Better valves and springs

[ironrat]

Originally Posted by CP241

The only way thats usually a valve or head issue is if the valve seals are gone. And even then it's not going to create lots of smoke all the time. Maybe a little at startup after it's been sitting, or a puff when you let off the gas and coast to a stop, the puff will come when you go again. But it will clear up and stop smoking as you drive.

If its smoking all the time it's either rings, or simply overfilled with oil. If your cart is lifted, and reads full on the dipstick its overfilled. Lifted cart, "full" is about 1/3 the way up the hatching. Check your airbox for oil, there should be none. If there is, again, too much oil.

Just lifting a cart will not change the oil level on the dip stick. The cart is level and at the same attitude then no matter how high or low no change. Now if one changed the hight from level then it could change the dip stick reading.

[StoveBolt]

Originally Posted by ironrat

Just lifting a cart will not change the oil level on the dip stick. The cart is level and at the same attitude then no matter how high or low no change. Now if one changed the hight from level then it could change the dip stick reading.

Not true, when you lift a cart it tilts the engine cradle and leans the engine to the rear, giving a false reading on the dipstick.

BTW.. CP241 is one of the smarter guys around here when it comes to carts... just saying.

[CP241]

Originally Posted by StoveBolt

Not true, when you lift a cart it tilts the engine cradle and leans the engine to the rear, giving a false reading on the dipstick.

BTW.. CP241 is one of the smarter guys around here when it comes to carts... just saying.

Lol thanks :)

We all have to start somewhere

Iron rat, think of it like this, take a Rubbermaid tote. One of the big ones. Fill it 6" with water. Then lift the front 6" and see where the water goes.

Lifting a cart is the same. The engine cradle mounts to the rear axle, which is static. It doesn't move when you lift the cart. However, the front of the engine cradle mounts to the frame. This does lift up when you lift the cart. So now you went from stock (engine basically level) to lifted which puts the engine on an angle. Since the dip stick is in the front of the motor, when you lift it, the oil in the front of the motor is lower than the rear. So the dipstick will read less.

Now, when the engine. Running, the oil level in the sump is good so long as the oil pump (which sucks oil up in these engines, which I am not a fan of) doesn't suck air. But too much, despite the dipstick reading, creates issues when overfilled, despite the dipstick level, once everything is moving and slinging around. This will blow oil out the vent line into the air box, and other places oil wasn't meant to be and create problems. Hope this makes sense.

[CP241]

And I'm not necessarily saying this is his issue... we don't know if the cart isn't lifted or not. Just throwing it out there. Would hate to see him tear down a perfectly good motor for something as simple as draining out a little oil. Almost every lifted cart I've bought has smoked, and had way too much oil in it. Magically when you drain out a quart, the smoking stops.

[Activate]

If its smoking all the time it's either rings, or simply overfilled with oil. If your cart is lifted, and reads full on the dipstick its overfilled. Lifted cart, "full" is about 1/3 the way up the hatching. Check your airbox for oil, there should be none. If there is, again, too much oil.

Thnaks, the Cart is not lifted, not overfilled and no oil in the airbox
It is smoking when starting and a liitle when it is running but more when it is started.

Checked the valve adjusment and that seems ok an not much difference in the valve stem height, so it must not be too bad...

Thanks and greetings,

Erik.

[CP241]

Do you have a compression tester? What kind of compression does the motor have?

I'd say it sounds like it's time for a refresh. As long as the compression is good, chances are the cylinder walls are in good shape and wont need to be overbored. Hone the cylinders, new set of rings, and new valve stem seals should get you going again without the smoke show.

But really,.not a big rush. As long as your compression is good, and you keep an eye on the oil level and make sure it.doesnt run out of oil, these engines will run well and smoke like a train for years before you really have to do anythinf about it. Wont hurt anything so long as it keeps oil in it.

The only negative to running it like that (aside from the nuisance factor of the smoke and smell) is that you will accumulate unburnt oil in the exhaust over time. Which means when you finally DO rebuild he engine, it may still smoke until it burns out. But, again that's an easy fix. Build a nice little fire (I use an old.steel fire pit with 6 or 7 of the 2"-3" round logs) and toss the muffler in. Itll get hot, start pouring smoke out of both ends, sometimes you'll even get 12" flames coming out takes about 45 minutes if there re bad. Just let it cook until it stops smoking. Pull it out, set it on the concrete a couple hours and let it cool down. Bolt it back on, rev the engine a couple times to blow out all the soot and you'll be good to go. No more smoke :)

[racin161]

I would lean toward valve seals ! I don't know much about the engine but I would also think there is a crankcase breather/pcv may want to see if it's plugged but valve seals sounds like the problem. You can put compressed air in the cylinders to replace them. A leak down tester would solve all your questions about your engine.

LOU

[trig123]

Originally Posted by racin161

I would lean toward valve seals ! I don't know much about the engine but I would also think there is a crankcase breather/pcv may want to see if it's plugged but valve seals sounds like the problem. You can put compressed air in the cylinders to replace them. A leak down tester would solve all your questions about your engine.

LOU

Compression or leak down tests are useless with oil ring problems. If an engine smokes when you first start it up then quits after running it for a while then the valve seals are probably hard. If it continues to smoke then you have overfilled it with oil or it needs rebuilding. He said it was no oil in air box so that eliminates the overfill.

[Activate]

Thanks for all the info!!