Honda Repair: wont start, valve cover gasket, fuel fire

Question
i have a 89 civic si 1.6 and it wont start....i pulled the plug and i have oil in one of the plug....plus when i turn the key no noise from fuel pump...should i just buy a new engine

Answer
Oil down inside the spark plug tube is common. If you pull the plug wire out & find oil on the end of the plug wire, it is from the worn out O Rings under the valve cover gaskets. It is repairable by replacing the valve cover gasket. Flip the valve cover over & you will see 4 large O rings that pull out. If it won't start, there are several common issues that could cause it not to crank. The ignitor & coil are famous to fail, the timing belt could break, the distributor could burn up. Without more info, it is hard to come to a close conclusion. You need to check for fuel, fire & compression. Narrow it down & let me know.