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Message started by choppi2131 on 04/19/22 at 00:37:00

Title: white smoke problem
Post by choppi2131 on 04/19/22 at 00:37:00

Good morning
I write from Italy via translator so forgive mistakes
I have a problem with my wife's Savage, I have fitted a new overhauled engine, according to the old owner, but it has a small problem, at first ignition it releases white smoke for about a minute and then nothing ... the smoke it stops as soon as the engine starts to heat up and if I leave the bike off for an hour the problem returns when it is turned on .... I am attaching the video in the next message ...... solutions?

Title: Re: white smoke problem
Post by choppi2131 on 04/19/22 at 00:38:28

here is the video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyO6U12PSG8

Title: Re: white smoke problem
Post by Dave on 04/19/22 at 03:45:12

Does your bike still have the stock vacuum operated petcock?

Check the oil level n the crankcase and make sure it is not overfull.

And check to see if your oil has a faint smell of gasoline.

Title: Re: white smoke problem
Post by Ruttly on 04/19/22 at 12:43:00

Possible the fuel is old/bad

Title: Re: white smoke problem
Post by Serowbot on 04/19/22 at 13:40:06

Cold outside?
White smoke is often just water vapor that builds up overnight in the exhaust.

Title: Re: white smoke problem
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 04/19/22 at 15:59:07

4F594E534B5E53483C0 wrote:

Cold outside?
White smoke is often just water vapor that builds up overnight in the exhaust.

Yeah, but he said he can run it till it stops, let it cool for an hour, and it's back.

I'm baffled, not picking. I didn't reply, because I had no idea.
I'm wishing Dave would explain his thinking.

Would a bit of gas in the oil do that?

Title: Re: white smoke problem
Post by Dave on 04/19/22 at 16:52:48

3D2224233E3908380830222E65570 wrote:

I'm baffled, not picking. I didn't reply, because I had no idea.
I'm wishing Dave would explain his thinking.

Would a bit of gas in the oil do that?

Some folks who have had the original petcock fail and add gasoline to the oil have experienced the crankshaft throwing around the fuel/oil mix and getting too much vapor out the breather. The oil/fuel mix can then make the engine run poorly......I wondered if just a bit too much might cause the engine to smoke when it is cold......but not smoke so much once the engine is warmed up.

Title: Re: white smoke problem
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 04/19/22 at 18:07:35

Okay, sounds like mechanic thinking. Makes sense.

Title: Re: white smoke problem
Post by Hiko on 04/19/22 at 20:46:40

My bike did this once a few years ago The day was cold and humid
It never happened again and I put it down to weird atmospheric conditions
How often has this happened and is it due to the atmosphere do you think?

Title: Re: white smoke problem
Post by choppi2131 on 04/19/22 at 22:55:23

48737E6978746F69727A77681B0 wrote:

Does your bike still have the stock vacuum operated petcock?

Check the oil level n the crankcase and make sure it is not overfull.

And check to see if your oil has a faint smell of gasoline.

thanks Dave
1: it is still the original
2: the oil level is below the maximum level
3: no gasoline smell like when it gets flooded, classic exhaust smell

white smoke does so only when the engine is cold and in any ambient temperature
when the engine is hot, the problem does not arise

Title: Re: white smoke problem
Post by Dave on 04/20/22 at 03:34:23

Hold a clean mirror behind the muffler and allow the white smoke to collect on the face of the mirror.

If it is just water it will condense on the mirror as water droplets.

If it is fuel or oil it will make a mess on the mirror.

Title: Re: white smoke problem
Post by DragBikeMike on 04/20/22 at 04:04:17

That's a lot of smoke Choppi. Can you take some pictures of your engine breather hose and post them. We need to see how your breather hose is hooked up. It would also be helpful if you could check compression and post the reading. On a stock engine, it should be around 150 psi.

You mentioned that the engine was overhauled. Doesn't seem like it was overhauled correctly. You might have worn valve stems, valve guides, and/or valve guide seals. Oil might be running down the valve stem or between the guide and the cylinder head. That generally causes smoking on startup. However, it usually clears up much quicker than your video shows. The oil will run down the stem when the engine is shut down. It accumulates in the intake or exhaust port and when you first start it up the oil burns off. Unfortunately, you have to tear it all apart to check the stems & guides.

Are you sure the smoking clears up after a few minutes? It doesn't look like it's slowing down to me. Just seems to continuously pour out of the muffler. Does the smoke clear up completely or just diminish a bit once the engine is warmed up? If it never clears up the rings are suspect too.

I guess you might have a problem with a missing breather screen. There's a screen assembly in the head cover that separates oil particles from the air. If that screen is missing, oil droplets get carried into the airbox/air filter. However, if that were the problem the smoking would never stop. It would smoke continuously and probably smoke much worse as engine speed increased. Check your air filter and let us know if it's full of oil.

Title: Re: white smoke problem
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 04/20/22 at 05:37:58

Running on the side stand will starve the cam for oil.
Stand it up.

Title: Re: white smoke problem
Post by choppi2131 on 04/20/22 at 07:12:15

5D5B54282A2D29190 wrote:

hi Drag
yes the smoke is a lot but after the engine heats up (a few minutes) it returns to normal, it is only the video that ended before, when the engine is hot the problem does not arise
is the display unit the one shown in the photo?

https://i.postimg.cc/fWmbbjrk/Headcover-2.jpg

Dave
made the mirror test
no droplets of condensation just dirty with oil droplets

Title: Re: white smoke problem
Post by Hiko on 04/20/22 at 21:31:11

Is that headcover pic in link above a mirror image?

Title: Re: white smoke problem
Post by DragBikeMike on 04/21/22 at 20:53:50

:-XChoppi, if you are asking if the red arrow in the photo is pointing to the breather screen, yes, that is the breather screen.

I don’t think that is your problem but you might get lucky. It’s easy to fix. In my opinion, if the screen were missing, the smoke would get worse as engine speed increased and your air box would be fouled with oil.

Your problem as described leads me to believe you have a leak path that allows oil to accumulate in one of the ports when the engine is not running. That points to valve guides, valve guide seals, or some sort of defect in the head (crack, valve guide fit, etc.).

Please let us know what you find. Good luck.

Title: Re: white smoke problem
Post by choppi2131 on 04/22/22 at 00:41:43

hi Drag
I had read on the web that the problem could be the vent screen, if you tell me that it could be the valve guide seals then it is a problem that I cannot solve but a mechanic must operate, I have manual skills but not at these levels
the air box is completely clean and dry
thanks for the advice and as soon as I have news I come to disturb

ps. I still have to read another 600 pages of the forum which I find very interesting where to find ideas and information :)

Title: Re: white smoke problem
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 04/22/22 at 05:34:08

Okay, so, blows a bit of smoke.. Meh,,if it runs okay, just ride it. Don't tear into it for that. So you need to add oil every so often,, not a crisis.