Oil fouled plugs 2002 windstar 3.8L engine

lmorris · February 12, 2011

My van, over the last 2 months has oil fouled 3 sets of plugs. I have changed the PCV valve and air filter. Redone upper intake gaskets, cleaned oil out of upper the last time. There seems to be a lot of oil in the PCV tube to the intake. I remember there being an updated valve cover for oil carry over but it doesn't seem to apply to my van.

Any one have or know of this issue? I really need help on this one. I don't want to just throw parts at it.

Mbl35 · February 12, 2011

How many miles are on it?

Matt Saunoras · February 13, 2011

for the updated valvecover you were supposed to pull the front pcv grommet and check for a small hole drilled in the baffle. if it had a hole you should update the valvecover. all the ones i have checked never needed a cover.

as for the issue at hand i've never heard of it and never saw any with excess oil in the intake. i'd be thinking more along the lines of valve seals

Keith Browning · February 13, 2011

...or a loss of compression and increased crankcase pressure.

lmorris · February 14, 2011

The van has 250,000 km on it. Further inspection of all the spark plugs reveals the front plug on the left bank and rear plug on the right bank also had signs of coolant on them. This is the first time I saw this on my van, but then it hit me, Way back in the days before I was all diesel all the time I used to do intake gaskets for this same issue. Threw a set of plugs at it for now and will do intake gaskets next weekend.

I will also look for the hole in the valve cover mentioned.

Thanks guys.

Valve cover turned out to be fine, no hole. The culprit was the intake gaskets. The bottom portion of all the intake port seals were not sealing and sucking in oil. Suprisingly though was the fact that the coolant ports were fine. And I got 250,000 km before having to do them.