The Blue Smoke

[thingsbuilt]

I guess I need to ask for more advice. I'm the guy who lent his bike to a friend and
got it back only to find that it had been dropped and left on its side for more than a day.

Well, the fuel system is all put back together, the gas-thinned oil is drained and changed,
and it runs perfectly. And smokes like crazy.

I have had many old cars which burn oil; but what is the overall picture when your 97 model
(with 9,000 miles on it) is burning oil and needs new rings? I only paid $1900 for it,
though I couldn't sell it for much now. Lots of blue smoke, at idle and at speed.
Enough to be embarassing. Somehow it doesn't seem like running it for a day
and getting it reallyy warmed up will help this time. But I'll try.

Anyone pull an engine lately and change out the piston rings? I did it on a 73 BMW
boxer, but frankly I'm not in the mood anymore. This really sucks.

Sell it? Could I get $500 for it? 

Marvel Mystery Oil?  Engine swap? What's easiest, at this point?


Thanks-

steve in L.A.

[OctaneMotorsports]

How much has it been run up until now?

Make sure you clean the air box/air filter and put fresh fuel in. I'd change the oil again just to be sure. Are you sure you have the right level in? Maybe try some plugs too if all else fails.

[ducati_nolan]

Are you sure that you cleaned all of the oil out of the airbox and air filter? If you are sure then in terms of quick fixes, don't use Marvel mystery oil, it's thinner than regular oil and will make your problem worse, it's meant for lifter noise and cold weather. You could try some stuff called Restore, it works well, but I don't know if it'll affect your clutch. Realisticly, just run 20w50 and live with the smoke till you rebuild.

If your bottom end is okay and you have decent oil pressure, a top end is easy to do. Just pull the head and cylinder, and if the ridge at the top of the stroke isn't too bad you can hone it out and install rings, if there is a moderate ridge, you could hone the cylinder and get oversize rings, then file the end gap to specs. If the ridge is really bad though, you'll have to bore it and get oversize pistons. If it only needs a hone job and rings, it would be a one day job.

When the head is off, put it upside down and pour some gas on it to see if the valves leak. If it's bad, you'll need to do a valve job or at least lap them. If you're lucky you can just bolt it all back together and get on the road.

[ducati_nolan]

Oh yeah, take it for a really long ride to make sure the residual gas has evaporated then change the oil again and try 20w50. The smoke could just be from the leftover gas in the oil thining it down.

Do a compression check too, if you have decent compression, your rings are probally fine. By the way, you don't need to pull the engine to do the top end if it's needed.

If you didn't have a problem before the bike was layed over, you probally don't have one now. Unless your buddy rode it arround with the crankcase full of gas, that could do it, if so  shoot him.

[rangerbrown]

you didnt over fill the oil did you? what weight of oil you runing?

try 20w-50 and see were that takes you

[Jughead]

If it was Laying on it's side and Gas Drained into the Oil more than Likely it just Seeped Past the Rings and Possibly Past the Exhaust Valves and into the Exhaust.Since you have Changed the oil just run it for a While to see if the Smoke goes Away.

You run into this with Push Mowers.If you Park them with the Cylinder Pointing Down Hill and the Oil Seeps Past the Rings filling the Cylinder Partially Full of Oil.If and When they Start it blows the Oil straight into the Muffler and it does Smoke for a While until it all get Burned out.