What is the best method to remove oil from Plug wells

[GhostRider33763]

Anyone have any ideas on the best method to remove the oil from the plug wells. I'm planning on changing the gaskets, plugs, and wires in a few days.

 

[luigisho]

Quite a few people here have really good homemade solutions for this one. Personally I like the ones that involve tapering something like a shop vac down to a straw. This way if you want to get crazy and make a tiny bit of oil dissolving solution to really clean it out you can. Plus it helps remove any rust/sediment that can accumulate in there. You don't want any of this stuff to fall in the cylinders.

 

[sdpatt]

For the deep oil I use my hand powered, Black and Decker vacuum pump or a drill-driven, self-priming pump with a straw-sized extension tube. To clean the remainder of the oil and debris from the well, I spray intake cleaner to clean and dilute the balance and then use the vacuum pump to remove it. A final clean-up involves spraying compressed air (from canned air or an air compressor) to dry the intake cleaner and blow out any grit that couldn't be vacuumed out. You should be able to see the shiny aluminum of the head around the plug's perimeter before removing the plug.

 

[BeatDaSHO]

to get the oil out of my plug wells, i used a windex bottle top and i pulled it out of the container and stuck the straw down in the plug wells. then i pumped it out into a cloth. Then i took a rag and put it around a screw driver to get some more out. then i used an eye dropper to get the rest out. good luck. it sucks. haha

Greg

 

[jimtash]

I know that I might get some flack for this but I just took the plugs out and let the oil flow right back into the cylinder. It would end up there anyway just not a fast if the plugs were still in. That was my old motor and I knew I was going to replace it anyway so I wasn't too cautious with it. I won't do that to my new engine though.

 

[89 Gary]

I spray a little wd-40 in each well to "loosen up" the oil or sand etc. Then use high pressure air blow it out. I wrap a small towel on top the well first so it doesn't fly out over engine/face. Clean as a whistle.

 

[sdpatt]

jimtash:
I know that I might get some flack for this but I just took the plugs out and let the oil flow right back into the cylinder. It would end up there anyway just not a fast if the plugs were still in. That was my old motor and I knew I was going to replace it anyway so I wasn't too cautious with it. I won't do that to my new engine though.

Jim, it's not the oil that is the threat to the integrity of the engine - it's the gritty debris that flows along with it. This is usually more of a problem with the front bank due to its exposure to the airflow through the radiator or to ill-fitting non-Motorcraft plugs or wires that don't allow the boots to seal at the valve cover. This grit is usually silica-based dirt. You know, sand. Can you imaging what a little sand in the cylinders can do? That is a great way to **** any engine. Certainly an engine with ring clearances as tight as the SHO. Would you do it again to save a little time? Only you can answer that question. I don't think my engine would have lasted 256,000 miles with 180-185 psig compression if I had put sand in the cylinders.

Scott