85 xj700 Exhaust problem

I just got an xj700 and have started cleaning it up. I cleaned my carbs and the bike starts up and idles fine.

The problem is the throttle side exhaust spits out a ton of smoke. There is also a tiny corroded hole on the underside of throttle side exhaust that mists out what I think is gas. The end of that exhaust is also much darker than the clutch side.

Is this a side effect of carbs running too rich? Should I replace whole exhaust?

 

What have you done so far?

Is the hole round?
If it's round then it's supposed to be there. The mist is condensation, and will stop once the exhaust reaches normal operating temperature.

Have you read The Information Overload Hour ?

By throttle side I assume you mean the right side. The headers from all four cylinders meet under the engine in a crossover (unless you have an aftermarket exahust system), so both mufflers are expelling gasses from all four cylinders. What you see coming out of that muffler may be the remnants of oil (sometimes used to keep the mufflers from rusting during storage), rust, or condensation.

What color is the smoke?

 

Carson, if it's a stock exhaust, you'll find that there is one on the other pipe as well. Working properly they both should "spit" some condensation (mine do!) until they hit temperature as k-moe states.

 

Not quite..... The collector box is a big box that is split in the middle, and the baffle insid helps divide the left and right side of the engine and basically diverts half of the left to the right and diverts half of the right to the left.

I'll try to take a pic of the inside of a collector box for you to see that......

The collector does more than just have "all four pipes enter into a large room and go out two other exits"

 

I'm aware of what's inside the collector, and how it works. I was writing for the audience; simplifying.
Pics for the OP would be cool though

 

not just the OP!

 

Thanks for the replies.

I started her up again today and she was warming up for about five minutes and then it cut off. When I hit the start button the starter solenoid relay makes a single loud click and then nothing happens.

Main fuse and fuses up where the key goes are good. Voltmeter shows voltage with key on but then goes to zero when I hit the start button and makes the single click.

Smoke from exhaust is white. I think it may be from the messed up head gasket. Pictures might not show it but I think all those gaskets need to be replaced. I have

 

The one with grease on my finger is coming from front brake hose

 

I have read this post

http://www.xjbikes.com/forums/threads/airhead-valve-adjustment-with-pics.14827/#post-122016

But I don't have a torque wrench to torque to 7.2. I do have a dewalt drill that has the different settings by the chuck. Can I use this?

Also I found a random ground wire without a connection by the battery. I did a continuity test for the ground to the ignition coil and they are connected. Aren't the coils already grounded to the engine?

 

White exhaust is never oil, always condensation on an air cooled bike. It will go away once the engine gets up to temp.

The oil leak looks more like the valve cover gasket than a head gasket problem.

Based on your description of what happens when you press the starter button, you likely have an intermitant short to ground.

7.2 ft pounds is just about finger-tight. The valve cover bolts are shouldered, so it's easy to tell when they are tight because the bolts stop turning (unless you try to tighten them goodandtight, then they strip out the threaded holes).

 

Thank you for your continued help k-moe.

Just started messing with bikes and don't know much at all. The gasket around the perimeter of the top black part of the engine is shiny and sticky and chipped in places. Also shiny and sticky around the bolts that go into the top of the engine.

 

The gasket and the donuts are shiny and sticky because they are where the oil leak is at. Your head gasket doesn't appear to be leaking, at least not anywhere in the pics. The 'hose coming from the brake' by your finger----you're finger is below the cable that is your speedometer cable.

The black wire that you're holding is probably an 'engine to frame' ground.

White smoke is only moisture burning off.

Sounds to me like you have a dead battery.

Dave