rd had a noticable amount of oil and the last one was dripping oil when i took it out. what does this mean??? does this mean the piston rings need to be changed, basically i need to rebuild the engine or could i just need a new head gasket? and how much is a rebuild on a 4cyl anyway?

i know this post does not belong here but any advise is appriciated, thanx.

Terran

iTrader: (6)

I'm kind of a dumba$$ when it comes this stuff (but I try ), but I believe a bad headgasket leads to oil and coolant cross contamination, not oil on the plugs. Bad rings would make sense I think. Unless this is a project car and you plan to do the rebuild yourself, you may want to try to get your money back. Does NY have a lemon law?

looslip

iTrader: (3)

Check your compression. Most likely your rings if the oil is wet and on the electrodes.

super6

iTrader: (5)

what should i expect to pay for a new rings, all gaskets etc (rebuild)?

JamesNH

iTrader: (12)

oil on the spark plugs means that the gasket around your spark plugs has gone bad. Just go pick up that gasket and the one around your valve cover and change em. A foamy oil on the dip stick means that you have coolant leaking somewhere. But what you explain you looking about maybe half hour of your labor and maybe 30$ in parts depending where you go. Autozone should hook you up and since im bored heres the part numbers
http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBr...+-+VALVE+COVER

Couldnt find the spark plug gasket itself but for that price i would like to think it would include both.

super6

iTrader: (5)

is this ture even if the oil is on the bottom of the plug, where they spark or just on top where they connect to the wires? i really hope you are right about the two gaskets, that would save me a ton of $$$, thanx for the advice.

JamesNH

iTrader: (12)

its on the bottom near the core of the spark plug where the oil would be becuase your spark plug sit atop the valve cover down in that hole. Youll see when you take off the valve cover. So to get oil above the spark plug near the wire i would almost think that the only way you could do this is if you personally spilled oil down the spark plug hole