New engine smoking

swmspam

I fired up a new Honda GX200 for the first time to a significant amount of smoke. Is it normal for some engines to smoke a lot as the factory grease is burned out?

Blackcherry04

Re: New engine smoking

Don't want to wish you any bad Luck, I have New Honda EU2000 was doing the same thing. Took it in for warranty and they had to put a short block in it, Locked up Wrist Pin. I put 5 hrs or so and never did any better and was throwing oil droplets out the muffler with the smoke. Been working fine since the rebuild.

Yours may be fine after the rings seat, Mine couldn't the way the piston was locked.

inetdog

Re: New engine smoking

swmspam wrote: »

I fired up a new Honda GX200 for the first time to a significant amount of smoke. Is it normal for some engines to smoke a lot as the factory grease is burned out?

If an engine has had oil added to the cylinder via the spark plug hole to weatherize it for long storage without rusting, there may be a significant amount of smoke when it is first fired up. Anywhere but inside the cylinder, "factory grease" will not cause smoke.
That would mean that the engine was probably run at the factory for testing and then prepared for indefinite storage. There was probably no gas in the tank or carburetor either.
But it should not last very long. Prolonged white smoke would indicate an oil leak past the rings while prolonged black smoke would indicate an improper fuel/air ratio for some reason.

icarus

Re: New engine smoking

I would not consider it "normal" . Run it a few hours and see if it works out. Broken ring, cracked piston, bad wrist pin. If it is under warrantee, take it bck. even Hondas have an occasional Lemmon I guess.

T

Normok

Re: New engine smoking

swmspam wrote: »

I fired up a new Honda GX200 for the first time to a significant amount of smoke.

Aside from the already noted possibilities it could have been cold(what was the ambient temp?) and the valve seals probably are not swelling. This should go away with some use and once it is warm.

papa

Re: New engine smoking

swmspam wrote: »

I fired up a new Honda GX200 for the first time to a significant amount of smoke. Is it normal for some engines to smoke a lot as the factory grease is burned out?

Should be zero white smoke anytime after the initial warm-up. This includes cold starts after the initial start & warm-up. As already pointed out, black smoke is likely excessive fuel (too much choking, etc) - white or gray smoke is oil. What is the first 5 digits of the production number (should be something like "GCxxx")?

swmspam

Re: New engine smoking

It is white smoke - very much smells like oil. The smell is obvious upon first whiff. Haven't run the engine more than 30 minutes yet.

Vic

Re: New engine smoking

Will just toss out the unlikely possibility that the fuel somehow might have oil added, as in 2-cycle oil. You might drain alll the fuel, and try some fresh fuel that YOU purchased at the gas station ... believe that this has not yet been mentioned. good luck. Usually Hondas are great. Vic

inetdog

Re: New engine smoking

Vic wrote: »

Will just toss out the unlikely possibility that the fuel somehow might have oil added, as in 2-cycle oil. You might drain alll the fuel, and try some fresh fuel that YOU purchased at the gas station ... believe that this has not yet been mentioned. good luck. Usually Hondas are great. Vic

Good point. Also if you have been running it for more than 30 minutes and getting lots of white smoke, you should probably check the oil level to see whether it has dropped noticeably.

waynefromnscanada

Re: New engine smoking

Unless there was oil mixed in the gas, I have no doubt you have an engine problem. Even after pouring oil down the spark plug hole to preserve an engine for the off season, when restarted the resulting puff of oil smoke only lasts a few seconds, 10 to 20 seconds at most. Another possibility is the engine crank case being way over filled with oil.

Slappy

Re: New engine smoking

Oil over filled?

waynefromnscanada

Re: New engine smoking

Slappy wrote: »

Oil over filled?

Yes, I've seen that happen. For example a new engine might call for one litre of engine oil, and someone put in a second litre, not realizing it had already been filled.

Vic

Re: New engine smoking

Had wondered about overfilled oil, but almost all of these small air-cooled engines are impossible to overfill if the engine is level, as a full crankcase is defined as it being unable to accept any more oil without running over. The engine would have to be quite out of level to be able to fill very much additional oil. Dunno, internal failure may well be the most likely, even for a Honda. Guessing done for now. Vic

westbranch

Re: New engine smoking

It pretty easy to overfill the 1000 and 2000 models. the 2000 only takes .4 Litres of oil, about a cup and 3/4

waynefromnscanada

Re: New engine smoking

Don't know about this particular Honda engine, but some engines have an extension tube coming up from the base, to make it easier, or even possible to put oil in the engine (due to all the clutter around and over the normal filler), and those are easily overfilled. Those engines usually have a dip stick, but if it's not properly used - - - -

Vic

Re: New engine smoking

Hi westbranch,

Well, have both the EU 1000 and EU 2000, and on mine, the crankcase casting is the fill port, and has threads where the fill plug screws in. On mine, if the genset is LEVEL, (which is the correct way to fill the crankcase and run the genset) it is essentially impossible to overfill, as the Full point if just slightly below running over and out of the fill port.

But, not to argue, just my experience. YMMV, Vic

westbranch

Re: New engine smoking

Hi Vic, my 1000 experience has been that I manage to spill oil into the plastic case if I try to fill, or top up, the unit on the level and then it weeps out through the join line of the case. So I tilt it up on its side and invariably get oil running back out, finding its 'natural fill level'. To me this is the only design fault on a great machine.

As to the cause of smoking I think the 2000 the OP has is knackered... unseated ring or likewise, its a warranty job.

ps few level spots at our place as yet, still building and SWMBO wont let me bring stuff onto the deck (to drip all over)

Vic

Re: New engine smoking

Hi westbranch,

OK, better understand your situation.

My approach is to use a US 1-quart oil container, which has a transparent, calibrated viewing slit cast into it.

Fill this container a bit short of the spec amount of oil. Then, as you do, aggressively tilt the genset at about a 45 degree angle from level. Carefully pour the oil into the port (possibly even use a small funnel). Then place a bit more oil in the container and add a small amount - check level -- add a bit more ---check ... and so on. It IS a disappointment to have oil run into the lower enclosure.

If it were a bit easier, I'd change the oil in these gensets even more often. But, as you noted, still a great solution for many uses. And, never a hick-up on any of them .. knock . knock .. YMMV, Vic

swmspam

Re: New engine smoking

Oil filled to dipstick demarcation. Carefully filled while periodically checking dipstick. Gasoline purchased by me in my gas can. Everything is clean. I'll run it a bit more, and return the set if smoke persists.

papa

Re: New engine smoking

The GX200 (in addition to many other Honda general-purpose engines), endured at least 4 different piston ring iterations from at least 3 different piston ring manufactures'. Without knowing the origin and birth date of the engine in question, I can't offer much help beyond what others have suggested.

When anyone mentions a persistent "smoking" Honda engine, I'm reminded of a personal experience I had 21 years ago....

At the first crack of spring, we (a qualified Honda dealer) advertised a "Spring lawn mower tune-up special". Of those that responded, it was a mid-aged female packing a beat-up HR215 walk-behind mower in the truck of her sedan that literally amazed me. We unloaded it, and I estimated it was 4, maybe 5 years old. She said it "smokes a little", but her main concern was that it didn't cut as good as it did when they first bought it.

I changed the thick, tar looking oil (literally), renewed the spark plug, sharpened what was left of the blade, then pulled the carb bowel and flushed the fuel system. Yes, it still smoked a little, but it seemed to start promptly and reliably spin the blade.... and that's all she requested.

When she returned the next morning to pick up her machine, I commented that her mower was obviously well used, and that the oil looked extremely bad. She smiled, and said, "We bought this mower for our son to make a few bucks mowing lawns around the neighborhood." She hesitated, broke eye contact, then continued, "He has about 7 or 8 regular customers, some of which are picky and wanted cuts twice a week. This has been pretty much non-stop for the last 5 summers." "Odd that you should mention the oil - it never occurred to me, or my son that the oil in these machines ever needed to be changed. I do know that he checked it regularly".

ChrisOlson

Re: New engine smoking

The engine in our EM4000SX generator used a slight amount of oil during breakin. I changed oil in it and put in Honda GN-4 for the next 50 hours and it didn't use any oil on that next change. I put in Mobil-1 10W-30 synthetic for winter and the engine used about a half pint in 30 hours. I didn't like that so I drained it and put in Shell Rotella T 10w-30 diesel oil instead. It hasn't used a drop in 72 hours with the Rotella in it.
--
Chris

swmspam

Re: New engine smoking

I am using Castrol Edge Titanium 10W-30. I love the stuff. It worked wonders for me previously. I'll go looking for some Shell Rotella T to try in this engine.

papa

Re: New engine smoking

swmspam wrote: »

I am using Castrol Edge Titanium 10W-30. I love the stuff. It worked wonders for me previously. I'll go looking for some Shell Rotella T to try in this engine.

A properly assemble engine with over 30 minutes run time and quality lubricant, doesn't emit smoke. This assumes the 30 min run time is at operating temperature, in the event the muffler was partially contaminated with oil. Any new engines that continue spewing noticeable smoke have internal issue(s), and changing lubricants won't solve it.

ChrisOlson

Re: New engine smoking

I agree with papa - an engine that smokes cannot be "fixed" by changing the type of oil in it.

Our Honda went the full 100 hours this last change without adding a single drop with Rotella T in it. It previously, after the initial breakin, went 50 hours with GN-4 in it without using any either. I don't know why it used so much Mobil-1. It think the stuff is too slippery and the oil and second compression ring have trouble scraping the stuff off the bore so it just "leaks" by. I didn't notice any smoke at all with it even burning a half pint in 30 hours, but the screen on the muffler turned pitch black from it.

An engine that's emitting visible smoke is burning a LOT of oil and it has a problem.

The first thing I'd do is pull the air filter out with the engine running and see if it's spitting oil into the air filter housing from excessive crankcase pressure. That indicates right away that you got either a big groove cut in the side of the bore from a wrist pin retainer that came out, or you got broken or missing rings. Whatever - it has a problem and it's internal.
--
Chris

waynefromnscanada

Re: New engine smoking

ChrisOlson wrote: »

I agree with papa - an engine that smokes cannot be "fixed" by changing the type of oil in it.

Our Honda went the full 100 hours this last change without adding a single drop with Rotella T in it. It previously, after the initial breakin, went 50 hours with GN-4 in it without using any either. I don't know why it used so much Mobil-1. It think the stuff is too slippery and the oil and second compression ring have trouble scraping the stuff off the bore so it just "leaks" by. I didn't notice any smoke at all with it even burning a half pint in 30 hours, but the screen on the muffler turned pitch black from it.

An engine that's emitting visible smoke is burning a LOT of oil and it has a problem.

The first thing I'd do is pull the air filter out with the engine running and see if it's spitting oil into the air filter housing from excessive crankcase pressure. That indicates right away that you got either a big groove cut in the side of the bore from a wrist pin retainer that came out, or you got broken or missing rings. Whatever - it has a problem and it's internal.
--
Chris

With many years looking after and sometimes tearing down and repairing similar engines, I have to agree with both papa and Chris. This engine has a serious problem, and a different type of oil isn't going to fix it. Sorry
Hopefully it's not too late to go after warranty.

icarus

Re: New engine smoking

Unless it is under warrantee, it is a pretty easy to tear down. With only a few hours, a broken ring or some such shouldn't have done too mi ch damage. A quick look might find the culprit, and a simple re ring might do the trick.

Tony

inetdog

Re: New engine smoking

icarus wrote: »

Unless it is under warrantee, it is a pretty easy to tear down. With only a few hours, a broken ring or some such shouldn't have done too mi ch damage. A quick look might find the culprit, and a simple re ring might do the trick.

Tony

Unless the warranty is for less than 20 hours of use only (it was brand new at the start), the OP should be covered. It just may be a hassle to return it and wait for repair or replacement.