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Main Area => General GS500 Discussion => Topic started by: facepants on January 04, 2009, 03:34:50 PM

Title: gs suddenly burning oil
Post by: facepants on January 04, 2009, 03:34:50 PM
My gs has started burning a ton of oil.  Running it for 30 seconds fills up my backyard with smoke.  I know its coming from the right cylinder because I pulled the plug and its wet with it.

I tested compression and its normal.  Shouldn't it drop if oil is suddenly being burned?  The only way for it to get in is through the rings or valves, right?  So wouldn't that mean one of those failed and compression would go down?

Or is there another place that oil would be coming from that I'm not aware of?
Title: Re: gs suddenly burning oil
Post by: facepants on January 04, 2009, 06:04:16 PM
Would a bad oil ring cause oil burning and at the same time... not have an effect on compression?

If so, how would I test for that?
Title: Re: gs suddenly burning oil
Post by: starshooter10 on January 04, 2009, 06:23:26 PM
it could also be your carb dumping fuel
Title: Re: gs suddenly burning oil
Post by: facepants on January 04, 2009, 06:25:39 PM
Quote from: starshooter10 on January 04, 2009, 06:23:26 PM
it could also be your carb dumping fuel

Dumping fuel where?  The smoke is blue not black.
Title: Re: gs suddenly burning oil
Post by: starshooter10 on January 04, 2009, 09:03:55 PM
remind me what is gas/fuel made of?

i seem to have forgotten

if nothing else...

remove your airbox make a makeshift fuel device and run you bike while looking at the slides...

then as fast as you can pop off the carbs and inspect see if they are wet
Title: Re: gs suddenly burning oil
Post by: facepants on January 04, 2009, 09:49:18 PM
What im saying is, i thought if it was too much fuel the smoke would be black.  At least thats what everything I've read so far says about determining whats burning...

If it is dumping fuel, what in the carbs would be causing that? Wouldn't it just be the floats set too high/stuck float?

or is there something else that I would need to adjust?
Title: Re: gs suddenly burning oil
Post by: ohgood on January 05, 2009, 04:44:12 AM
i was wondering (quietly) if a busted ring could cause this. the oil escaping into the chamber keeps the compression up, then burns off - fast. if the theory is right it won't be a terrible fix. ring job and check clearances. hope it's some really odd thing so you don't have to open the engine. :)
Title: Re: gs suddenly burning oil
Post by: ke7syv on January 05, 2009, 05:34:07 AM
Quote from: starshooter10 on January 04, 2009, 09:03:55 PM
remind me what is gas/fuel made of?

i seem to have forgotten
Heptane and Octane  :D
Title: Re: gs suddenly burning oil
Post by: The Buddha on January 05, 2009, 08:19:36 AM
Fuel smoke will be white, black is very uncommon for unburnt hydrocarbons. Blue is oil.
Yea broken ring can cause this, but rings will usually break in the first few miles of use or at installation or if it was run out of oil etc, rings actually are very flexible. They wont break that easy. It can gall to the piston - more than likely that's not what happened, cos it also is with overheating.
Cool.
Buddha.
Title: Re: gs suddenly burning oil
Post by: beRto on January 05, 2009, 08:21:22 AM
What were the measured compression values? Can you see any fragments or damage if you shine a light into the sparkplug holes?

You may also want to check valve clearances to determine if there are any "funny" values.
Title: Re: gs suddenly burning oil
Post by: ohgood on January 06, 2009, 04:30:43 PM
just wondering if anything was found as a positive cause ? :)
Title: Re: gs suddenly burning oil
Post by: facepants on January 06, 2009, 05:02:27 PM
Quote from: ohgood on January 06, 2009, 04:30:43 PM
just wondering if anything was found as a positive cause ? :)

Not yet... the carbs are fine, so I don't think it's a fuel issue.  I'm going to get some marvel mystery oil to put in that cylinder.  It's supposed to be able to unstick a stuck ring.

If that doesn't work, I'll check the valve clearances.

I really don't want to have to disassemble the engine again.  Too much money and not enough time.  I'll post if I find something that works.
Title: Re: gs suddenly burning oil
Post by: beRto on January 06, 2009, 05:16:16 PM
Quote from: facepants on January 06, 2009, 05:02:27 PM
I'm going to get some marvel mystery oil to put in that cylinder.  It's supposed to be able to unstick a stuck ring.

I'm confused - if the engine is running, why would you suspect a stuck ring?

Were you able to see anything by looking in the sparkplug holes?
Title: Re: gs suddenly burning oil
Post by: facepants on January 06, 2009, 05:22:42 PM
Quote from: beRto on January 06, 2009, 05:16:16 PM
I'm confused - if the engine is running, why would you suspect a stuck ring?

I'd suspect a stuck or damaged oil ring.  I've read a few posts from different boards where people have had this problem, engine running but oil burning, because the oil ring is stuck and not scraping oil down the cylinder walls.  So they'd still have compression and combustion, but all of the oil that isn't being scraped down is getting burned.

Quote from: beRto on January 06, 2009, 05:16:16 PM
Were you able to see anything by looking in the sparkplug holes?

I didn't see anything out of the ordinary.