belfastguzzi

Yes I've done it, but it can be difficult to get apart I think. There was quite a debate before about which parts to grease and which not. Some greasing has been done through a mis-reading / misunderstanding of what Dave R wrote in Guzziology. Anyway, I think it's a good idea to clean-up where possible and grease parts that are prone to rust. I drilled holes in some of the cush rubbers too.

Has the clear top coat worn through, or more than that?

Well, life's not so bad. Guzzirider and chums have now passed Stelvio and are swanning about in Italy. Al Verdes, Mandello. Yum. Guy sends big hugs to everybody and a big kiss to Antonio (my interpretation – I could have gotten that slightly wrong).

well thank you I've done just that on my MySpace site now.

Thanks Emry I'll remember that about the gasket. Trouble is that it isn't the gasket this time, it's a cracked case and the cracked case is allowing the joint to pull open. Proper answer is new timing cover, at some horrendous price no doubt. That can wait.

My oil expands out through the casing when hot. Why?

And long may it remain attached – I know that you've had your worries. If the worst comes, I recommend Araldite. Don't use Halfords.

Thanks Mike I cleaned the metal as well as I could, but I do wonder how porous it is (?), if, no matter how well the surface is cleaned, it's always going to be holding some oil? I don't know. Obviously the best job would be to take the thing off in order to do it properly. I just don't have time for that in the near future. If the JB doesn't work I'll have a final epoxy try with Araldite. It's the one that gives me most confidence, it's always worked well before – various other motor related applications – and my best hammer is one that dropped off a roof, shaft broke at head and I repaired the shaft with string-reinforced-Araldite. It's still holding after 29 years. Er, it's not that I'm tight or anything: I'm just emotionally attached to good tools...

Well, Halford's own didn't do the job. Oil has been seeping out underneath. When I prised the epoxy tonight, it peeled off like rubber. I've tried again, with hopefully better stuff. Had a poke around to see what else I had and decided to go with JB Weld Kwik. Both the Araldite Rapid and Precision say they are ok to 65 degrees, whereas the JB says it's ok to 150 degrees C. It could be that the nature of the break here means that there will always be movement in the casing, pulling the joint apart and worrying away at the adhesion of any hard adhesive so that it lifts and allows the oil out. If the JB doesn't hold, I'll have a last try with flexible sealant, but that obviously won't provide any help with structural rigidity. Does anyone know what sort of temperature the casing in this area might get to?

After 27,000 miles!

Some nice pictures in and around this MySpace site: Vintage moto gals

1 the Jackal 2 the V.11 3 – the Ducati? – sell it now Guy!

Sympathy to poor old Guzzirider. A couple of weekends ago in Scottish Highlands the Jackal front tyre lets go and the bike goes down. This weekend in the queue for ferry to Europe, a car drives into the back of V.11! G.rider is there for the boat – but goes flying instead! Bike seems to have been largely saved by panniers and mushrooms, though footpeg is snapped off. Have a good trip Guy. Not literally of course.

Photos in new thread here

Click here for photo page and here are a few of the pics: Bonnie Scotland BFG Scura Da Boss Da Boss' machinery

Perhaps a philosophical approach is required ho ho

Last night there was tv programme showing current 'acts' (Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight, Stereophonics, a wrinkly Bryan Adams...) recording a new Sgt Peppers in the original studio with the same equipment as used by the fab ones and the same engineer. Some nice clunking and whirring of recording/reproduction machinery. Now, tonight, there was the story of The Monkees. Ah, 1967, indeed. Joy. Seems like yesterday. (And followed by Brian Sewell's private view of Salvador Dali, from the summers that he spent with Dali from 1968 onwards.) Followed on other channel by Bob Marley and the story of Exodus (1977). THAT was voted by Time as the album of the century. That's followed by Jimmy Cliff in The Harder They Come. On the other side, The Seven Ages of Rock is on The Blank Generation: Punk Rock. I'm watching Jimmy Cliff. Excellent With a bit more experience, you'll find that an iPod 'hooks' to yer ears, via earphones. Then you put helmet on head, hopefully tucking ears inside helmet. Put iPod inside jacket or shirt pocket. Press play. Rock and Roll. You can even follow above procedure when riding yer moto cycle. I use an iPod Shuffle these days for said purpose, as they're the size of nothing at all. Only problem has been that unlike bigger brothers, they don't have a 'hold' switch and because the control buttons are raised, they can get accidently pressed when leaning forwards on bike. Solved by keeping it in side pocket rather than tucked inside front.

I used Halford's own brand, just because I had some of their 'metal weld' or whatever they call it, handy. It's metal-coloured. I did wonder about it though and thought that it would probably be better to use Araldite. But then, maybe Araldite makes the stuff for Halfords? When I repaired the brake lever I used Araldite. It seemed to have a better look and feel – obviously that's not a scientific judgement, but if I'd been making scones, I would have eaten the Araldite one. BTW, when putting the footbrake lever together, I did wonder if it should have a bend in it, but I didn't check. I made it straight. Now, looking at photos, I see that there was originally a bend in the lever, or at least there's one in Jaap's. Oh well, it doesn't really matter at the moment, as once again the rear brake pads are worn down to the metal.

Bike related photos will appear, later

Cheers Carl. It wasn't a crash – it did just fall over (blew over). Clip on got bent as well as the other stuff: hopefully that all took the shock and but there wasn't enough force to affect the frame spine.

I got off before the bike went down! It was 'wind related'. It blew over (that's my story and I'm sticking to it) with full tank of petrol and loaded tankbag. I haven't spotted any timing covers yet. The supply that was previously mentioned has all gone. Timing is everything. In this case the timing of everything was extensively unfortunate.

Well it wasn't a hotel, but I did spend my honeymoon in a Nissen hut in the mountains, in the middle of winter, with no electricity, or water. (And wedding night in the back of a ford Fiesta, Mk1, on way to said mountain abode.)

Like others I've had the oil leak from blown out gasket between timing chest cover and engine (right side). An exterior fix was made with sealant as previously reported. Now I've had the bad leak from a cracked casing (left side) that others have had too. This looks to me like a very weak spot immediately at a stressed engine hanger. I had a few hundred miles to get home, so was able to enjoy oil all over the bottom half of engine, exhaust and of course rear brake and tyre. Well, the rear brake was broken anyway... REPAIR I have glued over the crack with epoxy. The sceptics will say that it will never hold. We'll see. This is where the leak started Too much stress and cover bolted to engine through very thin section so it cracked at this weak spot and timing chest cover pulled away from joint Strat of the oil seep through crack and split joint Glued repair. Will it last? Brake levers bent and broken Tied and splinted repair to get me home from the Scottish highlands Parts straightened and splinted with cut scrap aluminium section that I had glued with epoxy and filled splint for other side cut, shaped and glued on and rivetted through Not elegant, but it works and I'm back on the road Front brake lever was broken too replaced with a previously broken lever that was straightened, glued and bolted together Protector and plug & cap were broken too

I went through the order process but then saw I need to send a photo of credit card and portrait photo by email. I don't fancy that either.