smoking out left side

[Little Chick]

i have an 82 aspencade that started smoking out left side. whitish gray smoke. one guy told me head gasket. thought i would see what you guys thought. any ideas? i hope its nothing real bad. its parked right now. dont want to make it worse. :help: :headscratch:

 

[dan filipi]

Burning 50/50 coolant will have a sweet odor and mostly white is likely a blown head gasket.

 

[mcgovern61]

Does it smoke all of the time or just on startup? Are you leaving it on your side stand? If so, oil lays in the head and causes smoke out the left side on start up (for about 2-3 minutes until clear). Also, if left on the side stand, gas can leak into the engine if the floats are not adjusted and working correctly.

 

[slabghost]

yes white smoke out one side is usually a blown head gasket. It could also be a cracked head but that is rare.

 

[bronzestarvue]

If the head gasket is blown, wouldn't it also run hot, as indicated on the temp gauge? Mine smokes a little at start up, but I'm contributing that to the fact that it doesn't have a center stand, and it's the residual oil burning off in the left cylinders, since the temp gauge doesn't go much past the 12 o'clock position when I've ridden it. If it was losing coolant, combined with the white smoke and running hot, I would think that's definitely some strong symptoms of a blown head gasket? Don't they also have some kind of chem test that checks for hydrocarbons in the coolant?

 

[dan filipi]

If the head gasket is blown, wouldn't it also run hot, as indicated on the temp gauge? Mine smokes a little at start up, but I'm contributing that to the fact that it doesn't have a center stand, and it's the residual oil burning off in the left cylinders, since the temp gauge doesn't go much past the 12 o'clock position when I've ridden it. If it was losing coolant, combined with the white smoke and running hot, I would think that's definitely some strong symptoms of a blown head gasket? Don't they also have some kind of chem test that checks for hydrocarbons in the coolant?

It looks like in the picture you don't have air deflectors on the radiator, both sides.
Without those your 12:00 temp gauge makes sense.
With them your temp will almost certainly run near the bottom gauge scale.

 

[slabghost]

Oil smoke is blue. Excess gas burning will be black. Gas in the exhaust can sometimes spray out white if not ignited, the smell is obvious. White smoke intermittently for a short time after start up is often just condensation. White smoke with a sweet smell that doesn't stop ,is coolant mixing with combustion. Usually caused by a blown head gasket.

 

[bronzestarvue]

Oil smoke is blue. Excess gas burning will be black. Gas in the exhaust can sometimes spray out white if not ignited, the smell is obvious. White smoke intermittently for a short time after start up is often just condensation. White smoke with a sweet smell that doesn't stop ,is coolant mixing with combustion. Usually caused by a blown head gasket.

That makes sense. Mine has a little white smoke at startup, but it usually goes away after a few minutes. And it only smokes if I haven't started it in a while. If I go riding, and make several stops, it doesn't smoke at startup at all, just the first time.

 

[Little Chick]

it was a bad plug. no smoke now. it was also sittin at an angle for a while. finally posted pics of my new sidecar and paint. let me know what ya think. you have to look in my photos dont know how to post em on here.
:rocks: :yahoo:

 

[dan filipi]

Good looking rig, I love the color!

To make a pic show in your post, when your viewing the full size image in the gallery, below the image is 3 link boxes. Click on the first one will highlight it blue.
Right click and copy. Now right click paste in your post where you want the image to appear.
You can do the same with the other 2 links below the picture to make the image larger in your post.

 

[Pony Ruiz]

that was easy.

so what will cause a head gasket to blow typically?

 

[slabghost]

that was easy.

so what will cause a head gasket to blow typically?

Some say overheating is the cause. Although some motors have been run pretty hot for long periods with no ill effects. Maybe a defective headbolt stretching too far when heated? I don't really know.