Using oil, what would you do?

[Chuck A.]

Blue/gray smoke is engine oil burning. Black smoke is rich fuel. If the engine is running rich the fuel can wash past the piston rings (more so when engine is cold) and thin the oil to the point it will push past the rings and seals and burn oil off through the cylinder and exhaust. A stopped up crank vent will cause the oil to burn off.

[plumber63]

It doesn't smell like unburnt fuel. No oil coming out of breather. I added a separate breather filter setup 20,000 miles ago, thought it might help with oil usage. I will have to check the crank vent.

Everything I have read says blue smoke is oil burning not fuel, so real don't think its burning rich.

I still think it got broke in hard and the rings where never set properly. Its has always used oil since I have got it. Just got worse the last few years.

Last years trip of 5600 mile I put 6 qts in during trip, so at least it always has fresh oil in it. Its surprises me how black it is though when I change it.

I don't think I would pay to do a leak down test. I may try the additive to see if that helps. Otherwise I will either sell it or just make sure I keep the oil up for no more than I will ride it. Will see once summer gets here. Selling the add-on items will probably happen either way.

[MAS Tequila]

Kaw 1500/1600 engines have a habit of using oil.

It has to do with short piston skirts and wear.

Higher rpm riding is usually the cause, like highway riding.

My 1500 Nomad doesn't use a drop while local riding, but uses a quart per thousand miles at highway speed.

[DragonLady58]

Its hard to read 'Smoke', but since the bike is EFI, and the smell of gas isn't there, it doesn't take a mental giant to figure out it isn't running rich. I can not cover every last little troubleshooting procedure and granule of thought....I'd be here 24/7....
EFI's don't run really rich, unless theres a big problem. Light blue haze is USUALLY piston rings. Could be mixture, if, fuel smell were present. Puff of smoke on startup is guides or guide seals. If you run a compression check on cylinders, add a tablespoon on engine oil to top of piston, if compression comes up, rings are worn.
Black thick smoke is usually a carb problem pouring gas into a cylinder....oil burning, so could be gray/black. It depends....
Just like white smoke is usually water/coolant getting into the combustion chamber....Or condensation from the exhaust system....

[plumber63]

I kinda think my issue is kinda like Mas's.

DL/Mas just curious what is involved in replacing rings, and what ever else it would usually need to be cleaned or replace while doing it? How far does it have to taken apart, motor have to come clear out? Labor intensive? I would think at this point cam chains also.

[MAS Tequila]

Originally Posted by plumber63

I kinda think my issue is kinda like Mas's.

DL/Mas just curious what is involved in replacing rings, and what ever else it would usually need to be cleaned or replace while doing it? How far does it have to taken apart, motor have to come clear out? Labor intensive? I would think at this point cam chains also.

It'll cost less to find a good low mileage engine and swap it out.

But, yes the engine comes out and you pull the heads and cylinders, no need to split the cases.

I have a 24000 mile MeanStreak engine that when I opened it up, has a +1 piston in the front cylinder and a +2 in the rear.

If you decide to do the top end, I have a set of 1500 MS cams that will wake that puppy up.

[DragonLady58]

One thing nice about a situation like this, is if you can locate the whole topend shebang of a 1500 meanie....you could put the heads, cams, throttlebody, injectors, the whole topend which would give you a big jump in pep, performance.....

[MAS Tequila]

Originally Posted by DragonLady58

One thing nice about a situation like this, is if you can locate the whole topend shebang of a 1500 meanie....you could put the heads, cams, throttlebody, injectors, the whole topend which would give you a big jump in pep, performance.....

I just may know someone who has multiple 1500 MS heads and cams.

[desertdog]

Had this issue last year with my 2008 vulcan. It was using over a qt every 1,000 miles. Finally took it to a shop with a good reputation. They pulled the top end and it was a broken piston ring. Had to rebuild the whole top end. Was expensive but now it should be good for about 100k. It had 65k on it when it was rebuilt. I did not want to get rid of it because I spent some money on customizing it for me. To me it was worth it. Runs great now, and uses no oil.

[Jllm02199]

If it is burning the oil it could be the rings carboned up. I had a similar issue. I pulled the plugs and drained the oil. set the pistons midway in the cylinders. I I filled the top of the cylinders with sea foam and let it set over night. That lets the seafoam seep down around the pistons and get in the rings. the next morning the sea foam had all seep down past the rings. I refilled the oil and put the plugs in and took it for a ride.
My oil usage went down. It still uses some but not as much.

[andyvh1959]

Interesting idea. How did you determine the difference in oil usage? After the Seafoam, I think I would have followed it with filling the cylinders with Marvel oil, let it drain through, and then reinstall the drain plug and refill the crankcase with oil. Then within 500 miles change the oil again.

Would be really interesting to do a compression test before the process, and then again after the 500 mile time to see if the compression test results come out better.

[DragonLady58]

Originally Posted by andyvh1959

If it is leak by the rings, a leak down test can help prove that.

https://mobiloil.com/en/article/car-...-leakdown-test

A mechanic would set a cylinder at TDC on the compression stroke. The test is started with a charge of 100 psi. If the top of the bore and rings are good, the test gauge will show 90 to 95 psi. Lower pressure indicates ring wear especially if air is heard hissing out the crankcase breather, or air hissing into the air filter housing.

If the test is good at TDC, then the piston is moved down the bore in steps (about 15 degrees of crank rotation) and the charge is applied again, then repeated until the piston is halfway down the bore. If during each repeated steps air starts hissing out the crankcase vent it can indicate blowby pressure into the crankcase. A scratch on the cylinder wall could also create blowby into the crankcase.

If the TDC test blows air backwards into the intake, then the issue is a leaking intake valve. If the TDC test blows air out the exhaust, then the issue is a leaking exhaust valve. But neither of those would cause oil use. So I would suspect the rings or a scratched cylinder wall if the test pressure drops. Another test indicator is if air/bubbles into the coolant, then it may be a head gasket or worse, a cracked head, either which could cause oil to be forced into the coolant. Either coolant discolored by the oil getting into the coolant, or oil discolored by coolant getting into the oil. Since you report the oil level drops that rules out coolant getting into the oil. So if the coolant is not frothy tan like a latte, then the oil is not getting past the head gasket or through a cracked head.

A leak-down test may cost you $200 to get done. But it should indicate where in the engine the problem is located, and if its worth it to you to have the engine repaired.

Dragonlady, certainly correct me if anything is wrong here.

You are correct. This bike has way too few miles for this to be happening....
Our own MAS hit on something thats a slight flaw with the 1500/1600s, and thats the short piston skirt length for such a large dia. piston. Once a little wear is introduced into the piston rings, the slight rocking of the pistons cause more wear. In most circumstances, not being reved like a sports bike, being driven like a cruiser, these things will last.
If it were me (but I'm a mechanic), I'd just freshen up the rings and valve seats, topend gaskets....
I've seen a couple of bikes get a cracked ring and smoke, a few were a combination of guides and rings, even seen one where all the endgaps were lined up allowing leakage.
Heavier oil should have helped. Going to a straight blend should reduce it....but, this is a band-aid. So is adding the no-smoke, but would allow the bike to be ridden until repairs can be done.
A full engine overhaul is usually about $1650-$1900, but thats putting everything back like new.
While this might sound drastic, it is, but if you pull the topend and freshen things up, rings, timing chains, gaskets, the bottom end on this bike should be like new.
As MAS said, the most cost effective way to deal with this problem, money wise, would be a low milage engine install. Shop around. No reason why you can't get a great running engine anywhere from $850-$1400, and that would br plug and play.
Then you'd have a spare to toss in at a later date....getting it fixed/freshened up at your leasure later on....
Me myself, I have 2 engines in standby for my bike....

[plumber63]

Well thanks to everyone for all the great ideas. Once spring gets here I might try a few of the band-aid fixes.

[Guzzi]

The 1600 is known for burning oil a qt about every 1k miles. Broke mine in by the book and it used oil. Sold it with 55,000 miles. Still ran strong.
A coworker had a lower mileage 1600 and his used oil also.
It's just the nature of the beast.