Oil Leak - Cylinder #1
 

I changed the spark plugs on my 2000 non-S this weekend.

I had seen some oil under the right (passenger side in the U.S.) rear of the car and suspected a bad O-ring. When I pulled the coil pack off of cylinder #1 it had oil on it and the inside of the tube was oily.

I had the transom plug recommended in Pedro's Garage DIY instructions, but I could not remove the tube. It is in an awkward position at the front of the engine and I could not tighten it enough to stay in. All the oil in the tube may have contributed to the problem.

Here are my questions:

1. Based on the amount of oil shown on the side of the engine in the attached picture, do you think I could have a cracked spark plug tube instead of just bad O-rings? The picture shows cylinder #3 with the coil pack removed. I didn't take a picture of cylinder 1.

2. Could there be another source of the oil? I replaced the oil filler tube about 3 years ago, and some of the oil could be left over from that.

3. Should I just buy a spark plug tube and plan to replace the one I have?

4. Is there any method other than the transom plug for removing the spark plug tubes? If I'm replacing the entire tube I guess I don't have to worry too much about cracking the existing one when I remove it.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or comments.

Try cleaning ...
 

... the inside of the tube and the rubber part of the transom plug with acetone or a strong degreaser.
Then the transom plug will grab a little better.
Some people insert the closed jaws os a set of pliers and when the pliers are opened they expand and put pressure on the inside of the tube allowing removal.
I don't like that option because most often than not the tube cracks.
Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

I would clean the engine as best you can to help figure out the sources of the current oil leak.

Thanks for the replies.

I may have been a little too gentle with my attempts at removal out of concern for cracking the tube.

Someone offered to sell me some unused spark plug tubes, so I think I will wait until I have them on hand and then try removing the leaking tube again. I'll try cleaning the transom plug as Pedro suggests and if that doesn't work, I will resort to pliers. The tube may already be cracked anyway, and it won't be a huge expense to install a new one.

After I replace the tube, I'll clean off the side of the engine and see if the leak recurs.

Hi I had the same problem,it was the tube and seal,if you want to take out the tube go to a auto parts store or local hardware store and get a rubber stopper.you put the stopper in the tube and tighten and pulls right out.I did all six in under 2 hours using a floor jack.

Thanks. I'm glad to hear that I'm likely to be on the right track with the diagnosis of the problem.

I tried the stopper/transom plug, but probably didn't tighten it up enough. I was hoping for non-destructive removal, so I was being gentle. Another board member is selling me three tubes he didn't need at a discount. Once they arrive I'm going to make a more aggressive attempt.