I just pulled 2 plugs (1 trailing and 1 lead) on my 12A. The trailing plug is soaked with oil, the leading plug also has some oil on it but not as much. Does this mean the seal(s) are gone? I think the engine is toast, I'm just trying to make sure befoe I pull it.

You sure its not carbon soaked with gas? Did the car smoke badly?

The car wasn't running when I bought it. I now have all plugs 4 out. The front trailing plug is defintely soaked with oil. The other three I think are carbon. There is no gas though.

Well since this was moved, maybe someone can answer me. This board is not very helpful.

best way to take care of dirty plugs (if you access to an air compressor) is a harbor freight spark plug cleaner. Works wonders! Basically a mioni sandblaster meant for cleaning spark plugs.

Throw some cheap Autolites in there and try to start it, if it runs like **** after pull the plugs and look for oil again on the new plugs. May be blown oil control seals.

Are you SURE it's not gas? I mean you smell and can feel the oil on the plugs? It's usually unlikely to have oil on the plugs, how many miles anyway?

[quote name='nopistons94' date='May 19 2005, 12:01 AM']Are you SURE it's not gas? I mean you smell and can feel the oil on the plugs? It's usually unlikely to have oil on the plugs, how many miles anyway?


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Yah if they are really old and carbon fouled plus have unburnt gas on them they will look oil soaked but if the guy says its oil its probably oil. Post pics of the plugs if ya can.

yea i just severely doubt oil soaked plugs, unless maybe hes not getting spark AND fuel and just keeps cranking the motor while the OMP is injecting oil. but thats prob not even possible, so it's either gas, or oil blowby from a F'd seal. not a big deal either way, 12a's are like butta to rebuild

[quote name='nopistons94' date='May 19 2005, 12:37 AM']yea i just severely doubt oil soaked plugs, unless maybe hes not getting spark AND fuel and just keeps cranking the motor while the OMP is injecting oil. but thats prob not even possible, so it's either gas, or oil blowby from a F'd seal. not a big deal either way, 12a's are like butta to rebuild


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Yah open it up and port the **** out of it if its canidate for a rebuild.

I take back what I said about this board not being very helpful, I was just frustrated. Thank you. The car has 216,000 km on it. Which is about 134,000 miles. I bought it for $200 knowing that the engine is probably gone, it had been sittting for a year. I am building a weekend car/Autox car so a rebuild and street port are in the cards. The plugs do smell like a bit fuel, but not as if they were flooded. There's no fuel in the tank. Here are pics of the 1 really bad plug, and of the 3 others.

Here are the other 3 plugs.

Well the top one looks like a really bad carbon fouled spark plug with gas on it. Did you try to turn the motor over and put some gas down the carb to fire it? The other 3 just look fouled and need to be replaced. Like I said get some cheap Autolites and try to start it. If it fires pull them back out and they will tell ya what is goin on in the motor. Good luck

I have a brand new set of NGK's, but if there's a good chance it's going to foul them I don't want to put them in. The guy who sold me the car tried to strt when I was looking at it and it will turn over but not fire. I have not tired starting it, I have changed the oil and the coolant and have a new fuel filter and the new NGK plugs. But I'm now thinking why bother trying to start it, maybe it's just best to pull the engine and see if the core is good. If not I'll start looking for a 13B core.

[quote name='sjd' date='May 19 2005, 12:54 PM']I have a brand new set of NGK's, but if there's a good chance it's going to foul them I don't want to put them in. The guy who sold me the car tried to strt when I was looking at it and it will turn over but not fire. I have not tired starting it, I have changed the oil and the coolant and have a new fuel filter and the new NGK plugs. But I'm now thinking why bother trying to start it, maybe it's just best to pull the engine and see if the core is good. If not I'll start looking for a 13B core.


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Have you checked to see if your coils are firing at all?

Also check the FAQ's at the top of this forum, some of the links may be dead but there is alot of info as far as troubleshooting goes. I think the links to the Factory Service Manuals are still up, good PDF's to download.

its just not getting spark and the plugs are deff fouled if they were sitting for a year. check for spark on the coils, and put some new plugs in.



If its getting spark and fuel, pull all 4 plugs out, and either pull the gas lines on the carb or the EGI fuse if its fuel injected, and crank the motor for 10 seconds.



Do this like 2-3 times and let it sit. If you want put some ATF in the holes but I never did that, and then just put the new plugs in and start her up. It will smoke like crazy for a while though, so don't leave it in a garage.

Dont use ATF, if you can get away with using Marvel than use that. The reason I say that is ATF can swell rubber seals, its just safer to use the MMO if ya can.

[quote name='1revnrex' date='May 19 2005, 04:55 PM']Dont use ATF, if you can get away with using Marvel than use that. The reason I say that is ATF can swell rubber seals, its just safer to use the MMO if ya can.


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Just regurgitating proper tech from past rotary experts. I myself never had to use ATF or anything else for that matter to unflood a rotary, I find it not needed if you just unflood it properly in the first place.

[quote name='nopistons94' date='May 19 2005, 04:59 PM']Just regurgitating proper tech from past rotary experts. I myself never had to use ATF or anything else for that matter to unflood a rotary, I find it not needed if you just unflood it properly in the first place.


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No prob, ATF is good for loosening carbon buildup and unstickin apex and side seals but it swells some rubber seals as well. On piston motors with leaky valve seals sometimes ATF can stop morning startup smoke if it isnt a really bad leak. MMO works great, Ask Jeff Im pretty sure he soaked his 20b in MMO and had good luck, I know my 12A sat for 4 years and after a good soak in MMO its my daily driver.

whats MMO made out of, is it still a mystery??? https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/wacko.png







https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...1047683785.gif

Thanks for all the replies. Like I said either I pull it and port it so it's ready to go for next year's Solo2 season (this is the last year with my modded P5) or I get it running and who knows how long it runs for. I worked on it most of the day today and have almost got the motor/tranny out. I should also mention that it has an automatic that won't be going back in there.

[quote name='nopistons94' date='May 19 2005, 07:23 PM']whats MMO made out of, is it still a mystery??? https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/wacko.png

https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...1047683785.gif


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Pixies and fairy dust, I thought everyone knew that. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...1047683664.gif





Nah I think its petroleum distillates (sp?) mostly, almost like a thin detergent oil. I love the stuff, it has unlocked many Beetle motors for me,at least 3 dual port 1600's that I bought for parts had seized and we managed to unlock them with MMO.

[quote name='sjd' date='May 19 2005, 09:46 PM']Thanks for all the replies. Like I said either I pull it and port it so it's ready to go for next year's Solo2 season (this is the last year with my modded P5) or I get it running and who knows how long it runs for. I worked on it most of the day today and have almost got the motor/tranny out. I should also mention that it has an automatic that won't be going back in there.


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Nice, at least ya got the GSL rear already, thats a head start. Ive been lookin into a Miata torsen diff as a rear end option for me, I have to get rid of the open differential thats in it now, one wheel wonders suck! https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...1047683358.gif