I have a Whacker brand generator with a Honda 11 hp on it. I have 4 generators and I try to rotate them when I go camping to give them some use. I havent used the Honda in awhile, probaly 6 months. I store it with a full tank and stabilizers in the gas. I took it last outing and when I started it, it started smoking white smoke, now a dont mean a little smoke, full white smoke stream coming out the exhaust outlet for about 30seconds to a minute. I was ready to shut it down and it just cleared up and ran fine, ran all night without a problem. Went out the next day started it, first pull and it did the same thing, thick cloud of white smoke, full on now blowing solid stream, then it stops and runs fine, no smoke. I pulled it out today and although it has alot of compression and will yank my hand back, it started right up, 1st good yank and it smoked like crazy and ran fine. This is like everytime now, but what would cause that. Its not worth and tear down, but it sounds good. Checked the oil level, its good, not too high. I cant believe the amount of smoke it puts out on startup though, thick white smoke and alot of it-weird.
Honda Generator smoking
- Thread starter Panzerman
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The smoke is likely the result of your valve guide seal leaking. I had a engine that did that for many years right up to when I sold it.
Once the engine warms up and the seals swell either from oil or heat, the oil stops getting into the combustion chamber. When the engine is shut off, oil runs down the valve stems, past the valves and into the combustion chamber. Chances are that it will be like that for the rest of it's useful life unless you feel compelled to change out the valve guide seals.
Once the engine warms up and the seals swell either from oil or heat, the oil stops getting into the combustion chamber. When the engine is shut off, oil runs down the valve stems, past the valves and into the combustion chamber. Chances are that it will be like that for the rest of it's useful life unless you feel compelled to change out the valve guide seals.
That is what I was thinking too. Since I only use it occaisonally and when I start it, it runs for about 6-8 hours and it clears out by then. It will make a good bug fogger.
Doesn't oil burn blue?
Originally Posted By: candoo
Doesn't oil burn blue?
The shade of the oil smoke in an air cooled engine isn't as critical as with a liquid cooled engine. The reason is that liquid cooled engines have coolant that, if processed through the combustion chamber, will make a white smoke. Burning oil will be slightly bluish and sometimes not easily discernible. However, in an air cooled engine the shade of the smoke isn't really important.
The smell of engine oil smoke vs. coolant smoke is also quite distinctive.
Doesn't oil burn blue?
The shade of the oil smoke in an air cooled engine isn't as critical as with a liquid cooled engine. The reason is that liquid cooled engines have coolant that, if processed through the combustion chamber, will make a white smoke. Burning oil will be slightly bluish and sometimes not easily discernible. However, in an air cooled engine the shade of the smoke isn't really important.
The smell of engine oil smoke vs. coolant smoke is also quite distinctive.
I think they smoke blue when its just a little oil, such as a two stroke or a car using oil, this puppy is running on oil, its a cloud of white smoke. It looks like a blown head gasket, if it was water cooled. Like Boraticus stated though, you can tell the difference in smell quickly. A coolant exhaust smells very sweet.
Are you 100% sure you don't have the oil level over-full? I realize this is a horizontal shaft engine, but I know vertical shaft OHV engines are VERY susceptible to blasting blue smoke if they are filled right to, or over the "full" line on the stick. Many people don't read the stick properly (thread-in, vs. no thread, etc).
Joel
Joel
"Are you 100% sure you don't have the oil level over-full?"
I'm not sure that overfilling on an ohv engine will make it smoke. Possibly on an L head due to the valves facing upward and allowing crankcase pressure to force oil into the cam/valve area and pumping it into the cylinder.
Generally, on an ohv engine, the excess oil will flow out of the crankcase ventilation vent unless the valve guide seals are worn/dried out.
I know that from personal experience. The manual for the Mitsubishi engine on my pressure washer indicated the wrong amount of oil fill. I soon noticed that excess oil would puddle around the base of the engine after ten or fifteen minutes of use. It did that several times until I pulled out a few oz. Not once did it smoke.
I'm not sure that overfilling on an ohv engine will make it smoke. Possibly on an L head due to the valves facing upward and allowing crankcase pressure to force oil into the cam/valve area and pumping it into the cylinder.
Generally, on an ohv engine, the excess oil will flow out of the crankcase ventilation vent unless the valve guide seals are worn/dried out.
I know that from personal experience. The manual for the Mitsubishi engine on my pressure washer indicated the wrong amount of oil fill. I soon noticed that excess oil would puddle around the base of the engine after ten or fifteen minutes of use. It did that several times until I pulled out a few oz. Not once did it smoke.
Originally Posted By: boraticus
I'm not sure that overfilling on an ohv engine will make it smoke....
I've had it happen myself and have seen it reported countless times on OPE related boards. This is on OHV, vertical shaft engines. Usually riding mowers. Park one nose-down, such that the cylinder jug(s) are lower than the oil sump and you're almost guaranteed a cloud on startup. Overfilling, even slightly, will aggravate the situation and can cause clouds when changing direction rapidly (oil slosh?).
I don't know exactly how it happens, if it's oil getting past the rings, oil filling the valve cover area and going past the guides and/or getting sucked up through the breather system and burned, but this does happen on OHV engines. I ain't making it up.
Joel
I'm not sure that overfilling on an ohv engine will make it smoke....
I've had it happen myself and have seen it reported countless times on OPE related boards. This is on OHV, vertical shaft engines. Usually riding mowers. Park one nose-down, such that the cylinder jug(s) are lower than the oil sump and you're almost guaranteed a cloud on startup. Overfilling, even slightly, will aggravate the situation and can cause clouds when changing direction rapidly (oil slosh?).
I don't know exactly how it happens, if it's oil getting past the rings, oil filling the valve cover area and going past the guides and/or getting sucked up through the breather system and burned, but this does happen on OHV engines. I ain't making it up.
Joel
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Vertical shaft engines, certainly. That's just a matter of having the cylinders sloped toward the engine head. Splashed oil settles in the cylinder and seeps past the rings into the combustion chamber.
On a horizontal shaft engine, as in this case, the cylinder is above the oil source and oil cannot seep past the rings nor does oil normally seep past the valves unless the valve guide seals are defective.
On a horizontal shaft engine, as in this case, the cylinder is above the oil source and oil cannot seep past the rings nor does oil normally seep past the valves unless the valve guide seals are defective.
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