20V, oil in spark plug tubes

[Lyle Seaman]

I just changed the spark plugs in the 99 A8 I recently bought, and
discovered the same thing - in this case it was the two rear plug tubes that
were full of oil.  Seems like a fire hazard.

My money says it's a flaw in the manufacturing process, though in your case,
15 years is long enough for seals to degrade of "natural causes".

People have suggested a clogged PCV valve is to blame for leaky seals, but I
also found my front breather hose was in pieces, so there certainly wasn't
any excess crankcase pressure in this car.  So much for emissions controls.
Thanks to those slick engine covers, this thing had been leaking for at
least a year and nobody knew.

Tom, how did you replace the crankcase breather with a metal tube?  That is,
how did you join the metal tube to the engine?  I don't mind periodically
replacing the front breather hose, but the rear ones look to be impossible
to get to without pulling the engine.