Hey guys,
Obviously I'm new to the forum as I am a honda guy. First of all, I also have a 1997 millenia that is having some problems. I changed the oil today as per usual and I saw that quite a lot of oil had collected on top of the valve cover. To further inspect it, I pulled the spark plug wire on the cylinder on the bottom left as you're looking at the motor (closest to the timing belt) and the spark plug tunnel was filled with oil above the spark plug. This was the only spark plug with any oil in it though, and now after inspecting it and without a doubt getting the spark plug boot wet with oil, the car misfires horribly and jerks at idle and when trying to accelerate. Is this some sort of gasket or something? Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance
Max

 

most probably valve cover gaskets. they are a maintenance problem on most dohc cars. and yes, if the wells get oil in them, they can short out, and cause a miss. you should change the boots, or better yet, get a new ign wire set, and clean the wells. best to change the gasket, not a bad job on a 2.5. helluva bitch job on a 2.3.

 

Thats what I was suspecting. Why is it so difficult on the 2.3? I actually haven't even checked to see which motor mine has. Should I change both valve cover gaskets at the same time? And another thing, I did drain all the oil out and dry off the plug and it worked fine for about 5 minutes, then came back again just as before.... Thanks again in advance!
Max

*EDIT* I just figured out that the 2.3 was the sc'd version, that of which I definitely do not have. Do I have to remove the intake manifold to get to the rear valve cover gaskets? And also, where is a good place to order a gasket set? Thanks again

 

i have never worked on a 2.5, so i cant help you there. albany mazda has the best prices on dealer stuff. i like genuine parts, because i KNOW they will fit. especially if it is a bitch job, i dont want to be spending extra time on trying to get something to fit, or worse, having to do it all over again because of poor quality parts. i used to sell aftermarket parts for a living, and i have seen some real buttco stuff out there. the most common mistake a consumer makes, and i see it ALL the time, is they all think quality is the same, therefore go for the cheapest price. WRONG. one thing i would do, is coat both sides with a thin coating of hylomar, or a similar silicone type sealant. make sure all surfaces are clean, clean, clean.