howellracing Posted March 9, 2014 Share #1 Posted March 9, 2014 Hey Guy's just joined up here and plan on becoming a full member soon. I hate to ask right out of the box but I need some help and advice. I have a 1983 Venture Royale . I bought it a few weeks ago as a non running bike. I rebulit the carbs , changed the fuel , oil and plugs. got it running but found the bike really smokes bad from the right front cylinder. It warms up a little and gets steam blowby out of the PCV tube. I figured it is most likely the cylinder head or gasket. Does anybody have info on head removal and if it can be done while the engine is still in the bike. Hopefully the head gasket is bad but won't know until I tear it down. Anybody have problems with the heads on these bikes ?? Any info or advice sure would be appreciated.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venturous Randy Posted March 9, 2014 Share #2 Posted March 9, 2014 To me, a blown head gasket is a pretty rare thing on these bikes. I wonder if it could be a stuck ring allowing a lot of blow by. How do you know that it is the right front cylinder? How does the plugs look? Welcome aboard and don't be shy. RandyA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howellracing Posted March 9, 2014 Author Share #3 Posted March 9, 2014 Plug looks wet and the exhaust is full of oil also. I honestly think the reason for the previous owner to park it was the smoking and blowby. The other problems I fixed was a resuly of sitting for many years.. I tried running the bike and it rides fine and don't seem to be loosing any water , but it sure is getting vapor blowby comming out of the pcv from somewhere. Darn thanks smokes oil pretty bad at times too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeWa Posted March 10, 2014 Share #4 Posted March 10, 2014 Welcome to the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howellracing Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share #5 Posted March 10, 2014 Welcome to the forum. thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcarl Posted March 10, 2014 Share #6 Posted March 10, 2014 Throw a can of Seafoam into the crankcase,,, let it run for a bit, and then sit for sometime, maybe a day, and then run it again to warm up and then let it sit again for a day, If there are stuck components, this procedure might help loosen things up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howellracing Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share #7 Posted March 10, 2014 Thanks I will try that. I would rather take a butt whipping than to pull it down. LOL It did seem to stop the vapor for a while but now it's worse than it was when I first cranked it up.. Anybody had any problems with the heads ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yammer Dan Posted March 10, 2014 Share #8 Posted March 10, 2014 I'm with Randy. Head not likely. How does oil look? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howellracing Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share #9 Posted March 10, 2014 Oil was dirty but no water. The new oil looks fine.. Just a little dirty now.. Any ideas?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bongobobny Posted March 10, 2014 Share #10 Posted March 10, 2014 Yet another vote for gunk'ed up piston ring! It's not totally out of the question for a head gasket to blow but not that likely. Shoot some marvel mystery oil , about a teaspoon or less, down each cylinder and let it soak a day or two. With all plugs out crank it over a couple of times. Have some absorbent towels in each plug hole. Put fresh plugs, NGK's work best, and fire it up and drive it like ya stole it. These engines thrive on higher RPM's. Do this along with the Seafoam in the oil as Marcarl suggested. Change the oil and do a compression test and get back to us PS Welcome aboard!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishrepair Posted March 10, 2014 Share #11 Posted March 10, 2014 I blowed a head gasket last year while on vacation. Oil coming out the exhaust pipe, missing, running real rough. I pulled the engine, removed the heads and had them reworked, and replaced both head gaskets. When I put it back in the frame, and cranked it up it ran like a scalded dog. Big Big difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howellracing Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share #12 Posted March 10, 2014 Thanks for the advice guy's. I have been driving it around and most likely put a real 20 or so miles on it since getting it running. It stopped the blow by for a little while but now it's worse than ever. I will try the Seafoam and marvel mystery oil first. I have a gut feeling it's still a head or gasket problem but will try anything first. If that don't work can I remove the head with the engine still in the bike ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bongobobny Posted March 10, 2014 Share #13 Posted March 10, 2014 Yes the heads can be removed with engine still in bike, but it's not the easiest thing to do. The rear head is more difficult than the front. In the long run it's easier to pull the engine first. Where do you have the oil level?? You should be 1/2 way up the sight glass when cool and level. Any more than that and it will throw oil out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dacheedah Posted March 10, 2014 Share #14 Posted March 10, 2014 Too much oil causes lots of oil issues, 2nd that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howellracing Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share #15 Posted March 10, 2014 That's good to know I can remove the head in frame. The oil level is right on the money. I am going to try and use the seafoam first but in my heart I feel there is something wrong with the head.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howellracing Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share #16 Posted March 10, 2014 Ok news update. I did a compression test and it came up crappy on the right front cylinder. I haven't checked the others.. It was 30 to 60 lbs ideling. It would go up to 120 when I reved it up. I guess it's time to pull it down and find out whats going on.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yammer Dan Posted March 10, 2014 Share #17 Posted March 10, 2014 Stuck ring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howellracing Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share #18 Posted March 10, 2014 Think so ?? Even with running for a few hours ?? I would love to think I could get it freed up if it was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yammer Dan Posted March 10, 2014 Share #19 Posted March 10, 2014 Yed I would too. JUst head trouble is rare on these animals. Might have broken ring. Hope not. And it could be head gasket. Its hard to tell how PO treated it. No water in oil or oil in water?? But you said oil in exhaust?? It sures sounds as if it could be head. I've never done compression checks with engine running. Just by cranking them over? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howellracing Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share #20 Posted March 11, 2014 Ok here is the updated version of my quest . LOL I pulled the engine down yesterday and found no smoking gun. I did find little clues though. I took the head to my buddy at the machine shop and he pressure tested the chambers. They were really good. Ok so I come back and check valve clearance , pretty good again. I look at the head gasket and find a place that could have been leaking. I have never seemed to need any water in the radiator but noticed the water jacket part of the head gasket was damaged. The right front piston after just wiping it off was clean as it had been washed. Makes me believe the head gasket was bad. I did see some old stains in the front cylinders like water had sat in them for some time. They cleaned right up and both cylinders hold carb cleaner and don't leak down. I guess it's going to be a nail biter when I crank it back up.. Wish me luck.. :fingers-crossed-emo:fingers-crossed-emo:fingers-crossed-emo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yammer Dan Posted March 11, 2014 Share #21 Posted March 11, 2014 Sounds like you could have found it. Wonder what caused it?? PO may have overheated?? You did check to make sure it wasn't warped?? Good luck!! I would probally still be looking for something else. But when you get it in front of you with the facts.......GOOD LUCK!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howellracing Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share #22 Posted March 11, 2014 Thanks , I did just check the head and block and don't see any visable warp from a straight edge. I figure I will put some good ole Copper Coat spray sealer on it and give it a try.. The gasket should be in before the end of the week so my fingers are crossed.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muaymendez1 Posted May 30, 2014 Share #23 Posted May 30, 2014 I blowed a head gasket last year while on vacation. Oil coming out the exhaust pipe' date=' missing, running real rough. I pulled the engine, removed the heads and had them reworked, and replaced both head gaskets. When I put it back in the frame, and cranked it up it ran like a scalded dog. Big Big difference.[/quote'] Do you have to pull the engine to remove the heads. I have to replace my head gasket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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