Hey, hoping for some sage advice on this: I have a 2010 Street Glide with a 103 upgrade installed "at the time of purchase" (actually when I had 850 miles on the bike). I have around 300 miles since the upgrade and the bike smokes a lot on start up. When I say smoke, the glide looks like a ****** mosquito fogger for a minute or so. I have been checking the oil and I had to add 3/4 qt after a total of only about 1200-1300 total miles. I am assuming that the smoke is from oil due to the break in of the new pistons, jugs, rings and such. So, should this go away on its own? I spoke to a tech at the dealer and he said that it should get better but that they'll look at it when I am in for the 1k service in a couple of weeks. Any thoughts? Is this typical? To answer some questions, I have the stage II 103 with a power commander V, V&H power duals with High Output slip ons. As always, thanks for any help.

 

I've never had a new motor (or any motor for that matter) smoke on startup for any length of time. Did a big bore build last fall and it never has smoked. It sounds like oil may be leaking past your valve guide seals and getting in the combustion chamber. When you start it up, it burns off all that oil at once. I'd say the oil consumption is high too. Rings should seat and seal up very quickly. Only other thing off the top of my head would be a ring installed upside down maybe?

 

The tech knows better; smoke on startup is typical of bad valve guide seals and it, if that is the problem, it won't get better. Did the smoke start after the big bore install? I don't know how the tech could have fubared the valve guide seals installing pistons and cylinders though. Are you sure your heads were reinstalled and not heads from another engine? I don't trust the dealers and stories like this are the reason why the dealer will only see one of my bikes for something that I don't think I can handle; hasn't happened yet.

The MoCo will tell you that 3/4 quart in 1200 miles is normal, so unless cosumption exceeds a full quart in less than 1000 miles, consumption won't be warranty justification for replacing guide seals.

If it is the guide seals, they leak all the time, and you should be able to see the evidence on the spark plugs, particularly on the ceramic insulator. If it's real bad, the electrode will be black and carboned up. The '05s had bad guide seals and many were replaced under warranty. The seal was changed in '06 and the problem went away but that doesn't mean you can't have a bad set of guide seals.

It isn't normal, shouldn't smoke, ever and I am sorry to say it but I think you have a fight on your hands.

 

Plus DJL, on everything.

 

I check my oil quite often and was about 1/4 quart low when I had the 103 kit put on. Since then 1/2 quart in 300-400 miles which definitely seems high to me. Does it make sense that the smoking stops once the engine has been run for a while?

 

If it is the valve guide seals, the it would make sense to me that it would stop after it burned off the excess that had accumulated. You most likely wouldn't see noticeable smoke after running for a while unless it was really pouring in there.

 

It is most likely a stuck ring(s) , this could be due to improper install of the big bore or improper break in. Once they see how much it smokes they should investigate as to the cause. As long as they installed it(the big bore) and agreed to cover it under warranty you should be ok. They will say oil consumption is normal during break in but the kind of smoke you describe should be a red flag to them. Take some video of it on the next few start ups (if you have the means) to document it just in case. Don't panic just yet.

 

Smoke on start up is not normal for any build, and 300-400 miles to consume a quart is waaaay excessive.

I am betting on an oil ring installed upside down - don't ask me how I know

 

I have a 2010 Street Glide and did the 103" stage II w/ heavy breather before I took delivery. Only have just over 1000 mi and have never had any evidence of smoke when I start up or at any other time