How much easier do oil changes get than a V11?!

[Guest ratchethack]

Hate to inject a pessimistic note, here, but the first [and only] time I changed the oil on my V11, the thread on the boss the plug fits into came out with the plug. Luigi and his windy-gun, I presume!

 

I put in a cut-down helicoil and loctited it, so next oil change scenarios are:

 

- I did it properly and my oil changing in future will be a pleasure [seems unlikely on past performance]

- break the pan trying to get the plug out because some of the loctite got onto the plug thread

- never touch the plug again [drop the pan]

 

On the other hand, I was with a well-known member of the French Voxan Club yesterday, a guy I respect enormously and who races and restores old bikes for a living. I asked him how easy Voxans are to service. His reply was "I take mine to the dealer"....................

Brings to mind much the same experience the day I brought the Guzzi Sport home, Bob. First order of business was to get the unknown grade/age oil out and new oil in. ZIPPO! Out comes the drain plug -- right along with wot was left of the sump threads and a big gob of sealant, obviously packed in there by the miscreant/troglodyte perpetrator at the dealer who over-torqued and stripped the plug threads, and attempted to cover his tracks.

 

Off comes the sump on a stellar day for riding and in goes a heli-coil.

 

NOTE: Heli-coils should never be threadlocked. I believe the data sheets specify this, but if someone is just dying to prove me wrong here (there are at least a few who seem to be, err, unusually highly motivated! ) I'd encourage said someone's best efforts, as always! The considerably larger surface area and diameter of the outside thread of a heli-coil ensures that (barring an improper thread tap and installation job), the coil may be expected to always remain behind when the threaded fastener is removed. Always have for me every time, just as in this case.

 

Now this is just me, but the above experience with the sump drain plug was just one more item on what has always been an ever-increasing stack of similar experiences of Yours Truly by which I continue to justify my own personal policy, which is: Never -- EVER -- consider the services of an unknown entity on any motorcycle at any time as long as I am able to perform those services myself. So far, I haven't found anyone I trust to do just about anything as much as I trust meself. Barring head work and cylinder boring, cutting valves and seats, and such machine work as that, I always have, likely always will. Oh yeah -- I used to spoon on me own tires for years. Those days came & went long ago...

 

But we all have such a range of magnificent personal choices in front of us in the Free Market Economies of this planet, don't we?

 

You weighs the trade-offs as carefully as y'er inclined (or capable), and you takes y'er chances.

 

And ain't such freedoms as we enjoy a beautiful thing?!

 

BAA, TJM & YMMV

[Frenchbob]

Brings to mind much the same experience the day I brought the Guzzi Sport home, Bob. First order of business was to get the unknown grade/age oil out and new oil in. ZIPPO! Out comes the drain plug -- right along with wot was left of the sump threads and a big gob of sealant, obviously packed in there by the miscreant/troglodyte perpetrator at the dealer who over-torqued the plug and attempted to cover his tracks. .....................................

 

NOTE: Heli-coils should never be threadlocked. I believe the data sheets specify this, but if someone is just dying to prove me wrong here...............

 

Now this is just me, but the above experience with the sump drain plug was just one more on what has always been an ever-increasing stack of similar experiences of Yours Truly by which I continue to justify my personaly policy, which is: Never -- EVER -- consider the services of an unknown entity on any motorcycle at any time as long as I am able to perform those services myself. So far, I haven't found anyone I trust to do just about anything that I trust anywhere near as well as I trust meself. Barring head work and cylinder boring, cutting valves and seats, and such machine work as that, I always have, likely always will.

 

Hi, Ratchet. Luigi got you, too, eh? He gets around, that guy.

 

Yes, an engineer friend told me I shouldn't threadlock helicoils, too. I should have asked. The problem will come, as I said, when I next need to take the plug out - or maybe I'll be lucky since I used it carefully and sparingly.

 

Your policy's a good one, but the proviso means an earlier trip to the dealer's for some than for others, depending on their level of competence, kit, etc. I haven't had mine there yet, but there'll come a time when I need someone with mechanical skill, Guzzi knowledge and the right equipment- I've been busy building up my list of local contacts!

[Guest SantaFeRider]

guys, thank you very much for the guidance. I will go the nut and weld route.

 

Frenchbob, nous sommes sans dealer dans l'Etat de New Mexico, but we have great breakfast burritos!

 

[Frenchbob]

guys, thank you very much for the guidance. I will go the nut and weld route.

 

Frenchbob, nous sommes sans dealer dans l'Etat de New Mexico, but we have great breakfast burritos!

 

 

A good meal is generally more of a priority here, too!

[VA Sean]

so, now that my V-11 Le Mans is again rideable (by my titanium laden knee) thanks to the new forward controls supplied by one of our members, and the only Guzzi dealer we had in New Mexico has bitten the dust, what is the size of th weird Allen key necessary to remove the manhole (handhole)? and where do I buy such a thinghie?

Marcelo!

 

Congrats on getting back on the road!

I'm gonna be in your neck o' the woods about this time next year - on my Guzzi (or at least, that's the plan).

I'm trying to take off 3 weeks for the National in Malibu. I haven't decided which route (north or south) in which direction yet - it'll probably be a last minute decision based on weather forecasts... but I am sure to stop through Santa Fe.

 

hope to see you then!

 

Sean

[Guest SantaFeRider]

Marcelo!

 

Congrats on getting back on the road!

I'm gonna be in your neck o' the woods about this time next year - on my Guzzi (or at least, that's the plan).

I'm trying to take off 3 weeks for the National in Malibu. I haven't decided which route (north or south) in which direction yet - it'll probably be a last minute decision based on weather forecasts... but I am sure to stop through Santa Fe.

 

hope to see you then!

 

Sean

 

 

Hello Sean!

 

please do come by if you head this way, we have lots of things pending to do together , maybe, just maybe some

 

If you want to know what I have been up to, go here:

 

http://nmbmwmc.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8990#8990

 

Meanwhile, take care of yourself and don't get those food-haters get to you.

 

[luhbo]

Loctite is an anaerobic curing glue. This means, it wont cure 'til you mount the plug.

 

Actually I'm back from my garage, having changed the oil within roughly 10 minutes. I just changed the oil, not the filter, also I was not really interested in what I might find inside the pan. Then it goes easy. I used the rear axle nut and only removed the manhole plug. I did this the first time this way and was quite impressed of how much oil can fall out through that hole in less than 2 seconds If you want to try it, make sure that you can deal with all this oil.

 

I decided to go this way because I also don't trust the rear plug's thread. Last time I worked on it the plug already startet to give a somehow soft feeling

 

Hubert

[Guest ratchethack]

. . .I'm back from my garage, having changed the oil within roughly 10 minutes. I just changed the oil, not the filter. . .

Sounds about right to me, Hubert. I reckon I can get the old filter out, new one pre-filled and installed, and new oil where I want it on the dipstick in about 15 min.

 

FWIW, for those who haven't yet tried it themselves and might be considering doing their own, not every filter socket slips. I have two -- a billet aluminum 8-flute one for UFI filters and a graphite composite 14-flute one for ST3614 filters. Both have worked perfectly as designed, every time.

 

FWIW Part II, one even worked perfectly NOT as designed. Before I picked up the composite socket (~$3 USD, IIRC) just to see if I could avoid dropping the sump, one time I hammered the billet one onto a ST3614 with a rubber mallet, and Bob's y'er Uncle. . .

[VA Sean]

what is the size of th weird Allen key necessary to remove the manhole (handhole)? and where do I buy such a thinghie?

 

 

This doesn't quite look like what I expected it to look like (based on the description above) - does anyone know if this works on the manhole cover, or is this simply an oil filter wrench?

 

[nose2wind]

This doesn't quite look like what I expected it to look like (based on the description above) - does anyone know if this works on the manhole cover, or is this simply an oil filter wrench?

 

 

If you look at the Drawings on the instruction sheet it would appear to be used three ways.

 

One inverted with the hex protrusion into the manhole for removal

 

Another reversed with spiked attachment hammered into filter for removal

 

Third with spikes removed for tightning the filter

 

Very nice all in one tool. How much are they?

 

Only problem I see is you have to buy filters that fit the wrench.

[VA Sean]

If you look at the Drawings on the instruction sheet it would appear to be used three ways.

 

One inverted with the hex protrusion into the manhole for removal

 

Another reversed with spiked attachment hammered into filter for removal

 

Third with spikes removed for tightning the filter

 

Very nice all in one tool. How much are they?

 

Only problem I see is you have to buy filters that fit the wrench.

Expensive - I believe they are about $70 - and out of stock.

I can't imagine they were built to fit anything other than the OEM UFI filter.

[Guest SantaFeRider]

illuminated oracle-kings of Guzzi maintenance and fixin':

 

what is the torque value for the 14 sump bolts?

 

Thank you

[Guest ratchethack]

"snug" via wrist torque is wot every Pro I know of uses.

 

I use threadlocker, but that's just me.

[Guest SantaFeRider]

I am such a torque nazi dilettante that I even torque the oil filter on my RT at 8 nm

 

[Guest guzzibear]

so, now that my V-11 Le Mans is again rideable (by my titanium laden knee) thanks to the new forward controls supplied by one of our members, and the only Guzzi dealer we had in New Mexico has bitten the dust, what is the size of th weird Allen key necessary to remove the manhole (handhole)? and where do I buy such a thinghie?

You can get one from Corsa Italiana they are on the net, Good people to deal with but are in the UK I would have thought Harpers or the other mail order Guzzi shops there will have the kit it retails for around £25.00 - £29.00 GBP