I changed them and there was oil on the threads and white smoke comes out when I rev the engine. I have a trip to Arizona from San Diego and I don't need to break down. HELP

 

oil on the plugs can mean a leaking seal somewhere or the rings are going and white smoke can indicate water/coolant getting into the combustion chamber: head gasket.
take it to a trusted mech for a check up, good luck and keep us posted.

lee

 

yep sounds like a head gasket.

 

ohh, head gasket, sounds fun. Does it matter that I just got it pressure washed? I mean if the plugs weren't tight enough could oil+water have gotten in that way? How difficult is it to change a head gasket in the 22-re?

 

okay so i've decided to change the HG besides the obvious is there anything else I should change/need to change while i'm in there? Seems to be some confusion about the head bolts.

 

No pressure washing wouldnt cause oil on the plugs. If theres any wear on the timing chain that would be worth doing at the same time. Its not very difficult to change the head gasket on a 22re if you have some mechanical ability, and the right tools. It would probably be worth testing to ensure that it is a head gasket. It would probably be worth doing either a compression test on each cyl or a vacuum test with the engine idling.

 

Okay so sorry if this comes off as a total newbee, but i'm more of a audiophile but want to learn this stuff.
Here is a pic of the sparkplug that I pulled out yesterday

I pulled theh new one today after driving 4.5 miles (below)

Oil right? Side by side (old on left)

So is it a head gasket from what you see here? What will compression testing tell me? What wil vacuum testing tell me? Any help is appreciated.

 

hard to tell by the plugs. A compression tester plugs into the spark plug hole, and the engine is turned over. This would test to see if the cylinders have compression or are leaking. It would also indicate which cylinder the headgasket leak is in. A vacuum guage measures vacuum, and should be steady at idle. If the vacuum guage jumps at idle it would indicate either a head gasket leak, or some sort of other gasket leak (intake, etc.)

 

Those plugs don't look oil fouled to me. Have you used any fuel system cleaner or octane booster lately? Reason is that they will turn plugs a reddish brown, kinda like the one you posted.

 

i don't see any problem with those plugs, really. the thing to do is pull them ALL and compare -- you can't tell a lot just by looking at 1 plug.

 

Looks like all the oil is not on the combustion chamber side side of the plug,,only on the threads, etc. If you have lotsa white smoke out the exhaust, it's prolly not a spark plug issue.

Mike in AR

 

I understand here is a pic of all 4 of the old ones (and the new one far right)

it goes 3,2,1,4, new Green is where the oil is at least I think it's oil. Basiclly

all over the threads

Oh yeah the only reason I mentioned the pressure washing is the 1, and 2 plug were broken off (see pics below) by the guy that did the pressure washing,(long story) but they said they would pay for new plugs and wires. Hope it happens soon.

 

just the cap was broken off? those two seem to have the most oil, not that it looks like any of them are fouling very much.

 

When my HG failed the leaky cylinder was getting coolant into it from a water jacket and it made the plug very white.

 

those plugs all look fairly good. also, it might not necessarily be oil on the threads, but more of a carbon type gooey stuff. i don't think there's anything to be alarmed about.

 

Cool that sounds like great news, so should I still do the compression test? I mean that will rule out the blown head gasket right? What causes that carbon gooey stuff? And about the white smoke, only when I depress the gas pedal and it's smelly.

 

compression test is definitely a good idea. can't comment on where the white smoke is coming from -- the plugs don't appear to show any symptoms of coolant leaking in.

 

Thanks kyle 22r, I'll update after the compression test.