white smoke?

[project85]

Hey guys,
I am new here and this is my first post. I have an 85 that I traded for this last fall. The guy I got it from said it had been sitting for about 2 years. So I just started working on this thing and may have bit off more than I can chew.

My buddy, another VMAX owner (robsplatf4) rebuilt my carbs for me. It has new plugs, I had trouble getting it to spark but figured out it had a bad CDI (go figure) and now using robsplatf4's dyno 3000 CDI we got it to fire up today!!!!

Now the bad news, there was a ton of white smoke coming from the exhaust. Now I did let it run for a bit about 5-10 min to see if it was just from sitting for so long. I did a compression test and both on the left were at 160's, the right front was at 160ish but the back right before getting it to start the first time was only at 50 and after it started got up to 105. I left the compression tester hooked up to see if it would bleed off and after 4 hours it only lost 3 or 4 pounds.

Here is my question, do you think this would be the Oring, valves, or just from sitting so long I just need to give it more time. It has 35k miles and I have not changed out the oil or filter yet. Before you go off on me for leaving 2 year old oil in it I was just waiting to see if I could even get it started first and wanted to drain it the same time I change the shift segment to the new stile.

Thanks for all your help!

Robert.

 

[KJShover]

How long was it sitting?

White smoke generally indicates coolant burning, was the smoke sweet smelling?

Oil smoke will have a blueish tint to it. If your compression was low, then started to climb after running, it could be a little blow-by happening then things atarting to work when it got some oil to it. I'd get some engine flush run it through your motor, and get new oil and a filter in it, first thing. then start thinking gaskets, They tend to dry up and be as useful as tits on a bore when a machine sits for a prolonged period of time so be on the lookout for leaks.

What does the oil look like?

 

[project85]

It has been sitting for 2 years. The oil looks black as can be, the smoke smelled like burning oil if you ask me, but im no expert.

I had to add about half a gallon of water to the radiator but I think that is from the little leak I have found under the radiator at some T looking clamp.

 

[Rhoy Carter]

Change the oil and filter and run it, if your battery gets low you will not get good numbers on the compression test. After you run it for a couple hours the smoke may quit only time will tell. Good luck!

 

[tugla]

are you doing comp test warm or cold motor? also when you are doing it hold the throttle open, gets more air into the cylinder and will rise faster then cranking the hell out of it. on the low cylinder after you take the reading, put a few drops or squirts of oil in it and then do it again, see if the pressure goes up. help you see if its a ring or valve issue but KJ is right white color is usually water being burnt. is this the first time you have started it?

 

[project85]

It has been sitting for 2 years. The oil looks black as can be, the smoke smelled like burning oil if you ask me, but im no expert.

I had to add about half a gallon of water to the radiator but I think that is from the little leak I have found under the radiator at some T looking clamp.

This is all from the first couple of times it has been started in 2 years.

 

[one2dmax]

I would let it run and get to heat and repeat that a couple of times. It could be rings, valves, or a simple valve adjustment. The rings could be sticking a little and a few good heat cycles should clear it up. You may need to run some seafoam in the OIL (and gas) which will help clean things up too.

Sean

 

[robsplatf4]

are you doing comp test warm or cold motor? also when you are doing it hold the throttle open, gets more air into the cylinder and will rise faster then cranking the hell out of it. on the low cylinder after you take the reading, put a few drops or squirts of oil in it and then do it again, see if the pressure goes up. help you see if its a ring or valve issue but KJ is right white color is usually water being burnt. is this the first time you have started it?

It was around 50 psi cold then after we got it started the first time it ran about 5-10 minutes and was about 110 psi. The smoke could have been bluish to white but it definately smelled like oil and there was oil on the plug of the #3 cylinder (low compression cylinder).

 

[tugla]

mmm low comp, blueish smoke and oil smell, i'd lean towards a broken ring, but im no expert on these motors yet. The oil on the plug was only after running it right? i mean if you put a clean dry plug there and run it will it get covered in oil, or was it like that from day you got the bike.have you chg the oil and such, is the comp now staying at 110 on that cylinder? is it hard to start all the time?

 

[Thevmaxrider]

If the bike sat for an extended period of time you could have a stuck ring. Otherwise it may be time to consider a rebuild. Of course you could just run it and make sure to check the oil and see how much you are burning.

 

[tugla]

whats that stuff guys are using in the motors to unstuck rings and such, forget the product name, maybe that stuff will work. I'll look it up or im sure someone will post it, brain not working yet this morning, thinking about the race i gotta go test for today.

 

[[email protected]]

I've heard ATF helps or Marvel Mystery oil. Drizzle a bit directly into the spark plug hole.

Do so at your own risk :biglaugh:. I've never tried it.

 

[tugla]

yup atf works and as i was sitting at the computer picked up my vboost mag and well there it was, BG109 and quick clean product, i knew i saw it somewhere. never used it myself but sounds like it has naptha in it. same stuff as in Jet B fuel , we use al the time to clean out pipes on Moto-x and sleds. let it sit for a while pour out and huge difference in the machine, so this bg stuff might work, worth a try or has anyone else here used the stuff with good results??
we use to put a mix of diesel and atf right down the carb at idle use to clean out also but not sure i would do it on a bike.

 

[KJShover]

It was around 50 psi cold then after we got it started the first time it ran about 5-10 minutes and was about 110 psi. The smoke could have been bluish to white but it definately smelled like oil and there was oil on the plug of the #3 cylinder (low compression cylinder).

My vote still stands at things bound up. matter of cleaning the inside (seafoam, Marvils, engine flush...etc) and getting good fresh oil in there and let it do its thing.

 

[project85]

Thanks for all the input! I hope tomorrow I will have time to do the oil change and also change the shift segment to the new stile. I became a father in November so time takes on a hole new meaning... After reading all the oil info I think ill go with a 15w-40 or 50 and use some or a lot of sea foam while im at it. Then just let it run for an extended time and see if I can't just get lucky.

Thanks again, ill keep you posted on the out come.

 

[Rollie]

Thanks for all the input! I hope tomorrow I will have time to do the oil change and also change the shift segment to the new stile. I became a father in November so time takes on a hole new meaning... After reading all the oil info I think ill go with a 15w-40 or 50 and use some or a lot of sea foam while im at it. Then just let it run for an extended time and see if I can't just get lucky.

Thanks again, ill keep you posted on the out come.

+ 1 on the 15w-40 oil change & letting her do her thing for a while. I'm thinking 50 is too much for winter in the midwest.

 

[project85]

OK, the new shift segment is done. Figured out what it was so hard to find nutural, there was one pin about to fall out of the old segment...

Now I just need the gasket to put the case back on and fill her up with fresh oil and see what happens.

Here are the before/after pics.