Your engine

[gfl@cc.bellcore.com (grant f lenahan)]

Dan-

Very sorry to hear about your engine woes.

I'm bothered by the oil level / oil pressure
tract that this discussion is taking - I don;t
think it will solve your problem.

You said that your #3 spark plug _lost its tip_.
That's extreme.  That's the clue, because either (a)
somthing major happended to strike th tip, or
(b) a defective tip smashed around in your motor.

I really doubt that its s comlete coincidence
with an oil related problem.  Plus, unless you
overfilled by a LOT, my expereince (and my local
dealers') is that 1/3 qt or so won;t cause harm.

I also ran M1 5/30 for years in my 4000Q in the winter.

My first stsp would be to get the easy things right,
including oil level and a new plug.  The run
the engine.  Then check spark, mixture.  Then run
a compression test and a leak down, in that order.

You might also look through the spark plug hole
and inspect for damage/debris.

Maybe I'm wrong.  Its happened before,
but the oil thing sounds like a red herring.
Interesting, maybe.  Worth learning, maybe.
But a red herring.

Grant
gfl@cc.bellcore.com

(ps: I'm out of town strating tomorrow PM,
so dont reply after that if you expect an answer :-))

Good luck.  Call if you need a reference to
a good mechanic.  Yours sounds a little
crumudgeonly.