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Spark plug seal failure-anyone tried this?

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Old 02-20-2020, 09:41 AM
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Default Spark plug seal failure-anyone tried this?

Has anyone tried putting an o ring on the thread end of the spark plug to do a quick fix to bad internal plug o rings?
 
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Old 02-20-2020, 11:03 AM
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That doesn't sound like a good idea. What exactly are you trying to achieve?
 
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Old 02-20-2020, 11:41 AM
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The spark plugs are a metal to metal seal in the cylinder head. The cam cover is sealed by rubber gaskets and are not affected by the spark plugs. The only way to stop the leaking is to change the cam cover gaskets. Before going that route you can try cleaning the part load breather orifice, if it is plugged it will cause gasket leaks on the cam cover. If after cleaning it you still have leakage, it will be necessary to change the cam cover gaskets.
Placing an o-ring on the plug can cause compression leaks, and can result in combustion gases entering the the area around the spark plug and could damage the ignition coils.
 
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Old 02-21-2020, 09:13 AM
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My thought process is that the torque of the plug must act as "bolt" onto the o ring. If the o ring is worn and proper torque of plug allows oil leakage, an additional o ring or maybe a washer would allow enough additional pressure to prevent lrakage. I've never had the covers off so i am mot sure if the plugs actually apply pressure onto the cover, if they don't obviously this would not help.
 
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Old 02-21-2020, 10:15 AM
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The plugs seat in the head and have nothing to do with the cam cover.

The problem with the oil leaking past the o-rings in the camcover and into the plug wells is that the plugs end up sitting in a pool of oil. When you take the plug out it gives the impression that the oil is leaking past the metal sealing ring because the threads end up covered because you are exposing them to the oil in the well.

Even if you were to install an o-ring as you suggest, the plug would just cut through it as you tighten it up. Seals that do require an o-ring have a recess for the o-ring to sit in, which would not be the case here.
 
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Old 02-21-2020, 11:57 AM
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Well I guess I'll have a Saturday project! Probably change the tensioners as suggested in other posts while I'm on there. Any thing else to inspect with covers off??

Thanks
 
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