Burning oil, when is it too much

[azr]

78 1000. She's burning oil, bad rings and bad valve seals. Not the worst amount of smoke I've seen from a bike but she's definately burning oil. Can't get the idle perfect, bit of stumble here and there. I'm guessing this is due to the rings and such (don't ask if everything else has been done, it has). My question is when is it too much? The plugs are a bit fouled that's for sure but she still runs decently. Is there a problem with running the bike like this? and what is eventually going to start happening because of this?

[Nessism]

When the bike starts to foul plugs you know it's burning too much.

[azr]

Dang, is it really as simple as that? Problem is I'm hoping to do a trip on it in a month, 2 weeks somewhere. I was really hoping to get through this season with her, or at least the trip. I figured a bit of smoke can't be that bad, can it?

[7981GS]

You can try running one step hotter plugs and see if they will last a bit longer before fouling.

Eric

[hampshirehog]

If you can still see cars in your mirrors it's still safe. Just take some spare plugs and oil with you. If it keeps stopping too many times through fouled plugs and costing too much on oil then you judge when you have got to the point where you're fed up.

[7981GS]

If you can still see cars in your mirrors it's still safe. Just take some spare plugs and oil with you.
If it keeps stopping too many times through fouled plugs and costing too much on oil then you judge when you have got to the point where you're fed up.

If you can't, just tell them that your name is Bond. James Bond.

Eric

[Steve]

When the city offers to hire you for mosquito control, ... you might need to work on the engine.

.

[Rover]

How many miles on that engine...just curious.

[azr]

If you can still see cars in your mirrors it's still safe. Just take some spare plugs and oil with you. If it keeps stopping too many times through fouled plugs and costing too much on oil then you judge when you have got to the point where you're fed up.

That's what I wanted to hear! I wasn't sure if I was going to leave myself stranded somewhere. She's no where near the point of stalling or dying, not yet anyways. I just want to get through this trip and then it's in for a tear down. The block has 52000 KMs on it. I'm assuming that's original but I'm not the original owner. Thanks again everyone, gotta love the combined knowledge of probably hundreds of years of riding between everyone, beats relying on my 5.

[airbornespud]

If you can still see cars in your mirrors it's still safe. Just take some spare plugs and oil with you. If it keeps stopping too many times through fouled plugs and costing too much on oil then you judge when you have got to the point where you're fed up.

a set of spare plugs and a plug socket along with some fine (1000 grit or better) sandpaper and some extra oil and maybe a gap tool should be all you need. if it's still running "ok" then get through the season and do your tear-down in the off season. IMO. the worst that can happen is that it will quit running in the middle of your ride, but that's the judgement call you have to make.

[Sandy]

That's what I wanted to hear! I wasn't sure if I was going to leave myself stranded somewhere. She's no where near the point of stalling or dying, not yet anyways. I just want to get through this trip and then it's in for a tear down. The block has 52000 KMs on it. I'm assuming that's original but I'm not the original owner. Thanks again everyone, gotta love the combined knowledge of probably hundreds of years of riding between everyone, beats relying on my 5.

Pretty close to the same mileage as mine. Mine uses about a litre in 2,000 kms but I think mine as due mainly to 33 year old valve seals, the motors never been apart. Mine only shows some smoke out the left pipe when I start it if I park it on the side stand overnight otherwise I just have to keep an eye on the oil level. Check the compression, if it's good it's probably valve seals. Just drive it, I'm sure you will have other things to spend some time and money on. I was going to fix mine this winter but got lazy.

[Big T]

Rob

There's a posting on how to change the 8V oil seals without removing the motor (or the head)

That's your best bet

[surviverguy]

Don't forget that fouled plugs can be cleaned and reused again. A four cylinder engine needing plugs daily for a week...4x7=28 plugs at $2.50 each is about $70.00
The best way to clean fouled plugs is with a bead blaster. They make small spark plug cleaners which are miniature blasting cabinets, a small bag really. It hooks to compressed air on one end and the plug goes in. You turn on the air pressure and rotate the plug. It only takes 30 seconds to a minute to clean. The trick is to be sure to thoroughly clean the plug off after blasting.
I bought mine from harbour freight tools years ago for about ten bucks. It comes in handy for tuning/jetting also.


This image is from Harbour Freight Tools. They call it a pneumatic spark plug cleaner, and it still sells for just ten bucks!

[azr]

"Pretty close to the same mileage as mine. Mine uses about a litre in 2,000 kms but I think mine as due mainly to 33 year old valve seals, the motors never been apart. Mine only shows some smoke out the left pipe when I start it if I park it on the side stand overnight otherwise I just have to keep an eye on the oil level. Check the compression, if it's good it's probably valve seals. Just drive it, I'm sure you will have other things to spend some time and money on. I was going to fix mine this winter but got lazy."

Hey Sandy, the compressions not too bad, starting at #1 it's 150, 135, 135, 135. Oh, I know my rings are worn, good old cloud when I punch it and I know the seals are gone, anyone riding behind me down a hill knows that. I just want to get through the season with her, and don't want to be dead on the side of the road down in Oregon (not sure if Todd will rescue me twice!!). She goes through a litre of oil per 800 KMS or so, I figure at that rate I don't have to change the filter much, lol.

"There's a posting on how to change the 8V oil seals without removing the motor (or the head)"

I was following that thread for a bit Todd but I thought it was impossible to change the seals by not removing the head, I'll look again. I've got to do the rings anyways so I don't really mind pulling her apart.



I have one of these and make good use of it.


Thanks everyone for your two cents, lots of good advice. I'm just going to take an extra set of plugs with me and hope for the best. Right now I've got to pull my carbs apart for the third time as #3 isn't firing and it's all narrowed down to the carb. Dipped them the other day but alas there's still something in there. Gotta love these bikes, they're like owning a house, always something to do on them.

[Sandy]

With that compression and mileage unless it's been heavily abused it shouldn't have to come apart. I'd try the seals first, shouldn't take more than an evening or two. I haven't seen the thread you and Todd are talking about but at least you could probably do the old rope in the cylinder and make a tool to compress the valve spring without too much trouble. Maybe use a dowel in the opposing cam journal as a lever point??? Don't know for sure as I haven't tried it yet. You going to make Charlie's in September?