Too many cranks to start and Smoking

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will_b72 · #1 Post by **will_b72** » Sat Apr 14, 2012 3:12 am

Hello, I have a 2002 X440S and I've owned it for about 3 years. I ride it a modeate amount and have always done the maintenance on time. Lately it has been harder and harder to start. It cranks way more than it used to to start and when it finally does start its kinda weak and takes multiple times to actually get it to fire and stay running. Then the last time I fired it up it smoked so bad it filled my whole garage with smoke over about a 5 minute period. After further inspection I noticed there was oil dripping from the joint of the exhaust. That can't be good can it? I have no idea what it might be and I'm kind of nevous to start tearing into it beacause of availibility of parts and stuff. So if you have any suggestions I'd really appriciate it Thanks.

rayspeed · #2 Post by **rayspeed** » Sat Apr 14, 2012 3:33 am

This is the check valve in the oil pump block leaking into the crankcase either because it got a small piece of debris sicking it open slightly or it is known that the seats are more roughly machined than they should be. It may have done this for the first time because you put just a tad more oil in it than before and all it take is a couple ounces more to fill the crankcase and get on top of the piston by being forced up past the rings on the down stroke. I have seen this happen so bad that the motor hydro locked.
Normally the scavenge pump pulls the oil out quickly so if there is just the right amount of oil in there you may never know that most of the oil is not in the frame like it is supposed to be. Some machines do this fairly often when left sitting for a long time and sometimes it can happen after a few days and some never do it but it is almost always when you are on the fuzzy edge of a little too full of oil. The only way to avoid it is to go with just a little less oil than you did to find the sweet spot or if you have left it sit for a long time drain the crankcase into a clean container and pour it back in before starting.

will_b72 · #3 Post by **will_b72** » Sat Apr 14, 2012 3:48 am

Thanks for the advice I appreciate it.

speedracer · #4 Post by **speedracer** » Sat Apr 14, 2012 4:45 pm

Your hard starts may be due to the need of a throttle recal.

wistech · #5 Post by **wistech** » Sat Apr 14, 2012 11:13 pm

Yep the plug may be fouling from the oil seeping past the rings and after a few cranks it fires. When you are getting a leaking check valve its usually from debris. Debris comes from somewhere and if its not an updated crank it may be your first sign to update although if it is crank bearing metal its long to late . Pull your oil filter and wrap in a clean wrag for a few hours and inspect for metal .

If your lucky and find nothing you just overfilled . 1.5 quarts is the magic number not 2 . Even if the crankcase fills all the way up it wont go above the rings.