What would make my spark plug tube seals poop out again?

[Secret Chimp]

I replaced the spark plug tube seals on my car around 12,000 miles ago. I noticed the car would idle with an occasional, teeny tiny little miss (i.e. "buhbuhbuhbuhbuhpohbuhbuhbhpohbuhbuhbuhbuh") when cold, so I decided to see if I had fouled up a plug with my shits and giggles and B12 Chemtool from a few weeks ago.
I have a teeny amount of oil in my first plug tube, and the edge of the seal closest to the windshield (it kind of has a "skirt" that sticks into the tube area beyond the mating surface with the valve cover) felt kind of funny, more like plastic instead of rubber. So on one of my cylinders I presume enough is leaking down to fart up the plug until the engine gets hot.
What would have made these things crap out again? I can't remember if I put silicone gasket maker on the valve cover and head mating surfaces for the gaskets, maybe I was supposed to and didn't?

[Raghavan]

Just go buy a Miata already.

[Soup DeVille]

I replaced the spark plug tube seals on my car around 12,000 miles ago. I noticed the car would idle with an occasional, teeny tiny little miss (i.e. "buhbuhbuhbuhbuhpohbuhbuhbhpohbuhbuhbuhbuh") when cold, so I decided to see if I had fouled up a plug with my shits and giggles and B12 Chemtool from a few weeks ago.
I have a teeny amount of oil in my first plug tube, and the edge of the seal closest to the windshield (it kind of has a "skirt" that sticks into the tube area beyond the mating surface with the valve cover) felt kind of funny, more like plastic instead of rubber. So on one of my cylinders I presume enough is leaking down to fart up the plug until the engine gets hot.
What would have made these things crap out again? I can't remember if I put silicone gasket maker on the valve cover and head mating surfaces for the gaskets, maybe I was supposed to and didn't?

It could be as simple as the seal was bad when you put it in. Things like that happen.

[Secret Chimp]

Well, might as well get a feeler gauge along with my new seals so I can adjust my valve lash while I'm at it. At this point I'm going to have to get the t-belt/water pump replaced if I sell this thing or not, one less thing to pay for..

[VTEC_Inside]

Valve cover a little too tight maybe?

A little hi-temp sealant (thin coat) on both sides couldn't hurt next time.

[S204STi]

So, you replaced your valve cover gasket but didn't replace the little donut gaskets around the spark plug bores?  Yep, that'll do it.  And oil soaking your plugs/wires is probably causing a miss.

[VTEC_Inside]

So, you replaced your valve cover gasket but didn't replace the little donut gaskets around the spark plug bores?  Yep, that'll do it.  And oil soaking your plugs/wires is probably causing a miss.

I think the other way around.

[Secret Chimp]

I think the other way around.

No, I replaced both.

[S204STi]

Huh, but you now have oil in the bores again?  Sounds like someone screwed the pooch! 

[Secret Chimp]

Nutter butters - now my oil light comes on after a period of highway driving. It flickers at idle and goes off if I barely hit the gas, and doesn't come on when it's cold or anything above idle speed.
I just did an oil change, and I used some cheapo Pennzoil instead of the Valvoline I already have (5W-30 vs the 10W-30 Valvoline case I have), so hopefully it's either crappy oil that's losing viscosity once it warms up all the way, or a bad oil sending unit (free, $15). Otherwise I either have a bad oil pump ($170 lolz) or a bad bearing (dead car lolololol). Wish me luck tomorree :P

[Secret Chimp]

Well, I changed the oil and the problem is still there. Going to pick up an OEM Honda sensor tomorrow and try to change that, if that doesn't fix it I'll drop the oil pan and check the screen for a clog the last oil change may have caused by loosening some goop from the pan.
If it ends up being the oil pump, I think I'll just wait until I get my student loan straightened out and take out an extra 4-5k or so for a decent Protege, Miata or Civic. Buying a new oil pump along with the t-belt change parts would cost me about as much to buy a whole new engine from a junkyard with less miles on it :P

[S204STi]

Wowzers, sorry to hear about all your trouble man!

[Secret Chimp]

The oil light actually flashed today (indicating a large drop in pressure) when I was idling around looking for parking. I think "oh fuckadilly," here comes a new oil pump, missed work, etc etc. Turn on the car after a meeting and it's fine.
I finally get back and remove the oil filter to look at the sending unit, and the rubber boot over it just wants to crack open. OLD OIL is inside. The sending unit itself was leaking! I'm going to spin on a new unit and replace my tube seals (again, with RTV, and tightening carefully) and hopefully I should be in good shape.

[Secret Chimp]

Well, I drove around a little bit tonight and no oil light when I come back. Hopefully it's the same story with my full drive to work tomorrow.
Any idea what would make it continue to vibrate a lot more in drive at a stop than in neutral? The RPM difference is barely 20something, and I just cleaned the plugs, the cap and rotor are recent and the wires are still good. IAC or EGR?

[The Pirate]

Well, I drove around a little bit tonight and no oil light when I come back. Hopefully it's the same story with my full drive to work tomorrow.
Any idea what would make it continue to vibrate a lot more in drive at a stop than in neutral? The RPM difference is barely 20something, and I just cleaned the plugs, the cap and rotor are recent and the wires are still good. IAC or EGR?

Torque converter?  It seems likely to be somewhere in the coupling between the engine and tranny.

[Secret Chimp]

Torque converter?  It seems likely to be somewhere in the coupling between the engine and tranny.

Well obviously the engine has more load on it in drive sitting still than in neutral sitting still, it seems to be that some-tens of RPM that makes the difference. It idles a tick above 750 in park or neutral, a tick below 750 in drive. If I hold the brake with one foot and raise the gas even slightly (i.e. still around 800rpm instead of the 740-750s it holds when its all rumblebump), the idle smooths out. It's not an uneven idle, it just feels like it's idling at a below-spec RPM even though it isn't.

[The Pirate]

Well obviously the engine has more load on it in drive sitting still than in neutral sitting still, it seems to be that some-tens of RPM that makes the difference. It idles a tick above 750 in park or neutral, a tick below 750 in drive. If I hold the brake with one foot and raise the gas even slightly (i.e. still around 800rpm instead of the 740-750s it holds when its all rumblebump), the idle smooths out. It's not an uneven idle, it just feels like it's idling at a below-spec RPM even though it isn't.

Alright, I know what you are talking about now.  My automatic car did this too, and I've noticed it (to a lesser extent) in other cars I've driven.

Four-cylinder cars seem to have a rough idle.  Mine shakes a tiny bit at normal idle speed, and but smooths right out a couple hundred revs higher.  I'm guessing it could be a worn out motor mount.  My Honda would shake kinda badly at idle, but was smooth as silk with some gas.  I replaced a motor mount that had worn out, it made a big difference.  On those FWD Hondas, the back mount anchors both the engine and tranny, IIRC.

[Secret Chimp]

Yeah, I think the rear mount is bad, but it requires removing the intake manifold to get to at any degree, plus it's something like a $100 part.

I also just found out that there are LOWER spark plug tube seals on this car that require removing the rocker arm assembly. So if oil comes back again, I'm in for a world of fun.