What the heck's on fire?

[hikermikem]

My '82 GS650G now has another issue that wasn't there before I "improved" it.

When started cold, white smoke pours out of each of the 2 stock exhaust pipes. Very impressive looking - like a fog machine gone berserk. After 30 sec or so, I can just start to actually see the bike again through the fog. The bike starts & runs good, but this strat up smoke is embarrassing.

Some of my recent improvements:

- adjusted the valves, #1 exhaust is a bit loose (.004"), all others within spec.
- Added seaform to newly changed 10-40 non-synthetic oil for approx. 50 miles to clean out sludge. (bike had been sitting & the oil was VERY black with sludge deposit on drain plug, no metal chips seen on plug magnet.)
- Changed the seaform infused oil out & replaced with Rotella 5-40 synthetic oil.

Don't really remember how bad the bike smoked before the Rotella, but I do seem to remember seeing some white smoke - not the billows of white I have now.

Soooo... what am I looking at? Valve seals? If I go back to the non-snthetic oil, will it go away?

Please, "fire up" your thoughts (sorry).

[kb9lae]

I did the same thing, with the Sea Foam, but I put it in the fuel as well. Everything related to fuel was dirty so I put in a little more than what it called for. It ran real good, it just smoked (alot) for awhile. Eventually it quit smoking.

[SqDancerLynn1]

Put it on the centerstand at night, see if it makes a difference Most likley valve seals. I would not put seafoam in the oil !!!!!! Works great in the gas.

[mortation]

white smoke from your tail pipes in a fog like quantity spells burning seafoam. It will burn out. Or you can flush your gas tank, oil, and burn through some clean gas.

[snowbeard]

yeah, just run it for awhile. you've loosened up a lot of crap, it's gotta go somewhere!

see what happens by the time you've burned this tank and the next. also, stored on centerstand is a good suggestion. mine smokes much more when left on sidestand for extended periods...

[hikermikem]

Put it on the centerstand at night, see if it makes a difference Most likley valve seals. I would not put seafoam in the oil !!!!!! Works great in the gas.

Well, it's a little late to NOT put seafoam in the oil! I'll see if there's a difference when on the center stand.

Is there a definitive way to tell if you need valve seals, other than the neighbors calling the fire dept when you start your bike?

[chef1366]

Valve seals will usually tell on themselves at startup with the choke on and the throttle closed. Also on deaccel with higher RPMs and the throttle closed. With the bike running at higher RPMs and the throttle butterflys closed it will build up pressure in the cylinders and suck oil through the valve stems via the valve stem seals.

[hikermikem]

I haven't ever changed them out - is it a difficult job? Is there anything else that should be checked/replaced at the same time?

Thanks,

Mike

[chef1366]

I did a valve job on my bike and posted this

[hikermikem]

Thanks chef,

very nice job documenting the process.

[Mr. Brown]

Valve seals will usually tell on themselves at startup with the choke on and the throttle closed. Also on deaccel with higher RPMs and the throttle closed. With the bike running at higher RPMs and the throttle butterflys closed it will build up pressure in the cylinders and suck oil through the valve stems via the valve stem seals.

When I start mine (GS850G) with the throttle closed and choke on, it runs for about 5 secs at 3k and then "pops" and revs higher... is that the "tell" you're referring to?

[chef1366]

The "tell" is the smoking. :-D