am i worrying over nothing,oily spark plugs threads....

[royster81]

took my bike for a long run today up the motor way to see T7 about dyno runs and setting a bike up,the bike rode fantasic all the way up and down but when i got back and popped a plug out the threads seem covered in oil, i mean,more oil on a plug than i have ever seen before ,this worries me.

the bike is an ex race/track bike and i'm sure it's seen the bad side of 13 grand on the track once or twice and the plugs have been in and out alot as one was fouling and i swapped the back two to get the bike running (but this was all over a year ago ,i haven't had running problems with this thing since then) so could the oily spark plugs be just something simple like the gasket on the plug is flat and it's not really sealing properly or could there be something else,something very wrong ,something thats worth worrying about.

i have never seen or heard about my bike burning oil,but i did notice a week or so ago the oil level has came down,i put this to me filling the bike on the paddock side the last time....yes i am a muppet sometimes....

the mileage is unknown and a think the bike is standard ie no head work or anything like that but would it sound like the bike is looking at getting the top end rebuilt or am i just thinking the worst ?

valve clearances are all ok too.

[RVFHooligan]

Thinking along the lines of something simple would be the rocker cover gaskets. If the ring in the center for the spark plug hole is leaking you would get oil pooling down on the threads of the spark plugs. Since the bike is running good and there is no obvious signs of oil consumption/burning/smoke, maybe it's just an external oil leak. When you pull the plugs what does the electrode look like? Is it wet, oily, and fouled? Is there oil on the spark plug leads? Also, which cylinders is it? Is it all or just one?

[veefer400]

I would second the rocker cover gasket being duff - when I changed the plugs on my Vectra they were submerged in like an inch of old oil?? These were renowned for flooding the plug points...
Just needs a new gasket....

[royster81]

good ,as long as it was only an old gasket, but how come i have no oil on the plug cap or down in the plug hole ?

[RVFHooligan]

Good question. Is there any oil residue down the plug hole? Maybe, if there is some oil getting down there, it is burning off from the engine heat, but deeper down the plug threads it might not be burning off????

Again, I ask, which plugs? All or just one? Front cylinders? Rear Cylinders? Pic of the plug may help also.

[monkeywithaplan]

just a thought, but has your engine breather coughed up some of that excess oil through your airbox and into your cylinders? or be this be your bike with the garden hose into the heinz tin?

i would clean them and see after another run.

had it a few times on the 125 and 400 from not threading the plugs proper. fear of overtighening. engine tends to spit some sooty sh1t up threads, wet from petrol and gave me the impression of oil. just a thought, but i am prob way off target, lol

[royster81]

well it might be all 4 but yesterday i only took off the rear HT leads so i have only sen the rear two,i'll be servicing the bike soon so when i do i'll get pictures of it then

plug hole is A1,nothing down there,i mean nothing, no oil,no residue,no dust lol nothing

as long as it's only the gasket i have no worries ,or are you thinking if might be something more sinister...

[Martin]

Rhory, this is exactly the reason why I changed the rocker cover gaskets on mine the other day. Oily threads but the electrodes on the plugs were fine. £16 each from our friend at The Croft...

[Neosophist]

http://www.ngkntk.co.uk/working/RunScri ... \Pg174.asp

I get that ^ by the threads seem ok, you tightening the plugs up enough if you'ev had them out before?