Oil in intake hose/spark plug well HELP!

[graf703]

Alright, drove to ohio from WI and picked up my car this weekend. I just started trying to figure out what on earth this guy was doing (see pic, note cruise control actuator, fusebox, and no intake/battery tray). I pulled off his DIY upper IC pipe and A giant gob of black oil came out. The pipe is oily and so is the black rubber hose. The spark plug well closest to the passenger's side also has a lot of oil in it. Also, the engine oil is low.

At first i thought just a valve cover gasket was leaking into the spark plug well. But now I think this would be more serious. I'm thinking valves or head gasket. Please help.... I won't be able to start it until next week probably because the intake pipe is on order. And I am working on ordering a manual but have not committed. How bad is the chilton compared to the service manual?

On a side note... new battery was hooked up and the interior lights, cd player, and sunroof did not work. Any suggestions? Are all these on the same fuse?

THanks!!!!

 

[steve]

The spark plug well closest to the passenger's side also has a lot of oil in it.
At first i thought just a valve cover gasket was leaking into the spark plug well. But now I think this would be more serious. I'm thinking valves or head gasket. Please help....
And I am working on ordering a manual but have not committed. How bad is the chilton compared to the service manual?

Manuals? IMHO only one choice Factory Service Manuals. Either on paper or on Manual CD.

Don't panic about the oil until after you have checked the VC for cracks, replaced the VC gaskets and oil filler cap gasket. Heck it could be as simple and someone missed pouring the oil in but gaskets are high on the list. Valves or Head gasket are almost an impossibility to cause oil in the plug well.

Steve

 

[steve]

VC can't think of what that stands for? Valve cover?
What about the oil in the intake hoses? I just checked in the lower IC pipe and there's some in there too.

Yes, Valve Cover.

Oil gets in the intake from pressure reversal in the breather system. The PVC valve is intended to seal during boost. Some don't and some cars just have high blowby under boost, both cause oil vapors to be forced back into the intake via the breather line. where it coats the pipes and intercooler.

Steve

 

[graf703]

Here is the update. We got the engine to turn over!!! We did a compression test and I frankly don't understand it. We got 100, 35, 5, 20. These numbers seem impossibly low.

Here are the problems with that test. The test was supposed to be run on a warm/hot engine. Our engine hasn't run for weeks. The test was also supposed to be at WOT but we hadn't disconnected the injectors so that didn't happen either.

Can a cylinder have NO compression???

Thanks for any help!

 

[BoredOutaMyMind]

Correct me if im wrong but the compression numbers might be low because your battery isnt fully charged... Also the interior lights etc are on the same fuse as far as i know (check the fuse box above the air filter in the engine bay, interior lights are labled ROOM i think)

But hook your car up to a charger, set up everything right and try again

 

[graf703]

Thanks for the advice but the battery is brand new so thats not it... we tested the compression again and got 125-75-30-50... same cold engine scenario, pulled the valve cover off and the cams are all working fine as near as i can tell. my dad thinks the valves and the head gasket are the problem. But unfortunately i found one of the coolant lines, by the oil cooler i think, ruptured at some time... it was really expanded and look like it burst, i wonder if he overheated the engine!!! But I guess what I'm wondering is if i need the head rebuilt or a full rebuild ? Thanks for any help and anyone near la crosse WI could swing by!!!

 

[graf703]

So I've got everything together and tried to start it... it won't catch... if i floor it some white puffs come out the exhaust. But other than that it sounds like it is firing but its not starting. There isn't much fuel in the tank, but it smells like its getting gas...

There is one electrical cable on the passenger side of the engine, below the radiator hoses, and above the transmission. It comes off a bundle of wires... i don't know where it goes, it has a thin rectangular connection. Any suggestions are welcome at this point.