Chuck

My story. I'd bought a Strada that hadn't run in years. A previous owner had decided that di-electric grease was a good idea, and filled every nook and cranny of every electrical connector on that bike with it. Naturally, it never ran again. Another guy bought it, and never got it running. I bought it from him, saw the di-electric grease in *everything*, and cleaned it out. The previous owner had even bought a new Digiplex unit.. $$ to no avail. It started right up, and I was patting myself on the back. Took it for a ride, thinking, "cool scooter" when it quit. That was the first of about 5 times I was standing beside the road. Apparently, when it go hot enough, the grease would migrate down the wires and cause an open connection somewhere. It's apparently ok, now, but I don't want it anywhere (except on the spark plug boot) on my bike. YMMV, of course..

I'm sure that Wayne wouldn't mind me spreading the word. ' Using Dielectric Grease on connectors. A lot of people use dielectric grease on connectors. Some people mistakenly believe that dielectric grease is a conductor. In fact, it is just the opposite. It is an insulator, and a good one. That is the basic definition of dielectric, an insulator. Dielectric grease is typically made of silicone grease. As an insulator, dielectric grease is good for use on spark plug boots. This was one of the original applications on vehicles when the high energy ignition systems came out. It can help insulate the connector, and in particular on a motorcycle where it can get wet, it waterproofs the spark plug boot. And because it is silicone, it is fairly stable at high temperatures and won’t affect the rubber and plastics. So why would you put an insulator on a connector? The idea is that you use a thin layer. When you push the connector together, the grease is pushed out of the way enough to get a connection, and the surrounding grease then keeps out water and oxygen. The connector will be protected from the environment, and less likely to corrode. Plus the silicone is safe for the plastics and PVC insulation. That sounds good, so far. So why not smear it on everything? Well, there are a number of reasons. 1) Silicone grease outgases constantly. If the silicone gas gets near a connector or a contact such as a relay, and there is any arcing, the spark at the contact can create silicon dioxide. Some companies even suggest that the silicone gas from dielectric grease can travel many feet through the insulation on a wire and damage a contact on the other end. Omron states that even their sealed switches can be damaged by nearby silicone grease out gassing. Reference below for more info. 2) It is an insulator. It can prevent contacts from touching. If you must use it, use a very thin layer. 3) If you have a corroded connection, silicone grease will not help. In fact, it can only make a connection worse. It can never improve anything. Dielectric grease will never make a poor connection better. 4) It attracts dust and dirt and it due to the out gassing, it hardens over time. This means that if you smear a lot of silicone grease on connectors, you may see nearby relays, switches or points fail later on. And since the silicone grease does nothing at all to improve the connection, and in fact may insulate the contacts in the connector increasing the resistance, the connector may still fail. So what do you do? Look for a contact enhancer/lube. While most contact cleaners are simple solvents that just wash the connector off. There are contact enhancers that deoxidize the contact surface and actually work to lower the contact resistance (make a better connection). Most contact enhancers leave a lubricant behind that protects the metal and continue to deoxidize the metal and improve the connection. They can work to lower the resistance and actually make a BETTER contact as time goes by. The best you can hope for from dielectric grease is that it seals it enough to not get much worse. I have used Caig Deoxit on my bikes for a few years now. I first found out about this on my job when I had to correct an issue in a scale load cell connector system that could not tolerate even 5 thousandths of an ohm of resistance drift. We had a connector in the field that had been improperly plated and was starting to drift, mostly in warm humid areas like Florida. Our testing showed that the Caig Deoxit could be a good long term fix. We ended up using the Deoxit to stabilize the bad units until we could get corrected wiring harnesses built with the correct connectors. We also put a layer of Deoxit on the new parts to protect and keep them clean over their lifetime. This totally solved the resistance drift issue that we had. Our information on this product showed that the contact would actually get better for a period of over 1 year. The resistance would then begin to deteriorate, but at a much slower rate that a connector without the Deoxit. I still use a small amount of silicone grease on my spark plug caps. It helps to waterproof them and makes it easier to pull the cap off. (have you pulled a plug cap on a Stelvio yet?) But I use it in very small amounts and never near a relay or switch. Useful links: 1) http://www.ia.omron.com/product/cautions/30/precautions_for_correct_use.html 2) http://machinedesign.com/article/lubricating-electrical-switches-1025 3) http://www.echeloninc.com/contactlubrication.htm Wayne Orwig

Noooo.. di electric means "doesn't conduct electricity. Don't get me started. I've spent hours cleaning that crap out of connectors.

Aerosol powdered athletes'foot spray works well, too. Easier to apply.

I did a Lario project on WG this Winter, and needed a paint match. Went to the local automotive paint store and the kid used his computer to match it.. When he mixed it, I told him it was too orange and he agreed. Called out, "Mom!" She looked at it, took it back and mixed in some more color. Here's the result, original on the left.. Human 1, computer 0

Brad and I have the Centurian, but I just had to try the Guzzi diag. It works great, and is easier to use than the Techno Research, IMHO.

this..

YMMV.

I like the Pirelli Angels. Todd Egan (RacerX) says Q2s are the hot setup for V11s. Haven't tried them, though.

I made the 55 degree gizmo that was on the first page of the greasing the u joint thread, and it worked fine on Rosie and the Scura. So, I confidently was going to show my kid how to do it on his 00 Greenie. Couldn't do it. There's something different...

I'm pretty cheap, and making stuff is what I do. How about telling the what you did how you did it story so I can steal your idea?

That would be yes. Don't ask me how I know..

I found a chart on the second page of this thread with the dimensions. http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10079&hl=+torque%20+arm%20+bushing&page=2 In English, they are called bushings, and that may help your search..

Howard R, from Maryland, has a blue sport and was at the Oregon nationals... but that was in '10. I have an old 13" LeBlond Regal.. now that is a great old lathe.

Thanks! I would, but the temp is too cold in my garage for paintin'... so I'll wait until it's warm agian. I'll also take that time to re-inspect my bearing and other rear drive bits. It's all together now. Greased all splines and the axle/spindle. Also used a proper torque wrench, as I think the last guy to change the tire did not. The needle bearing failure and the damaged end (couldn't fit my 14mm socket in without some griding/reshaping) was probably due to over-torquing. 120nm right? Pete says, "until you fart." I use 80 ft.lbs. 120 nm converts to 88, and is probably correct. It's not rocket science.. The damaged end was probably someone hitting it with a steel hammer, peening over the hex.

Steve Wittman, of 30s air racing fame (he was racing, and winning!!) until he was 90, was quoted back in the day as saying, "Only add simplicity and lightness.." I'm sure there are others, but it is true, no matter who was the originator of it.

Staintune.. Unless you like quiet.

Electrical problems are always easy to fix. What sometimes takes time is *finding* what needs to be fixed..

Let's see, now.. for 30 some bux I couldn't buy the steel to make them, not to mention *many* hours of labor.

So, how did you prep it? I'm doing a Lario as we speak, and have been giving the prep job some thought.

95987. Of course everything at HF is on "super sale" every now and then.. it's showing $59.95 on the net right now. I bought their $599 motorcycle lift for $299, another great buy for occasional use.

this. Normally, I buy Snap on or Matco tools, but I saw this at HF, and thought, "WTF? 30 some bucks?" It's a nice piece of kit as the Englishers say, for occasional use. Works great.

When I picked up Rosie from an abusive owner, the rear caliper and rotor (blue) were trashed. I installed a new rotor, caliper, line, and rebuilt the master cylinder thinking those problems were over. After the shake down ride, I noticed the new rotor was hot, and I seldom use the rear brake. Hmmm. I found that there was still a little air in the system, and bleeding it completely cured that problem. I hung a 20 lb. weight from the brake lever for 24 hours, and that let the micro air bubbles percolate to the master cylinder resevoir when pressure is relieved. At least that's my theory..

I wouldn't be terribly concerned. I've done several "barn finds" that have been sitting for years. Most likely would be fork seals, no big deal. None have had major seal leaks after being put back into service.