Hello fellow Brickers,

I was putting new plugs in my '95 850 N/A this afternoon and found oil between the ribs in the casting on top of the engine after I removed the spark plug cover. An amount that wasn't cause for alarm, but concerning nonetheless. When I pulled the #3 plug, I found the threads covered in oil. The remainder of the plugs were clean.

Just curious what could be causing the problem. Loose bolts for the upper half of the head? Failed sealing rings around the spark plugs?

I've kept up on keeping my flame trap clean, replacing a fairly clean trap with a new one about 5,000 miles ago. I don't think it's a crankcase ventilation problem; the black hose that comes from the flame trap near the oil cap seemed to be in good condition.

What do you all think?

Thanks in advance,
sperryrand