Oil in left cylinder exhaust header pipe

[79vetteguy]

Hi, I have oil present in the left cylinder exhaust header pipe after engine runs a short while. There is not any smoke from end of exhaust when engine starts or runs. After turning engine off there is smoke at joint between exhaust header and exhaust pipe.
Oil also leaks from this joint in exhaust pipe.

All help appreciated.'
Thanks

[mike in idaho]

I would guess the oil is coming out around the exhaust valve stem or the od of the guide itself.

[79vetteguy]

Thanks for the reply--if oil is getting past the valve guide to the valve stem wound't it get into the combustion chamber and result in smoke out the end of the exhaust??
Can this be a head gasket issue?
Thanks

[lix]

Is it possible your motor is using only one cilinder? Is the exhaust ,with the oil in, hot when the motor is running?

[79vetteguy]

Thanks for the reply, the left cylinder is firing and get hot as normal--in fact the the right cylinder will at times foul the plug and the bike runs only on the left cylinder but with a bit of a struggle. I recently put a gasket between the header pipe flange and the cylinder head (did this on both sides)--before adding this gasket the oil would leak out around the header pipe at the head. The oil flow seems to be more now than before but I thought this possibly was due to just getting a few more miles on the engine which had not run for a number of years before I bought the bike. I figured the residue inside the engine might be disolving some ( using some SeaFoam in the oil) allowing more seepage where ever it is coming from?? Very early when I first got motor to run it had some oil flowing from the head vent tube but this stopped after a short while?? I'm trying to put off an engine removal and tear down--usually only ride short distances--bike is mostly for show.

Still a mystery??