Oil on TIP and lower spark plug threads....good compression

[grandprix34]

pulled the front 3 plugs and they all had oil on the lower portion of the plug with black soot around the base of the plug and white soot on the tip of the spark plug(ill post some pics later). I did a compression check and all 3 cylinders where about 200-210psi, in another words within each other's reach so i know i have good compression...

what can this be that causes the car to fall flat on its face at higher RPM's? Maybe coils, cranksensor, TPS...kajsdlfkjaslkdfjas

Vacuum reading is normal, compression test is normal, wires are new...

by the way, for some odd reason while doing the compressoin check, i got shocked cuz the spark came out of NOT the tip of the spark plug but rather the body of the spark plug...when i held the spark plug (connected to the plug wire of course) to the frame of the car, it seems as though the spark was coming FROM the car into the spark plug...also the spark would come from the body and lower portion of the spark plug when held at an angle to the car's frame....WTF?!??!

[Norm '88 GT]

I get a wet spark plug if I just start up the car for 20 seconds to move it or what ever. Might want to check the plugs after a highway cruise after the car cools down. You did not pull the ign. fuse while doing the compression check? Luck there was no fuel around, you'd be typing threw bandages.

[grandprix34]

[img]http://photo.starblvd.net/grandprix93gtp/5-1-5-1083270005?m=1&pg=4&ro=0&co=4&pw=*CD4406D0D5E[/img]

[jmgtp]

The whitish color is I think sort of normal IF you have lean cruise enabled on the chip. I wouldnt worry about it. That doesnt look like too much oil on the threads, I bet it needs new isolators in the valve covers. The black sooty stuff is just carbon buildup and is a byproduct of combustion. Sounds like you need new spark plug wires; the 'spark' will always take the route of least resistance :P Also, the spark system makes a full circle, so on one cylinder its going from the wire, through the plug, to the block and the other cylinder from the block (heads really) through the plug and then returning to the coil through the spark plug wire. Hopefully a fresh set of wires, and maybe a good cleaning and regapping of the plugs will get the motor back on track.

[grandprix34]

the wires are brand new Taylor 8mm Ign. Wires...the plugs are brand new too (were). I do have lean cruise enabled so that could be it eh?

Someone metioned a leakback tester to pinpoint whether it was my piston rings...i thought a compression test was suppose to reveal this?

[jmgtp]

If all that stuff is new then the spark system may not be where the problem is. Although, new wires dont always mean that theyre good. Did the problems start immediately after installing new plugs/wires? What kind of plugs are they? May want to consider replacing the fuel filter since its easy and cheap to do so and just may cure things.

[Anonymous]

I have the saem problem, but just on my back 3.

The plugs are perfect, but the threads are wet with oil. My wires are less than a year old Magnecor's, so they are not at fault. But my cam carrier to cam cover gasket is leaking in the back, so I'm thinking that is causing it. I also have good compression...At least I hope so with 5,000 miles on the motor.

[Juglenaut]

I only found oil on my threads due to worm carrier gaskets, and valve cover gaskets and valve cover O-rings. Oil was sitting at the bottom of my plug well and when removing them this oil will ahhh go on to the threads.