loud tapping noise

[savagehenry]

Anyway engine will be stripped I guess.

Hello 2or4strokes, Before you dissassemble the whole thing, maybe you could try just pulling the oil pan and upper sump. You can pull it all in about ten minutes, it's real easy to put back, and you can look right up into the crankcase. With the rear wheel off the ground and the bike in 6th gear, you can use the wheel to turn the motor over and have a look see. I bet a mirror on a stick and a flashlight will be good to have on hand. If you find nothing unusual, it only takes the two gaskets to put it back. Then, I hope you will be done...Good luck and check back with your results, S.H.

[luhbo]

...

Seriously as much as I love guzzis you cannot say they produce the most reliable bike of the lot.

 

No, I totally disagree! They produce the most reliable bikes available - maybe not every day though. Could well be that your's is one of them.

But let's see what will come out.

 

Hubert

 

Try to contact -Martin.Glaeser- here on this forum, you can talk with him about Guzzis in Singapure, availability of spare parts and topics like trustable mechanics.

[2or4strokes]

Remove the right and left cylinder block and the cylinder and block on the left looks perfect while the right one is damaged and block liner has cracked. Basically it has seized but cylinder still moving up and down.

 

What happened? We have no idea at all. Can a intermittent fuel pump caused this although the left cylinder looks good.

 

Anyway I have to do something and wonder wheher you guys know this ? I have a california block and will it fit the sports 1100i? If yes I will buy the high comp pistons from ferracci and just get on with it.

 

Any idea whether the Will Creddon chip on this bike can be used with a full Termi system? While riding it felt good but who knows it could be rich or lean at critical rpms.

[gstallons]

The fuel pump through either low or high pressure can cause a rich or lean condition. This would either gas foul the plugs or wash the oil from the cylinder(s) from a rich condition. A lean condition would run hot , cause pre-ignition and burn a piston. I do not think this would hppen to one cylinder only. One bad injector might do this but you would want to inspect the spark plug for a clue to support this.

[raz]

At that low mileage, and since it's cracked, one could suspect manufacturing fault. Maybe it just had it coming, since new.

 

Do the spark plugs tell you anything? Light, dark, difference btw left and right?

[gstallons]

Do these have a liner in the cylinder? I thought they had a nikasil coated liner?

[moscowphil]

some thoughts on the cause of your seizure - if the bike has only done 1700 Km as you say, it isn't even run in. Some people might disagree, but I reckon these engines do need running in the old fashioned way - gradually building up to maximum power and revs. 1700 Km is way too early for this, and could well explain the seizure. I reckon on abut 5,000 miles to properly run in a Guzzi engine before you start thrashing it.

[2or4strokes]

At that low mileage, and since it's cracked, one could suspect manufacturing fault. Maybe it just had it coming, since new.

 

Do the spark plugs tell you anything? Light, dark, difference btw left and right?

 

 

.

 

Spark plugs look sooty after siezure. The other side looks perfect. Why ony one cylinder affected I have no idea

 

 

Do these have a liner in the cylinder? I thought they had a nikasil coated liner?

 

quote]

Yes it is nikasi coated just mentioned liner to differentiate it from block.I don't think it has anything to do with running in as the rest of the cylindrs, block cams tec looks in good condition. Anyway who knows. Looking at it on the bright side now I can buy ferracci high comp pistons and look forward to more torque and power.

[2or4strokes]

No, I totally disagree! They produce the most reliable bikes available - maybe not every day though. Could well be that your's is one of them.

But let's see what will come out.

 

Hubert

 

Try to contact -Martin.Glaeser- here on this forum, you can talk with him about Guzzis in Singapure, availability of spare parts and topics like trustable mechanics.

 

Wow I thought I was an italian hardcore till I heard you.

[GuzziMoto]

Look into Mike Rich pistons. They have a better reputation for power and quality.

http://www.mikerichmotorsports.com/

http://www.mikerichmotorsports.com/MGproducts.htm

[luhbo]

Wow I thought I was an italian hardcore till I heard you.

 

Wait 'till you own one for 25 years. The funny thing with this story is that my first Guzzi bought in '82 (well used already then) showed the same failure, unless it was only a faint ticker at nearly closed throttle (just enough to keep the bike rolling). It then made one remarkably louder bang when the left piston broke into two. Since that I had only fun with all (3 only) the following Guzzis.

 

Hubert

[2or4strokes]

Thanks guys for all your feedback

 

Finally the open secret is in the damaged block and I have no bloody idea how the pistons and block was so badly damaged while everythign else look good including the left piston and block. Anyway it looks like the piston has shrunk and is a loose fit on the block. The engine block is cracked as well. Keep my fingers crossed and looking for pistons and block now.

 

Anyone of you know whether I can use a 97 california engine block on my 97 sports 1100i. I believe they are the same but since I have not stripped the california I am only guessing.

 

Any guzzi Gurus out there?

[raz]

They do have different part numbers but like you I guess they are practically the same. Maybe there is provision for the other type of oil temp sensor in the Cali one.

[motoguzznix]

Thanks guys for all your feedback

Anyone of you know whether I can use a 97 california engine block on my 97 sports 1100i. I believe they are the same but since I have not stripped the california I am only guessing.

 

Any guzzi Gurus out there?

I agree that the unsufficient broken in engine is the reason for the failure.

My own V11 felt much better after approx 3000 km of running in. I did not stick in the lowest rpms but I did not ask more from the engine as he wanted to give with ease.

When a motorcycle has only 1700 km since 1997, then there were very long periods where the engine had not been running. During such a long period, the oil drops off from everything where it is normally adheres. So the following cold start is performed under the worst circumstances concerning the oil supply. This combined with hard riding of a not broken in engine may lead to such a failure.

 

Concerning the blocks:

The Cali block has an rpm sensor on the right side of the clutch housing. This is not necessary for the 1100 S as there is only a trigger wheel behind the camshaft sprocket. Plug this hole, all the other parts of the V11 engine including the clutch should fit into the Cali block. Also the camshaft with the trigger wheel, as the Cali block has the TDC sensor in that place.

 

If you have the choice, put the Mike Rich pistons in the engine. CR does climb substancially too and the piston crown has a much better shape to cope with the combustion chamber in the head. Chamber shape with the fbf pistons is worse and CR seems to reach unhealthy figures in some occasions.

But when putting in high CR pistons, camshaft and intake ports are the key to real torque in the V11 engine.