I have a 2000 honda civic with a b16a in it. I bought new spark plugs an valve cover gasket set . But there is a puddle of oil in where the spark plugs are at an the plugs are still in . So what would be the best way to remove the oil...

Use absorbent paper towels. The problem came from leaking spark plug seals, which go on the bottom of the cylinder head cover. Coat seals, where they contact the spark plug tubes, with engine oil before installing cylinder head cover. These seals prevent oil from pooling in the spark plug tubes.

Just so you are clear. You said you bought a valve gasket "set". A valve cover set will include new spark plug tube seals that prevents oil seepage from the valve area to the spark plug holes. I have heard many people refer to just the valve cover gasket as a "valve cover set". These can be purchased either way (i.e. just the valve cover gasket or the full set with all the gaskets). The full set will cost you about $10 more then just the valve cover gasket.

If you did not buy the whole set and did not replace the spark plug tube gaskets then they will continue to seep.

Use absorbent paper towels. The problem came from leaking spark plug seals, which go on the bottom of the cylinder head cover. Coat seals, where they contact the spark plug tubes, with engine oil before installing cylinder head cover. These seals prevent oil from pooling in the spark plug tubes.

I just had this same problem with my Acura RSX. Buddy of mine had replaced the spark plug tube seals and he didn't seat them properly.

I spent hours cleaning the oil out of the tubes with shop paper towels, and a few shots of brake cleaner (with plugs still installed). Then I chased the threads in the head with one of the old spark plugs, with its threads notched along one side and greased up with WD-40. Did this about 4 or 5 times per cylinder, until the threads stopped producing dirt.

Replaced the cylinder cover seals with aftermarket seals since they were the only ones I could get my hands on the same day. I didn't grease the inner edges with oil as you recommended, though I did use oil and a seal driver to seat them (properly this time).

I bought new spark plugs, the ones in place had only 15K miles on them, but were fouled. I reused the ignition coils for a week while I waited for a barely used set to arrive from a junkyard. My original coils didn't generate any noticeable misfire or CEL, but the rubber booties on the ends were torn and the glue that held them on had been eaten up by the oil.

I just installed the new coils today. Just how clean should the insides of those tubes be? I only saw traces of oil. Also, how important is it to grease the insides of the gaskets before they seat against the spark plug tubes - and should I be afraid of aftermarket vs. OEM gaskets?

Thanks.

paulkramer, it sounds like you did a good job cleaning. I don't think you will have any problem with aftermarket seals.

paulkramer, it sounds like you did a good job cleaning. I don't think you will have any problem with aftermarket seals.

Thanks for your comments. Lord knows I spent enough time cleaning that mess up, isn't easy to do with those tubes inserted in the head!

The seals did look like quality seals, they may even have been OEM replacement parts - they are made in Japan.

Should I bother soaking a Q-Tip in oil and running it along the inner edges of those seals, or remove the cylinder head cover and oil them up before reinstalling it?

Don't want to have this happen again, especially if it goes unnoticed for two years like it did this time. I'm amazed the car ran so well with that mess in the spark plug tubes!

I would do it properly and remove the cylinder head cover.

Now that I think about it more thoroughly, it's really not as big a deal as I thought - I don't have to remove it completely, I can lift it up enough to free the gaskets from the tubes.

Getting it off the car is a pain, it hangs up on all the things in the way. Tightly packed motor compartment.

Should I be concerned about the small amount of oil that may have been on the old, reused ignition coils (I cleaned them with window cleaner, as I didn't want to ruin the plastic/rubber with brake cleaner) and transferred to the new spark plugs, and now possibly transferred to the new ignition coils?

Or is a trace amount of oil insignificant in this situation?

Insignificant.

Thanks again. I'm not in a position financially to keep replacing expensive parts, just want to be sure!

Whilst checking my spark plug tubes to see if they are still oil-free (they are! Woo-hoo!), I noticed a slight build-up of rust on the inner surfaces of the spark plug tubes.

Can this cause issues, e.g. interference with the ignition?

No.

Thanks again, txgreasemonkey

I checked the Honda parts catalog, apparently they are only sold as part of the complete head assembly!

Crazy. But if it's not an issue, there's no need to replace them.