Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 smoking at start up

Late last May I took the M3W to the Charlottesville NC DGR. Very hot day and the oil temp gauge was up about 245f. Was a busy summer, so it sat a month or so and when I started it up had oil burning smoke out the left side for a bit. Changed the oil (was the dirtiest I have seen), Then this fall we were gone for a month on a 6600 mile trip. Started it up yesterday and the same thing. Oil burning smoke out the left at start up. Also, when I got back I checked the oil level and needed to add oil... this is new as well.

Whip the plugs out are they oily could be a valve stem seal....

good thought. otherwise it runs fine. I am used to older Goldwings doing this at start up but that is the configuration of the engine and it is on the left as that is where the side stand is

Almost certainly oil due to wet sumping during lay ups pushed up by crankcase pressure into inlet. Once burnt off should be fine and a reminder to use vehicle regularly.

If that's the case, why only smoke on one side? The crankcase vent tube is dead center in a siamesed intake manifold so any oil introduced would feed both cylinders.

An exhaust valve guide seal on the left is much more likely.

To confirm: after a longish layup unfasten the left side exhaust header at the head and examine the exhaust valve. If it's wet, then you have a guide seal issue.

I did check the left plug, and it is NOT oily. Unfortunately we are headed into winter, so the likelihood of a lot of driving is low. If I slowly loose oil, I would agree it is a valve seal.

You have to love the (lack of) quality of the S&S engine.

It does seem as if S&S lost the plot on quality with this engine (if they ever had it). It was originally touted as a potential OEM engine for some of the smaller volume motorcycle manufacturers, but that path lead to minimal sales, and the deal with Morgan certainly didn't provide much in the way of volume. So it must have been a bit of a disappointing orphan for S&S since it's inception, leading to the sale of the design/tooling. And without a major OEM holding them to quality production standards during it's relatively brief production life, we have our current situation.

I'm looking forward to the inevitable retrofit of a Harley EVO or similar that someone will surely do.

started it up today and went to fill up the tanl.... no smoke, and geeeeeeze it was 2 months since I last filled it up

Buy a cheapie bore scope that wifis to your phone and look into the cylinders to see how they are doing. You should be able to easily see the cylinder walls and the top of the pistons.

Drove again yesterday and no smoke. I think it was the nearly two months of just sitting. Just it's way of telling me I had neglected it.