03 PT Cruiser GT: Oil in #1 spark plug well.

[Clay]

Doing an oil change today on my 03 PT Cruiser.

There was some oil on the valve cover, so I decided to clean it off and check things out. Noticed some oil around the spark plug wire groove area, so I started cleaning that out. I pulled the #1 spark plug wire and low and behold the well the spark plug goes down into is *full* of oil.

I cleaned it all out, soaked it up, dried it out, etc.

I've never had a 2.4L apart, but Im assuming part of the spark plug well is in the head, and part of it is in the valve cover, and in between those is a seal, correct? If so Im assuming that this seal (o-ring maybe?) is shot and will need replaced.

Fun fun if thats the case because you have to remove a ton of stuff to get the valve cover off.

Let me know what you guys thing.

Thanks,
Clay

[turbovanman²]

There is a seal around each plug hole, IIRC, the whole valve cover gasket is one piece including those plug seals, so yeah, your replacing a gasket, :o

[Clay]

yay me!

[Twisted Noodle]

Is it possible to take apart the intake to get at the valve cover without replacing the intake gasket? I guess what I'm asking, is it rubber or is it paper?

I am also doing oil, trans fluid, plugs.. and a laundry list of other things....

http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv181/TwistedNoodle_1/IMAG0142-1-1.jpg

[Clay]

the intake is 2 piece, and splits right about the valve cover level, so yeah, split it, pull it, pull valve cover. Intake has o-rings for seals at the split, so if all goes well they are reusable.

[glhs0426]

If it has the plastic intake then you have reusable orings on the intake. Make sure you take out the two 13mm screws at the rear of the intake near the throttle body. You will need a valve cover gasket set--four orings, and a valve cover gasket. Make sure you a bit of RTV handy to put in the "corners" for the cam caps and two spots at the junction over the half moon on the left of the cylinder head.

[spoolinhard]

Ive had one of my spark plugs start turning itself out. Its done this a couple times, I will get soot in the spark plug well when it does.