smoke

[n0rt75o]

went out and started up the wing yesterday for the first time since last fall, it always smokes a little but this time it was so much i had to leave the barn it was so bad, am going to pull the plugs as both pipes were smokeing and it was a oil smell not coolant. any ideas or help will be apperciated. n0rt

[hmratbam]

NOW you know why you shouldn't let your 'wing sit for extended periods, they don't like it! Probably not a big thing,oil could have seeped into places where it do doesn't belong in 5 or 6 months. A VERY small amount of oil will make a LOT of smoke! You could dump in a little Marvel Mystery Oil,run it long enough to warm it up and then change the oil and filter. That will eliminate whatever might have grown or condensed in there during the winter.
Ron

[Frenchy]

As Ron said, probaly not a big thing.... They REALLY don't like to set...... Old Yeller will sure cloud things up after a long winters nap....n That's why I'm moving somewhere warm..... My bike demands it......

[n0rt75o]

well took it out last night as it started ok but was smokeing again, after a few miles down the road it was burning clean and running well, thanks for all the advice as it felt good to be rideing again, now all i have to do is keep my eyes peeled for all those chuck holes !!!

[rcmatt007]

after a long sit.... mine clears out all the misquitos in the neighbourhood

[Bob Longobardi]

I am getting white smoke out of my exhaust pipes, vacuum gages read low 5"and indicate late valve timing.I set my floats at 21mm. new air cut off valve. new carb gaskets and complete disassembly and cleaning. Tomorrow I am going to pull the radiator and the timing belts and set the engine up from scratch. It has the Dyna s ignition and my plugs are gapped @ .035. intake and exhaust valves set at 4mm. I think it is off by one tooth..........It starts right up but will not idle properly. The engine is flooding with gas @ the #4 cylinder, not enough to cause hydraulic lock , but enough so I can hear it dripping past the exhaust valve and sizzling on the inside of the exhaust header....any suggstions? 8)

[octane]

..I am getting white smoke out of my exhaust pipes...

A lot?
..sounds like a defective head-gasket

..It has the Dyna s ignition..

Please have a look here:
DYNA ignition / timing

... I am going to pull the radiator and the timing belts..

Please have a look here:
TIMING BELTS

..intake and exhaust valves set at 4mm....

That would be 0.4mm

The engine is flooding with gas @ the #4 cylinder, not enough to cause hydraulic lock , but enough so I can hear it dripping past the exhaust valve and sizzling on the inside of the exhaust header....any suggstions? ..

AUUUCH!
Float sticking.
Defect float valve (stuck open)
..is your valve an aftermarket thing?

Something gone completely wrong
when adjusting the float height ??!
Please have a look here:
Carb rebuild / float-height adjustment




Good luck!

[Bob Longobardi]

they were both replaced when I tore the engine down to inspect it. the amount of smoke reminds me of when we had a "wet" start a jet engine. I think the problem is ME!!!!! Too many projects and so i spread myself thin. I am going to concentrate all day on the wing, gonna be in the 90's................... have to do a compression test and get some baseline figures..if it looks too involved, I am moving over to the 78 i picked up. It is totally stock so I haven't had the time to fiddle with it yet. it is clean enough to ride just as it is, but it sure is ugly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PO took some liberties with the rattle can, silver gas tank for starters!!!! booooooo
ride safe

[M3]

Howdy Ya'll,

I had white smoke coming from my right side pipe of my GL1000 when I started it up. It smelled sort of sweet, like antifreeze. Read through a few forums, I saw where this may be caused from a bad air cut off valve. I decided to disassemble the air cut off valve and to pull the head on the right side and inspect. I saw that the air cut off valve was getting old and dry, and there was definitely some leakage on the old head gasket, and some leftover remnants from a previous gasket, so I called up my cousin that sold the 'Wing to me. He said that he had a "professional 'Wing mechanic" work on it (same guy that 're-built the rear brake that never worked). Apparently, the mechanic had re-lapped the valves on that side for some reason. I cleaned off the surfaces real good, checked the surfaces for warpage with the straight edged and feeler gauge like the shop manual said. It was all in tolerance. I ordered a new head gasket and air cut off valve from Frenchy (THANKS FRENCHY!), put 'er back together, and it runs great. I also got one of those gauge kits (K&L Vacuum Gauges: Item # 708 - these are great!) from Frenchy, as well. I synced up the carbs, and man-o-man, this thing really runs good now! And, no more white smoke from the pipe.

However, it seems to be getting some smoke off of the rear tire from some stop light launches

M3

[Papa Joe]

If my '80 GL-100 didn't smoke when I started it I would think it didn't love me anymore. Always quits after 1/2 mile or so.

[Sidecar Bob]

A bit of smoke from the left exhaust on startup is fairly normal. When Cycle Canada tested the first GL1000 it did the same thing, and it was brand new.

All piston rings must have gaps to allow for expansion when the engine warms up. When the engine cools the gaps open slightly. If the engine stops with one of the left pistons at or near top dead centre (almost all of the time, since one rises as the other falls) and you park it on the sidestand, any oil that happens to be "below" the piston in that cylinder will pool in the cylinder, next to the piston. It is possible for a tiny amount of oil to find it's way past the ring gaps and into the cylinder. On startup, the oil burns - it only takes a pinpoint drop to make a big cloud.

There is nothing wrong with your engine unless:
- it smokes under hard deceleration when fully warm
- the smoke comes from the right side
- your engine is using noticable quantities of oil - my '79 engine smokes about one morning per week but I almost never needed to add oil

It has beem suggested that if you lean the bike slightly to the right for a few seconds between shuting the engine off and leaning it over onto the stand most of the oil will run out of the left cylinders and there will be less chance of smoke the next time you start it.

BTW: When BMW brought out their K bikes (inline 3 & 4 cylinder engines with the cylinders horizontal and the heads on the left) they smoked almost every time they were started and their clouds made ours seem like a tiny puff. They had to re-design the rings and pistons so that the rings can't rotate in their grooves and the gaps are always on the upper half.