White smoke ?

[madoc]

1977 CB550 (yup the new one- well new to me anyway).

It now appears to want to smoke at idle/on startup.
The funny thing is that it's not smoking when running. At all (I had a mate behind me). Which is what I would expect if it was burning oil.
The smoke is also not really hanging about in clouds and I originally thought it was condensation...
I stopped for petrol and it smoked again when started.

I have a garage full of old Brits (and an old BMW) and am fully aware of the lovely effects of wet sumping (and leaving your BMW parked on it's sidestand) as well as leaky rings etc ... it's not the same .... the Beemer would blow smoke for miles for example on what could only have been a spoonful of oil running down the valve ..

I did about 50 miles last night (in the snow.... lovely) and everything else was good.

I changed the oil (put 20/50 mineral - I have a BIG tub for all the bikes that use it) and it's not overfilled with oil or anything silly. I also chucked in new air filter
I did various bits and pieces (timing, camchain, clearances etc) but nothing was wildly out. In fact, the rocker gaps were all good and the timing only needed the points gaps setting (well too large) to pull the timing back to where it should be (on advance on the strobe)

The plugs seem ok in colour as well.
to be fair this CB550 is a bit more modern than what I am used to .. but I am thinking the valve stem oil seals are not liking this sudden increase in use ....and just chucking a bit of oil in ...

cheers

[Bryanj]

White smoke at start up is rarely oil as that would be blue but is normally the condensation in the exhaust burning off as the engine/pipe warm up

[florence]

Sir, your white smoke is steam.

[madoc]

It doesn't smoke on startup; takes a few moments.
Unfortunately, it does smell like OIL 
I get a really oily plug on cylinder 1 while idling (but not if I shut down at speed and pull it out).

I found this on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_9Y8Y2vEXw

and I also found a man that had used the same method on his car (different tool though - some sort of lever through the rockers)

The tool used in the youtube video is not available over here, while this looks to be similar:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sykes-Pickavant-03920000-VALVE-COLLET-INSTALLER-/170817861754?pt=UK_Measuring_Tools_Levels&hash=item27c589b87a

Has anyone here tried this job ?
Is there a better spring compressor (than these hammer types ones shown in the video) as all I have are the clamp ones for OHV and scissor ones for sidevalves (both of which involve having the head on the bench).

If I take the head off, then I may as well lift the barrel as the base gasket will be disturbed. If I lift the barrel, then I may as well be checking and maybe changing rings and maybe the camchain (just because I am there). Voila.. hundreds of pounds and most of a weekend...

Or I just leave it alone until something serious goes wrong.

[kendo57]

I have done a similar job on a few cars in the past. Were i worked we had a tool that fitted through the plug hole
to hold the valve up but the method using 'rope' in the vid works ok.
I just tapped the valve cap with a plug socket, a sharp tap and the collets usually fall out , just be carefull were they go so you do not loose any.
Putting them back i just fit the cap and put the collets on top loose , then using a tube push down on the cap and if your lucky the collets slide down and locate in the the valve slot. A piece of tube with two cut outs on each side
makes it easier as you can push down and use a small screwdriver through the cut out to push the collets into place.
Its a fiddly job but can be done.

[matthewmosse]

I had a US inport engine that leaked and burnt oil at an alarming rate when installed in my bike, after 6 months commuting it sorted itself , same story with my current rebel 125 twin, it used to burn oil enough to need topping up every 60 - 80 miles, now it only needs that after 300+ miles. They like to be used. In both cases I did no mechanical work other than changing the oil at the due time to sort the oil use.