An attempt to stop a GL1000 from smoking

[CYBORG]

Not sure I would enjoy removing the valve covers on a hot engine, but would be interested in what someone found who did it

[cfairweather]

Cliff- Interesting idea about tilting the bike to the right. The engine is now mounted on my test stand and I just need to rebuild a set of carbs to test it. I can tilt the engine both ways on the stand, so I will do some testing. I should be able to see oil drain by tilting the engine and pouring a bit of oil onto the springs. I will give it a try.

[CYBORG]

So I just Had a thought. (no whiskey involved), if a goldwing was navigating A high bank at Daytona,(31 degree's), would the engine starve for oil or loose oil pressure? Would the left exhaust start smoking?

[cfairweather]

If I tilt the engine to the left 31 degrees on the engine stand and open the oil screen cover, I should be able to answer your question. I plan on filling the crankcase to the top line for all testing.

Any guesses on how much compression this low tolerance engine will produce? I am going to do a compression test without any carbs mounted, so it will be a true test.

[CYBORG]

If a proper gauge is used,(screw in), and no extra hose, I would guess, not kn owing the engine mileage, etc, I would guess 145 PSI all around, plus or minus 10 psi

[gltriker]

If I tilt the engine to the left 31 degrees on the engine stand and open the oil screen cover, I should be able to answer your question. I plan on filling the crankcase to the top line for all testing.

Any guesses on how much compression this low tolerance engine will produce? I am going to do a compression test without any carbs mounted, so it will be a true test.

Show us your cylinder compression tester and adaptor, valve lash clearance and I'll take a guess, too

[CYBORG]

my guess is based on everything being correct. I know it seldom is. Noh sure the engine would even run at 31 degrees. centrifugal force might help , and speed would be an issue

[redglbx]

Cyborg, I believe your guess is on the money,, as I’ve said before my 76 when new ran between 135 and 145psi and stayed pretty much at that level for many years/miles until I advanced the cam timing and then later milled .040in off the heads which then tested around 190-200psi.

The last time I checked it a few years ago when trying to figure out the lh side “chuff” in the exhaust showed it to be around 160-170psi, don’t know why it dropped, could be a gauge thing. I did do a leak down test at that time as well with excellent results.

If I get up to the shop today as planned I need to look in my notes in the shop manual for what my 76 LTD is which I think would be higher but I don’t remember for sure. I’ve had thoughts of buying a new compression tester as the one I have is probably 50yrs old and was a good one (screw-in) at that time…. I haven’t though as the the actual compression number isn’t as important as consistency cylinder to cylinder which is more important.

But I’ll add one last thing in that these motors really don’t seem to care that much about their compression, one of the sweetest running GL’s I know of is a 76 with only 85psi in one cylinder and has been that way for a very long time. Just runs like a sewing machine ! Yeah, I know compression has a lot to do with performance and efficiency but trying to fix it would probably screw it up ! Leave it alone.

[gregforesi]

I've had two engines in my 78 and they both occasionally smoked on start-up. By the time I get to the end of the block it's always cleared out. The 77 engine that is in it now had 3500 miles on it when I put it in. It smoked on start-up.
Every day it sits in the same spot on the floor and on it's sidestand at the same lean angle. The only difference I can see is where the engine stopped when it was shut off. (95% of the time, I shut it off with my "sidestand safety switch" so the bike is vertical when it stops.)

Yes, keeping the oil level about 1/2 way up the site glass works to minimize smoking (how often...not how much). The bike doesn't really use any oil so the volume of leakage is very small. I don't believe I get any gas leakage through the carbs that might be making up for oil loss.
How much smoke never changes. Those times that it smokes on start-up, it smokes the same whether it was parked for a week, or for 3 hours.
The only thing you can absolutely 100% count on is that it will ALWAYS smoke if there are Harleys around.
The '06 has never smoked. Not a puff ever.

[cfairweather]

I used a Harbor Freight compression tester and all 4 cylinders were 120 psi. I think since the rings and valves haven't seated, this is pretty good. The engine has not been started. I just added some oil and cranked it over with no carbs installed.

[theailer]

Not much I can contribute here but this thread really got my attention. Good stuff

[CYBORG]

120 seems a bit low. Bike should run. Check it again after you got a few hundred miles on it

[cfairweather]

I will just leave it on the test stand until I am certain everything is fine. I don't think 120 is low for an engine that has never been started. Since all of them were the same, I am pretty sure this is normal.

[redglbx]

Greg, I think you are correct,,, park near any group of Harley’s or even Beemers for that matter and my Wing will absolutely fog the place over, guaranteed ! The interesting thing about it is that like your 77 my 76 has never needed oil added normally. I’ve even marked the sight glass because early on when it was new I was sure that with all the smoke it had to be using oil and likely had a broken ring, but now 50yrs later it just run, yep, it’ll still occaisionally smoke even on the center stand,,,,,, I don’t get it but it’s at the point that I just don’t care & the HD critics can just eff off..

The interesting thing is that I had a couple of friends that had just bought new Harley’s in the 90’s and spent around 30k or so busting my chops over the start-up smoke but the only smoke that counted was both of them in my rear view mirrors with my old antique,,,which neither will ever admit to ! 97ci Harley’s got smoked by a 61ci antique, hmmmmmm !

I think around 78 is when they started to clock the ring gaps to mitigate the start up smoking but not 100% sure.

Cedric, personally I’m not sure I’d worry about the 120psi cranking compression, if it runs ok so what ! It could get better with break-in or it could just be the gauge but the important thing is the consistency. Just Enjoy it !

[Shadowjack]

Pretty sure on a high bank track, at speed, observed gravity is through the tire contact patch. Ever seen those old "wall of death" or giant open-grate steel ball performances?