1997 F-150, 4.6L, 222,500 miles

TKISLING

MEMBER
1997 FORD F-150

I went to change the plugs and wires in my truck because it is misfiring and running really rough. When I took the first plug on the passanger side out it was dripping oil. I continued down the passanger side taking the plugs out, cleaning the oil from the holes and putting new plugs in. I then began on the driver side and when I took the first plug out it has antifreeze on it. I removed the oil dip stick and it smells like gas. How exactly does this happen, what is causing it and how expensive is it going to be to fix?

1 Reply

INDYUKE

MECHANIC
416 POSTS

I can tell you what comes to mind when I hear each condition you describe:

Oil on the spark plug: oil is being introduced to the firing chamber past either severely worn piston rings or severely worn valve guides. That would indicate you have a well-used and worn out engine.

Anti-freeze on the spark plug: Most likely a blown head gasket, however you didn't seem to indicate that the other plugs besides the first one had this condition. So there is a possibility that only the intake manifold gasket on that side is leaking coolant into the #5 (1st plug, driver's side) intake runner and contaminating only that plug.

Gas smell in the oil: often caused by fouled plugs (by oil, anti-freeze, carbon, etc) misfiring and allowing the unburned fuel to wash down the cylinder walls and into the crankcase and mix with the oil.

Only once have is seen a ford V8 engine blow both intake gaskets because a malfunctioning PCV system was causing high crankcase pressures. Generally oil will not be sucked from the valley into the intake runners through the leaking manifold gaskets, but because of the high crankcase pressures in this instance it did happen and the plugs were contaminated with oil and coolant and the truck had massive vacuum leakage.

Can't say that's your problem, but I'd have it checked by someone who is able to physically see and test the engine. Let us know.