Yamaha tri-z white smoke issue

[Michaels]

Im just looking for any guidance for a cause. I have noticed fuel dripping out
From the petcock and I'm wondering if it could b a fuel pump issue. I was riding
It one day and it started billowing out whitish smoke and I immediately turned it off
The trike will fire up first or second kick still but immediately smokes. Oh and it does seem like the radiater fluid was a little low.

[TeamGreenOmaha2]

replace the rings

[Jon Boy]

welp, it sounds like your losing coolant through the motor. white smoke generally means water, a blueish smoke would be oil.

considering no real damage has been done to it, at the very least if your lucky you might just need a new head gasket. worst case would be a rebuild.
i'd wait to see if a few other might chime in and see what they say to be safe though.

[Michaels]

Piston and rings r good cylinder looks good too. It had metal head gasket when I pulled off there were 3 of them stacked. Smoke is def white it doesn't have much of a smell to it. I'm just wondering if it maybe leaned out with that vacume fuel pump leaking. Oh and I did notice a couple rides before this happend it bogged down and then would have crazy power. The compression while kickstarting it seemed fine. And the last time I did start it and it white smoked right away I gave it alittle throttle and it seemed to bog out

[Tri-Z 250]

Consider this...drain the case oil and take the head off and take a peek. The cost of a gasket is very little and a quart of oil is nothing. If the oil is milky you may have a water pump and seal issue. If the top end needs a rebuild you'll need the gasket anyway. Reguardless if it's losing water without leaking it's going somewhere. To me if the bike runs the pump is working. Your petcock is weeping...you may not be giving it enough attention. Running the motor will most likely cause greater damage, goodluck.

3 head gaskets?? that ain't right. That will restrict flow, IMO...I've heard of stacking base gaskets, wow there's yer sign.

[Michaels]

Consider this...drain the case oil and take the head off and take a peek. The cost of a gasket is very little and a quart of oil is nothing. If the oil is milky you may have a water pump and seal issue. If the top end needs a rebuild you'll need the gasket anyway. Reguardless if it's losing water without leaking it's going somewhere. To me if the bike runs the pump is working. Your petcock is weeping...you may not be giving it enough attention. Running the motor will most likely cause greater damage, goodluck.. Last summer I got complete gasket kit and I replaced the seal. But I remember when I did that the oil was a milky color
3 head gaskets?? that ain't right. That will restrict flow, IMO...I've heard of stacking base gaskets, wow there's yer sign.
The only thing is Ive put about 30 plus hrs on it and who knows how many the guy who owned before me did and it ran nice. For the first 4 or 5 months I owned it. And I didn't even notice there were the 3 untill I went to slide it back onto the jug it rubbed on threaded rods a broke the 3 free of each other. Oh and just to be clear in case I said it wrong the 3 metal gaskets that were stacked were between the cap that the s plug goes into and the top of the cylinder
And tnx I really appreciate the replies

[ATC-Eric]

Sounds like you have a blown headgasket (s).

[Michaels]

The gasket was in one piece when I pulled it off. But after I pulled the cylinder off i put the gasket back on with the head (just so it didn't get crap in it while off the trike). And when I was sliding it over the threaded rods it split apart. What causes the head gasket to go bad anyhow?

[badass350x]

Those gaskets are made that way, there should be 3 riveted at two tangs that sit outside the head front and back!

[4x4van]

White smoke means water/coolant being burned in the combustion chamber. That means blown head gasket (likely) or cracked head or cylinder (unlikely). BTW, never reuse a head gasket; they are made to "crush" once and only once. Reusing them WILL cause them to fail.

[Michaels]

What causes the head gasket to go bad? I do have anew gasket kit. I was just throwing old one on while engine sits in crate off the bike.