Oil In My Cylinder

[hgray14]

What does it mean if there is a crapload of oil inside a cylinder? (not sure if that is my problem but figured I would ask)

I finally got around to doing a tune-up on the GF's '93 850 GLT.

The good news: The compression on the cylinders reads like this - 195, 205, 215, 195, 205

The plugs were god awful...I guess the guy before us hadn't done a tune-up in quite a while...and had used Autozone plugs. I don't know if I have ever seen plugs that corroded (the gaps ran between .058-.070!!!) or a cap, rotor or plug wires with so much wear. Of course, as usual, there was a ton of oil on top of the engine when I removed the cover plate to get at the plugs but I cleaned that all out.

The odd thing was that when I removed the number 3 spark plug a crap load of oil came out with it. I didn't bother to check before hand so I don't know if cranking the engine for number 1 and 2 prior had somehow thrown oil down the hole or what but it was EVERYWHERE...on the plug and on the plug socket. Since I didn't notice it until after I had removed it completely from the engine it could have come from above and then soaked the plug as I pulled it out. The way it was on the plug socket makes me think that it had came from above, not from inside that particular cylinder but I don't know yet.

So, obviously the 215 reading for #3 is because there was oil in there...either it leaked in from the plug hole or was in there already.

If the oil was inside the cylinder in that quantity I can't believe the plug would even fire but it was clearly worn down.

If the oil is from inside the cylinder what does this mean? Although a pain in the arse, I am going to recheck that plug next weekend just to double check.

[mojojo]

Oil on socket means it's coming from outside combustion chamber.

What does it mean? Probably o-ring at cam cover for cyl #3.

Clean the area well, and go on a short drive and inspect for leaks.

[Ghost Shadow]

be more specific about where the oil is coming from. it could be from a bad oil cap gasket, or leaky PCV vent tube. the oil from these two spots usually go into #3 cylinder and starts filling it up since it will leak past the spark plug seal.

[hgray14]

be more specific about where the oil is coming from. it could be from a bad oil cap gasket, or leaky PCV vent tube. the oil from these two spots usually go into #3 cylinder and starts filling it up since it will leak past the spark plug seal.

I wish I could be but I didn't notice the oil until I pulled the plug and the socket out of the hole. The first two (and last two) were so dry and corroded that I wasn't even bothering looking down the hole on #3 when I pulled it. Since I had all the plug wires pulled and was running the compression test without help (and in a hurry) I am hoping that during the first two cylinder tests the oil cap leaked oil into the #3 hole...or something else like that from the outside, not the inside of the cylinder. Also the quantity oil doesn't seem possible from the inside or else she would be pumping black smoke out the exhaust and we would be running low on oil all the time, which we aren't.

She will be driving the car all week so I will take another look at it next weekend and then report back.

Thanks for everyone's help.

Oil on socket means it's coming from outside combustion chamber.

What does it mean? Probably o-ring at cam cover for cyl #3.

Clean the area well, and go on a short drive and inspect for leaks.

You are totally right...the only way for it to have been on the outside of the socket is for it to have come down into the hole from about the cylinder. This is why I post things on here...I always know that someone will be here to make some sense of things.

I am not familiar with the p-ring at the cam cover. Can I assume this o-ring is within the plug hole but above the plug? If so, it would have dripped oil in there while the car was driving regularly. Since the hole was clean and dry when I pulled the plug wire I am doubting this oil was getting in there before otherwise it should be black and crusty from being burned off.

I am guessing that somehow some oil got down the hole while I was testing the #1 & #2 cylinders but it freaked me out so I figured I would post it and see what it might mean if it was coming from inside the cylinder...but as you have cleared up for me it couldn't have come from inside.

thanks again. I will post again if anything is odd when I check it again next weekend.