Urgent Assistance/Info Needed!!! Oil consumption

[Anonymous]

Hi all:

I am in a bind! I took my 1983 GS1100GK into a new shop to have a bunch of work done this spring. After FIVE weeks, I picked up the bike, and all that was done was a valve adjustment. (The requested carb clean and balance was "forgotten". Believe it or not, that is not my issue. After getting the bike back, my bike now uses a bunch of oil. Last fall, I would have to add oil (from the add line to the full line on the sight glass) every 3 fill ups. I had an obvious mechanical leak which I have since solved. I have now put through 1 tank of gas, and need to add oil. The oil level was at the full mark, and is now below the add mark. When the bike was fired up after the work was done, the bike blew a LOT of blue smoke. I need some direction as to what to do next. The urgency is that this thursday, June 10, I am supposed to participate in a long distance ride. HELP!!!

John

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Sounds like you have leaking rings or valves/guides/seals. If the oil burning gets bad enough, you'll start fouling the sparkplugs. By your description of the oil burning, I would think twice about going on the trip. If the oil burning is not visible when the motor is warmed up, you might be OK for now. I would get some plug reads. If they're wet/black, I don't think you'll finish the trip.
PS: they do sell oil additives that can minimize oil consumption temporarily. This may help you to go on the trip and repair things later.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Keith

Someone suggested spraying some combustion chamber cleaner into the spark plug holes, with the view to loosen up the rings. The other issue is that the gas mileage is about 2/3 of what it should be(about 25 mpg), and there is a thought that the gas washing down the cylinder walls have kept the rings from sealing properly. One last question. would the oil additive affect the clutch adversly?

John

[robinjo]

If you take off your oil cap and smell the oil does it smell like gas? If so the carbs have leaked gas down into the crank case which could lead to heavy oil consumption because of the changed viscosity. I hope this is it as it is the cheapest case, just change the oil. Option #2 is that they trashed your bike during a "test ride" and broke it

[Anonymous]

Well, I sure hope that option 1 is the option :roll: I have no sense of smell, so I will have to get my son to do the smell test. Here's hoping!

John

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Thanks, Keith

Someone suggested spraying some combustion chamber cleaner into the spark plug holes, with the view to loosen up the rings. The other issue is that the gas mileage is about 2/3 of what it should be(about 25 mpg), and there is a thought that the gas washing down the cylinder walls have kept the rings from sealing properly. One last question. would the oil additive affect the clutch adversly?

John

I don't know if oil additives would effect the clutch. I've only used an additive once, many years ago to try to squeeze a few more miles out of an old car that was burning oil at cold start ups. Sometimes the stuff works, sometimes not as well. I only mentioned it as a possible temporary fix to allow you to go on your trip. I don't know just how much blue/white smoke you're talking about.
If your plugs are getting oil stained, you'll have a weaker spark. This will cause poor combustion and your gas mileage will suffer. Eventually, they'll completely foul.
If you do have fuel in the crankcase, changing the oil as suggested may help. If that's the case, you'll have to find out why the fuel's getting in the crankcase too.

[Anonymous]

One of the better non dealer motorcycle shops in the area returned a call to me and suggested that I pull the plugs, of course, checking to see the condition of them. They are only 240 KM (140 miles) old. Then they suggested that I add WD40 to the cylinders, letting the bike sit for some time, occassionally slowly moving the pistons up and down, to try to loosen potentially stuck rings. As well, it was suggested that I drain the carbs, and GENTLY tap the float bowls, to unstick any possibly stuck floats. They reccomended using fuel injector cleaner so as to break up any gunk in the carbs. Once that is accomplished, then it is time to redo the carb cleaning and balancing, and change the oil.

Is there anything else I am missing?

[Anonymous]

Keith

In response to your questions, the smoke was a very noticable whiteish smoke that enveloped the bike. After a short while the smoke died down. Since then, there is no VISABLE smoke, but the oil level keeps on dropping. The smoking came out of the right side muffler, so either #3 or 4 cylinder. As the carbs were not cleaned or balanced, as I asked (see original post) I still think this is needed once the rings seem to be seating as they should. Any thoughts, Keith; anyone?

John

[redliner1973]

Only out of #3 and #4? Sounds like it 'fell over' at there shop for an extended period. leaking gas AND oil. change the oil, check for 'fell over marks' and see if it does not improve. :twisted:

[Anonymous]

Tim, given the shoddy work, run-around, and plain "doppy" attitudes (do you think they might have been smoking their lawn?) it would not surprise me that they did drop it. When the "mechanic" was told to work on the GS1100 needed for that day, he worked on another GS1100 first.

Ya see, that's what I get for going price rather than reliability.

SIGH

John

[pidgey]

John, if you're looking for a good bike mechanic, I can recommend Taurus cycles in Edmonton. The owner, Jay Solomon is a red seal journeyman and is familiar with G.S's. Give him a call 451 1327
His shop is in the west end. # 11, 11830 152 St.
Good luck!

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Keith

In response to your questions, the smoke was a very noticable whiteish smoke that enveloped the bike. After a short while the smoke died down. Since then, there is no VISABLE smoke, but the oil level keeps on dropping. The smoking came out of the right side muffler, so either #3 or 4 cylinder. As the carbs were not cleaned or balanced, as I asked (see original post) I still think this is needed once the rings seem to be seating as they should. Any thoughts, Keith; anyone?

John

Well, if the smoking has stopped that's a good sign. Maybe because it sat for five weeks the valve guide seal(s) shrank a bit or reacted to the "dry" start or the rings let oil get by. Fuel could have leaked into the crank during that time too. Maybe a petcock problem or someone left it on prime? But if it's not smoking and not leaking anywhere, how can the oil level be dropping as you describe? Does'nt make sense. And if you do have fuel leaking into the crankcase, this would make the level go up if anything. And if fuel was in the oil and allowing the thinned oil to get into the combustion chamber, it would still smoke.
Since it's not smoking, I would forget the additive and just change the oil. If your oil has fuel in it, this might fix your problem. You also might try what that shop suggested about loosening stuck rings. If your petcock is failing, then you need to inspect it before it allows fuel to contaminate the new oil.
You also need to read the plugs. They'll help tell you what's going on. Weak firing plugs will give you the poor gas mileage.

[Anonymous]

old smokey

Did you happen to check the mileage, when you dropped it off and picking it up? that will tell you how much it was riden by the shop, My friend left his harley at a honda shop cause thats were it quit they said they could fix it, witch they did, but took it out and did burn outs with it and blew the trans right out of the case, this was at a dealer, he sued but lost cause the judge believed the dealers lie and not us??? find some one that comes recommened by so one and check out his shop, is it a pig pen and disorganized, does he have a good customer base, the right tools, and adittude, also it the vent tube to the v/c on correctly and not kinked, check over his work, and also check that the gasket was replaced, to make sure he at least did the valves

[Anonymous]

Firstly:

Thaks, Pidgey It is always good to have positive recommendations from other Gs riders!

Secondly:
Keith, I think this supports your thesis:

I decided to remove the carbs, and the plugs to determine just what might be the problem. GUESS WHAT? plug 4 was decidedly more black than the other 3. Also the gas from the float bowls was quite rusty. It looks like a simple ??? carb clean, reset, and balance. (HMMM isn't that what I wanted the shop to do? :? )

http://groups.msn.com/SuzukiGSGarage/abgs1100gkcarboilissue.msnw?albumlist=2

John

[dgeorge]

John, if you are getting that much rust in the float bowls, chances are that you have a lot of rust in the tank as well. It would be a good idea while you have the carbs off to clean out the fuel tank as well. If you are looking for a good cheap way to do that is empty all of the fuel out then fill it with a 50/50 mix of white vinager and water, let it sit overnight or longer then empty that mixture. Take your gas gauge floats and fuel petcock off, rinse the tank well with clear water then use a hair dryer or compressed air if you have it to dry the tank out thoughly. Put it all back together and fill with fuel and keep it full if you are not going to be riding it, that keeps air from getting to the metal and causing new rust to form.
A much better and more pemenate solution is to go with the Por-15 it costs about $30us and takes about a week to fully clean and coat the inside of the tank (you have to let the coating cure for at least 4 days). I used both methods I did the vinager trick last summer so I could keep riding until winter then I used the Por-15. Oh and I should add that a good inline fuel filter will help also, but will not stop really fine rust particles.