I haven't noticed any leaks... and I didn't feel of the gunk to see if it was gritty or not. The core I guess what you call it.. (middle part where the electrode comes out.. ) looked like it had a buildup on the other side too.. not clean like the other plugs.

 

Picture of the 'gunky' plug and one that is a sample of the ones that came out of the rest of the cylinders.. you can see the discoloration and the shape of the electrode on the end...kind of mushroomed out.

 

Was this cylinder 8 (passenger side closest to the firewall)? If so, I find that pretty interesting because mine also had grease on it. It was getting grease in there from the breather tube coming from the passenger side valve cover. That tube, and the rubber seat, dry out over time and allow vapors to leak out. I also had a slight leak around the valve cover. The bolts were a bit loose, so I just tightened them up and it fixed the problem. The gasket is rubber; otherwise, it wouldn't have made much difference.

 

Yes, that is the cylinder I am talking about. I will have to check the bolts on the valve cover to see if they are loose, and see if I can find the breather hose you are talking about.

 

The one on the right looks normal. I would keep an eye on the other cylinder though. With your ticking issue, it could indicate a problem with a valve seat.

 

is that an expensive fix??

 

Could be. If I were you, I would consider a Seafoam treatment via a vacuum line to see if it helps your tick. It will remove a significant about of buildup that could be causing your valves to stick. I like to try the easy and inexpensive fixes before dumping a ton of cash on a long shot.

 

I've run 2 cans through so far... now that I have clean plugs, I'll run another can through.

 

If you have run Seafoam through it already, that gunk could just be the buildup that it removed. Sometimes it gums up the plugs as that stuff is burned up. I'd just keep an eye on the plug.

 

I'll run it for a week or so, then check to see what the plug looks like. As far as valve covers go... could I take them off to see what's underneath, and replace the gaskets when I put them back on, or would I be asking for trouble?