LT230 question & smoking
 

Hi folks!
I'm new to the ATV world & don't know hardly anything about them.
I have pretty good mechanical skills but always on cars & machinery (never worked on a motorcycle or ATV).
A lady friend from work asked me to help her with her 1986 LT230 last week. Leaking oil bad from both sides of the gearbox housing (where the clutch is). Replaced both gaskets, had tough time getting kick start gears right, but from reading posts on this forum we figured it out.
Started up & everything seemed fine. Rode for a little while & started seeing excessive smoke from exhaust. She said it smoked a little before but was worse now. Still drove fine though & no knocking or anything obvious (other than the smoke!).

We changed the oil & filter when we did the gaskets & she had brought some Warren 10W30. I have since discovered it calls for 10W40.

So I guess my question is: Is there anything we could have done in the gearbox to make it smoke and/or could the 10W30 being thinner be contributing to the smoking?
Or is it motor rebuild time (& she really can't afford that right now).

That was the first time I have ever riden an ATV & although I only got to ride 5 minutes I think I will have to buy one for myself!

Any help is appreciated very much.

Welcome Art:
Yes, a thinner oil can cause an engine to burn a little more oil. Bottom line is, the engine should not burn any oil with any weight of oil, so a rebuild will need to be done sooner or latter.
If she can't afford a rebuild right now it's ok. Just make sure someone pulls the stick BEFORE every ride.

As far as getting a quad. Welcome aboard, they are fun!!!

Welcome aboard! I guess i would check the case venting system! This could be the cause of leaking gaskets! But like turbo said engine shouldn't smoke anyway with any oil... But just check engine breathing system, should be an finger size rubber hose coming off of the top side of engine! maybe just top of case under carb.base, could run thru air cleaner housing.... just make sure tube is not twisted or pinched or clogged up cause engine blow by... if everything there is fine then engine tear down time..Good Luck..