1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse RS 5-speed: Oil in spark plug well

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My 1st post in this section!

My wife complained her car was not running well so I began to replace spark plugs and saw that the driver side plug well was full of oil. Perhaps the oil was shorting the spark.

This probably is caused by a bad gasket so I am going to get a set, do you know who sells the cheapest sets?

What can cause the gasket to leak and are there some other parts I should get or look at?

Thanks.

[doobiess]

I would say a worn ring.. but replace plug and check it in 3000 miles and check again.. if it fouls again I would say ring.. and as for fixing that... dont its a big a job

[the_tow_guy]

Those round rubber donuts that seal the plug wells are pretty cheap; you should be able to buy them anywhere. Valve cover has to come off to replace.

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Thanks.

If the plug is tightly screwed in would that indicate that it MUST the seal around it that is leaking? Can over tight plug cause a leak possibly?

I also saw some oil around the the valve cover gasket that may be from the spark plug area but am not sure. I am thinking of getting a whole gasket set.

I was reading about PCV valves and valve cover breathers that should not be blocked. Does this apply to Eclipse RS too? PCV valve is in crank shaft chamber...how does it affect valve cover area?

[the_tow_guy]

Well, a plugged pcv could create some extra pressure that could be seen via some minor oil leakage. The plug would have nothing to do with the oil in the plug well. You'll get a better understanding when you pull the cover. New valve cover gasket would be standard procedure when removing it to replace the donuts for the plug wells.

[Unclediezel]

Quite common on MMC engines....

I work for Chrysler, and ALL of our 2.0 and 2.4 engines are plagued with this.....

The DONUTS that have been described , (At least in Factory/ dealership parts) come in the box with the VC gaskets.

As for PCV....highly unlikely that it would cause a problem like this, unless it is a very high mileage engine and the rings were destroyed. Excessive BLOW-BY would likely leak from the filler cap ,or Air box before blowing a gasket.

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Great info. OK, I'll get the gasket and the rings and will do the job today. The car has 127k miles, so it is not considered "very high" mileage but perhaps "high" mileage. Based on your reply I won't get a new PCV valve.

I read that you dont need a torque wrench for the cover bolts, just tighten them very slightly, is that true?

The nearest library seem to have an Eclipse repair book checked in, I'll get it too.

Thanks again!

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I got the gasket + 4 seals set from Advance Auto Parts for $20. Is it going to be obvious which side will go down as both the gasket and the rounds seals have a narrower and wider sides, almost like a triangular cross section with a groove on the "wider" side.

They sold $1 Gasket Sealant & Dressing in those single-use tear able bags, is that OK stuff?

Unclediezel, I forgot to ask why the 2L & 2.4L engines make those donuts leak?

[Unclediezel]

Just simply MMC design.....

No, the Valve covers do not need to be torqued.....

What I do is use a 1/4 inch ratchet, a 12 inch extension, and make them as tight as you can with only your ring finger and Pinky.

The gasket only fits on one way, the donuts will be obvious when you take the old ones out.

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Thanks Uncle. I'll use your method.

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