help!!!

[bubba's400ex]

i have a 2001 400ex and i was tring to check the compression because its smoking so i went to take the spark plug out and i can't get a socket to fit on it i tried a 5/8 and it was to small so i tried a 11/16 and it would not fit throught the head to get to the spark plug. is there a trick to get it out? let me know PLEASE!!!

[xxnightraven73x]

basically you need the plug wrench that comes in your tool kit with the bike

[GPracer2500]

The plug is 18mm. Many deep sockets don't fit into the head. Some do it just depends on the thickness of the socket and the tolerences of the head.

The plug wrench that comes in the tool kit works best...

[bubba's400ex]

you have an 18MM plug wrench? all mine are standard

[bubba's400ex]

thanks

[bubba's400ex]

o.k. now i got that part done my compression is good so if it is still smoking blue the valve seals must be bad right? is this something easy to do? let me know if i'm right or if there are any other posibilities, because it wouldn't be my rings if the compresion is good, right?

[GPracer2500]

Curious--what was the compression reading?

[bubba's400ex]

128 PSI and it was soposed to be 120-128 psi

[exrider008]

i would change the valve seals.

[bubba's400ex]

is that expensive and easy?

[exrider008]

i dont know cuz i had mine put in when i had a little head work done.

[GPracer2500]

A leak down test should reveal how oil is getting into your combustion chamber. Even if the test shows the chamber is nice and tight, that will narrow down why you're engine is smoking.

When is it smoking anyway? All the time? Start-up only? Decel only? What's the smoke look like? Color? How much? etc, etc...


BTW, repalcing valve seals involves removing the head from the engine and removing the valves from the head. As far as special tools, you must have to have a valve spring compressor. I have heard of techniques that allow replacement of valve seals while the head and valves remain in place, but I've never tried that.

[bubba's400ex]

it smokes all the time, it all dependes on the RPM's if you have high RPM's then there is a lot of smoke, if at low RPM's just a little bit of smoke. whether it's in gear or in nuetral. and it's blue smoke.

[foxrider1]

yea mine smokes too only on start up it smokes a little but when i am just putting around it doesn't smoke but when i lay on it it does smoke but not a whole lot the some is whiteish, blueish

[GPracer2500]

I'm guessing rings, but a leak down test will confirm that. You could also poor some oil into the spark plug hole. If your compression reading goes up then your rings aren't sealing....

See if there are any auto parts stores near you that have tool loan programs. That might be a way to get a leak down testing kit without having to buy one or taking it to a shop for diagnosis.

[bwamos]

Valve seals usually smoke bad at startup (from pooled oil) and gets better after running for a while.

Constant smoking is normally bad rings. But, with full compression, I have another guess.

I'd bet you're running too fat/rich on your carb jetting causing the cylinder walls to get soaked/washed in fuel and sucking oil up past the rings causing the smoke.

But that's just a wild guess.

[bubba's400ex]

bump