oil on plugs??

[SaleenGT2001]

my buddy has a 97 GT and it has been missing/skipping lately. i put the xcal on it and found that #4 was the misfire. so we pulled the plugs and they were all gapped at .060 and 7 were white on the tips. the #4 was covered in oil. the oil had fouled the plug out causing the misfire. i told him i thought the rings must be going. the car has 110K. is there anything else that can cause oil on the plugs?? what is the right gap for a stock car?and what causes the plugs tobe white??running lean?

 

[40th GT]

.060 is too far. The recommended range is .052-.056. Most people stick with .054. I think your plugs were white because of the huge gap.

From a optimistic point of view, the #4 plug is oily because the COP isn't working. COP's are cheaper than piston ring swaps, so check the voltage on the COP.

 

[Skidzz]

Yep, like 40th said, he's running lean because of the gap. Take it down to .54 and hope to God that it's th COP. A piston ring is going to be expensive as hell on labor, and a total PITA if you guys do it yourselves. Good luck, I hope it isn't too serious.

 

[the98stang]

Was the oil on the plug threads, or above the threads, near the top of the plug (where the COP connects)? If the oil was above the threads, then he probably has a leaky valve cover gasket. If the oil was on the threads, he may have worn rings. You can do a simple compression test to check the rings on the car. If a cylinder is reading lower than the other, drop a cap full of oil into the chamber, and see if the compression numbers go up. If they do, the rings are worn. If that's the case, I would just run straight 30 oil, and the engine might last quite longer than you think.

 

[SaleenGT2001]

it is 98 so it doesnt have COP. it hasthe 2 coil packs in the front. thanks for all the advice guys!

 

[SaleenGT2001]

the oil was on the threads

 

[TweekedGT]

A 97 won't have COP's, just coil packs. The white is the car running lean, .060 is pretty big. Take a spin with him after and follow in your car. See if it's blowing any smoke, then you'll know for sure if the rings are gone.

 

[the98stang]

it is 98 so it doesnt have COP. it hasthe 2 coil packs in the front. thanks for all the advice guys!

My bad, forgot we were talking about an older stang

 

[SaleenGT2001]

no smoke from the exhaust.

 

[urban96]

you could do a compression test if the new plug still misfires

could be a bad plug wire