82 GS850G Engine Smoke

[Guest]

Hello friends,

Hope you're all doing well. Long time lurker first time poster. My beloved Maybelline (82 GS850G) is ill, and I'm trying to figure out what she needs to get better. Recently, there has been a considerable amount of white smoke rising from the front of the engine. This happens when she gets up to operating temperature. Here is all the information I have on the problem:

1) I've had her for two years. I don't have a garage so poor Maybelline is stored outside in the cold Massachusetts winter. I try to ensure she's winterized as effectively as possible, and she usually starts up with no fuss at the start of the season. She did this year too. But the first ride of the season revealed an oil leak. I couldn't figure out exactly where the leak was coming from, but oil would tend to collect where the cylinder meets the cases on the sides of the bike.

2) I knew the tach seal was bad, so I replaced that but the leak persisted. I then thought re-torquing the head bolts could help.

3) The smoke began appearing after I re-torqued the bolts (32 ft.lbs). At first I thought it was the penetrating oil burning off the engine (I doused the head bolts a little too liberally), but the whitish, burnt smelling smoke remains. I have not run the engine more than twice after the smoking issue resulted. There is also no significant drop in the oil level (but this could change the more she is run).

I'm no expert, but I know my way around a bike. From what I know this is most likely a leak which is causing oil to burn when the engine warms up. My question is whether there is any sure way to diagnose this. I haven't been able to find this leak despite much digging around. I am also wondering if giving the head bolts another torque treatment will help. Are there any common areas the GS850G leaks from? I am pretty sure it's coming from higher up (as the smoke emits from the general area under the tank).

I love this bike, and I try to care for it the best I can. Unfortunately, I have been in my own head about this problem for a few weeks and really think a few more heads could help.

Cheers for a great forum.

Usmaan

[Bortasqu]

Hey.

Try washing the bike completely clean, and then start it up again and watch for leaks closely. Put a cardboard under the engine area for easier spotting, and less spilling if there is an actual leak.

[Burque73]

Good morning. Welcome to the GSR first off. Some guys roll out the red carpet an all, hopefully they'll do so for you. If you've "lurked" long enough I'm sure you've found shop service manual downloads, links to tutorials on common repairs and favored suppliers among the GSR community. If not then look through the signature links in some posts or in the stickys on tops of the forum pages.

I've heard it's best before re-torque to loosen a half turn or so, then apply specified torque. Is that what you did?

Cam cover gasket and end plugs can weep on mine. If I don't recheck those bolts after a valve check/ adjust in a few hundred miles it tends to weep a bit. Have you pulled and checked valve clearances lately? Cam end plugs changed?

I saw a while back what looked like talcum powder or baby powder applied to an engine to find a leak. Maybe that would work.

Too bad Maybeline spends so much time out in the weather.

Anyway, welcome and good luck.

[chuck hahn]

Yes on washing the entire engine. Get a parts cleaning brush from the auto parts store and some degreaser. Use the brush to get along the fins and around the spark plugs and anywhere else it can get to. Power wash it well. Now heres the trick to spot the leak rather quickly. Dry the engine with the compressor or by whatever means you can but dont start it after the wash down.

Get a can of that spray athletes foot stuff and spray along gasket areas and around the washers under the head nuts..and anywhere else you suspect there could be leakage. Let it dry a while and then start the bike. Watch the white foot powder and when the oil starts mixing in it will show up like a flashlight at midnight. Of course now youll have to wash the engine again to get the foot spray off....LOL

[usmaan88]

Thanks everyone. At this point washing the bike seems like the only thing I can do to go forward. Yes, I did loosen the bolts before torquing them down again. I haven't adjusted the valves so, other than the head bolts, other bolts have not been loosened. Athlete's foot! Never would have thought of that. I a little confused. Before I tightened the head bolts oil was clearly visible on the engine. Now, there is no oil but there is smoke. Strange that the leak is now causing oil to burn instead of just sit on the engine like it did before.

[JTGS850GL]

Wash the engine and see if it still smokes after a short run. Could just be that oil has migrated from the top to an area around the engine from wind.

[chuck hahn]

Yes on JTs suggestion..some strong dish soap water and lots of rinsing tio get the residuals off.. may just be remnants migrating off the head and hitting the hot pipes.

[Burque73]

Yes on washing the entire engine. Get a parts cleaning brush from the auto parts store and some degreaser. Use the brush to get along the fins and around the spark plugs and anywhere else it can get to. Power wash it well. Now heres the trick to spot the leak rather quickly. Dry the engine with the compressor or by whatever means you can but dont start it after the wash down.

Get a can of that spray athletes foot stuff and spray along gasket areas and around the washers under the head nuts..and anywhere else you suspect there could be leakage. Let it dry a while and then start the bike. Watch the white foot powder and when the oil starts mixing in it will show up like a flashlight at midnight. Of course now youll have to wash the engine again to get the foot spray off....LOL

Hah, that's the trick! I was sitting in church thinking of how to pressurize a canister of talc and spray it evenly enough in a fine layer. It's been decades since I have had the foot funk and forgot about aerosol stuff like that. If there's a hard way I'll surely choose it for some reason

Thanks for chiming in. Now I'll repent for not listening to the preacher and catch the podcast online

[usmaan88]

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. Looks like the smoking has stopped after running her around town. Hopefully it was just the penetrating oil I doused the head bolts with. The head gasket also has stopped weeping. I'll have to keep a close eye on her for the rest of the season but she's running strong