White Smoke

[Dog Balls]

Good morning! I'm getting choking clouds of white oil smoke out my exhaust once the engine warms up. The GL1100 has 25,000 miles (I think), and has been sitting for most of the last 4 years. Here's what I've done to fix the issue so far:

- Sea Foam in the oil and the gas tank
- Ensured oil level is correct
- Filled the cylinders with oil concoction to free up the piston rings
- Replaced the valve seals

Any info greatly appreciated! I'm sure this issue has been covered already, but I'm having trouble finding those threads. Bottom line: do I really have to replace piston rings on a 25,000 mile Honda motor? There must be some other way! Thanks and happy motoring.

 

[mcgovern61]

You do not need to replace the rings, but they do need to come around after sitting. With all of the various oils used to free up the engine, those oils are also sitting the exhaust system now. Plus, there is also a chance that you have excess gasoline running past the carbs into the engine. All of these show up as the engine warms up. Best thing to do is run it to temperature and just let the oil burn off. You will know if it is gas leaking because you will have white smoke just after start-up.

 

[Dog Balls]

You do not need to replace the rings, but they do need to come around after sitting. With all of the various oils used to free up the engine, those oils are also sitting the exhaust system now. Plus, there is also a chance that you have excess gasoline running past the carbs into the engine. All of these show up as the engine warms up. Best thing to do is run it to temperature and just let the oil burn off. You will know if it is gas leaking because you will have white smoke just after start-up.

Awesome, thanks for that mcgovern61. I have carb issues, so gas could definitely be leaking by. Here's what happens: the bike starts on the choke, settles into a normal idle after warming up (no choke), then starts revving itself up to 3,500 or 4,000 rpm (no throttle) after running for 10 minutes or so. Could a carb problem be giving me constant white smoke for 10 minutes, I wonder?

 

[mcgovern61]

Yes! Engine revving by itself is leaking gas!

 

[kerryb]

When I’ve had white smoke ( with a sweet smell) it was head gasket. Watch your coolant reservoir for loss over a few rides, that will show a leak as lost fluid.