2002 Sportsman 500 HO White Smoke - Hard to Start

[richclick2010]

Somehow ran my system dry of coolant and didn't know it. Was running with dead battery. i.e. no lights. Overflow hose from filler neck to recovery bottle was melted.

Wheeler is very hard to start after this. Prior; rebuilt the carb and machine ran great. Now I have to slightly hold the throttle at just the right spot while choke is on to get the engine to turn over fast enough to start.

Now once it starts I am getting white smoke coming out where the thermostat goes. I removed while flushing out remainder of old antifreeze and beginning to put in new.

See the video.

Thanks for your input.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuBS0R2shII[/ame]

Edited January 3, 2014 by richclick2010
Bad Link

[richclick2010]

This was happening at cold start.

[oxidized_black]

looks like the exhaust is flowing through the cooling ports and out, maybe a cracked head?

[TEXASBAGMAN]

bLOWN HEAD GASKET, CRACKED HEAD. Problem was there B4 now and thats why you lost coolant 1st time.

[richclick2010]

Head Gasket was blown pretty bad. Head is in the shop getting checked out. Cam exhaust lobe and rocker were flattened out as well.

[TEXASBAGMAN]

That could be a hard one to determine what caused all that to happen? interested in what happen to it. keep posting!

[richclick2010]

As for the head gasket, my guess is the cam wasn't opening the exhaust valves enough and so the exhaust pressure had to go somewhere. As for the cam flattening out, I've been told that someone probably ran low on oil for a while.

I'll ask my engine guy once he has looked over the head.

[gangle04]

the older sportsman were known to have soft cams the problem is theres only one cam lobe opening 2 valves and if your not on top of setting your valves regularly they tighten up and never give the cam a break(in contact at all time) and wear it out very quickly valve clearance is .006 intake and exhaust...im guessing u lost quite a bit of power for a while up to when all this happend...good luck hope its just the gasket for your sake

[richclick2010]

I ended up rebuilding the top end. New piston, rings, bore, cam, rockers, machined head, seals/gaskets. Runs like a champ now.

[oxidized_black]

nice !!