Oil on spark plug: thread side only

[Kormoran]

Hey guys, thanks in advance any help is appreciated!

Ive done quite a bit of searching but unfortunately have come up with only guesses. I really need some solid advice on what causes this and how to fix it myself preferably First off I noticed a definite misfire under load for a while before it started 'flat spotting' and I feel this could be the cause of my issues (see 2.0R flat spot forum lol)
The car was probably babied most of its life... most

http://www.rs25.com/forums/f105/t51254-diy-valve-cover-spark-plug-gasket-install.html

I found this DIY but its for an older ej, will the same ideas apply to my car? Also, most importantly am I looking in the right direction?

Thanks again!
Matt
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[gen3v8]

The thread side? That's like me saying I have a sore elbow, on the arm side. But I presume you mean the hex side or the lead side which would indicate an oil leak close by. Clean the oil off and see if the problem goes or improves. If it goes fix the oil leak, if it improves fix the oil leak and
change the plugs.

[notmyrealname]

To me, thread side of the plug means the bit that will be poking into the combustion chamber, and if that is the oily part then yes it will be the "spark plug tube seals" that are actually causing your problem. These are part of a kit that includes valve cover gaskets with the spark plug tube seals ( at least, I know it is for an EJ25). The EJ25 also has small plastic caps somewhere? over the camshafts that could be inspected/replaced while the valve covers are off as they are known to split over time. Not sure how much of this holds true for an EJ20 though.. Not a cheap job to be done by Subaru, but doesn't seem too difficult to DIY. This video may give you an idea of what's in the kit and how it's done. http://youtu.be/F5fDJs_OPGE