Why is it doing this?

[yellow400ex05]

I have a 2005 400ex and I have a problem that I'm kind of worried about..

a few months ago I found a bolt that was stripped on my valve cover and I had it heli-coiled. but I still have a small oil leak there. I called my mechanic and he said just keep changing you oil and checking it before you ride and it should be fine.

Now since about the beginning of September I've been taking about 5-6 days off from riding and then go riding some days it could smoke even one day after I haven't ridden just not nearly as badly.

When I go to start my quad I've noticed it smokes white smoke , so I said I'll just check it and I had to add a little bit of oil and then I was fine, and when I take it of of pre-choke it goes away after about 30 seconds, but some smoke is still visible.


And yesterday I went to go take a little ride and I start up my quad for about 2 minutes to let the oil warm up and circulate my engine so it could be properly checked. and I come back out of my garage after getting my gloves and the smoke is coming out of my exhaust pretty good making a small cloud behind it so I rev my quad a little and it shoots out and when it goes back to normal its still puffing some smoke. So I kinda bugged out a little and was like WTF? I checked my oil even though it was barely warmed up and i put it back in and took it out and the dipstick was dry so I add oil and then check it once its warmed up and I'm fine. After I started it again it still smoked, so I took it off of pre-choke and i walked up to my house and I come back and i revved it up and the smoke was almost gone so I went riding.

I felt no power loss, there was no blue smoke that signified oil burning..

What is wrong here HELP me please!

thanks. I'll get some pics of it later today if i can.

[imsam77]

burnt piston rings?...maybe it was sucking air through that space and ran lean

[yellow400ex05]

Yea but I highly doubt my rings are bad already its a little over a year old. And plus if my rings were bad wouldn't it be burning oil and smoking blue?

I'm just worried that my motor is going to seize or blow up, or lose a lot of power..
Maybe its just oil burn off


Also the only other time it does this is after an oil change, which I've been told is normal..

It just seem like too much if i can see it coming out as it idles.. Almost like a train just not AS smokey..

[imsam77]

"Yea but I highly doubt my rings are bad already its a little over a year old. And plus if my rings were bad wouldn't it be burning oil and smoking blue?"

maybe they aren't, but just some info for ya, on a piston it has a bunch of rings, compression rings at the top of the sides, and oil rings at the bottom of the sides, if the oil rings didn't go then it wouldn't be smoking and such.




"I'm just worried that my motor is going to seize or blow up, or lose a lot of power..
Maybe its just oil burn off"

also, if the rings are bad, it will cause you to do a rebuilt if you keep running it, scoreing the cylinder or anything like that, more so it would seize b4 any of that happened...just trying to help ya man.

[yellow400ex05]

I need more input from other people as well but thanks for the advice imsam77!

Ok I'll try and explain this the best way possible..

I haven't ridden in 6 days, I go to start up the quad , pump the gas put it on full choke fires up and take full choke off after 5 seconds and then go to pre-choke. Then go back into my garage about 2 minutes later I come back out to see my quad puffing out WHITE smoke while its idling I freak out a little bit and think, wtf? I blip the throttle and it comes out a little more making a small cloud of white smoke, which smelled slightly like burning, I kill the quad and yank out the dipstick wipe it off and check it while its not fully warmed up, its dry, I go grab my quart of oil put about quarter a quart in throw the dipstick back in fire it up on pre-choke and it still smokes.


Then about 3 minutes later I take it off pre-choke and put it on run and after i go back up to the house about 3 minutes later i rev it up to almost half throttle, and its smoking less just barely coming out.

I then go riding for an hour and come back, it start it up ride it and give'r hell like normal and theres no smoke.

NOTE: I have had a small valve cover leak for a few months after having a bolt heli-coiled, I've been told its prolly a bad valve cover gasket. I check my oil regularly before I go riding, some days I don't need to add oil for a few days.. I Also change my oil often. This quad is an 05' leftover bought in April of 06' and had the 20 hour check up done like valves adjusted and oil change tire pressure you name it.

So I doubt its my valves or my rings because IMO its a little bit too new yet.

I rode it all summer in 80 and 90 degree days yes it was power robbing but I made sure I kept up pace and gave it a little run to get the air to it.

I think it may need a new head gasket soon.

The smoking seems to occur after I haven't ridden for several days, after an oil change, and sometimes it doesn't happen for a week and theres no smoke, even at start up! I have experienced little power loss, if any.

[JOEX]

White smoke usually means water. Most likely with the cooler temps outside you're getting condensation in the exhaust system from sitting for awhile.

[yellow400ex05]

thanks JOEX.. I've been told that several times and I guess its just me being paranoid, I just needed more input. I mean if you think about it if it was an actual "problem" it wouldn't be on and off or occasional.

Thanks

[svahle]

When the rings went on my 400ex the smoke was pretty white. Pull your filter off and see if there is any dirt or dust in the intake boot. Any dust or dirt at all is a bad sign. It doesn't take much dirt or dust to cause damage to rings/valves. Usually if the rings go, there will be smoke and it doesn't typically go away. I suppose it could warm up out of it a bit once every thing expands. But often smoking on start up after a quad has been sitting a while is from valve guides/seats. Oil leaks down into the cylinder and smokes a bit until the oil burns.

Another thought might be that you got some water in the fuel.