Formotion clock fit

[p6x]

Ciao,

Based on the look of your V11 Sport, I purchased the signature clock and thermometer from Formotion.

I thought about symmetry; besides, Texas is no longer what I thought it was. When I came here, I was expecting "hot and humid" all the time. This year, we have had a different Texas than the one you came to expect.

And the Guzzi is definitively temperature sensitive. Yesterday, we had cooler temperatures, and I could run around the 3k mark without having any protest from the fuel injection.

So I decided that I definitively needed time and temperature.

I chose the black bezels, because my ITI instruments are black faced. And I opted for the bolt on option. One reason is that the temperature gauge can't be had with the adhesive mount, because it is vacuumed silicone oiled filled. 

Installing them so they don't look like warts will be the challenge. I have a few ideas. This is when I wish I had a lathe and a few other machines option. When I worked I my battle tank factory, I had access to all the machines and tools and supplies one could dream of.

Anyway, I am looking forward to having time and temperature on my Le Mans.

I forgot to mention, I like that Formotion proposes analog gauges. They fit the V11 Guzzi so much more in my opinion.

[droydx]

My Formotion gauges are 10+ years old on my 03 Rosso...... have held up well even with just stick on tape and velcro mounts on my fairing inner.  I have to change clock batteries about every 12 - 18 months and I just recently had to refill my thermometer with silicon oil, which was easy to do, and recalibrate the temperature.  Quality stuff!

Andy

[p6x]

On 7/16/2021 at 4:40 PM, droydx said:

My Formotion gauges are 10+ years old on my 03 Rosso...... have held up well even with just stick on tape and velcro mounts on my fairing inner.  I have to change clock batteries about every 12 - 18 months and I just recently had to refill my thermometer with silicon oil, which was easy to do, and recalibrate the temperature.  Quality stuff!

Andy

Hopefully, the newer technology will decrease the frequency at which you need to change the battery on the clock.

I am not yet settled on what I am going to do to install the gauges. I thought about doing what you have, having them at the back. But I am waiting to have them on hand, with the "mounting bar" fixture, to see if I can put them closer to me.

Calibrating a mechanical temperature gauge is not easy.

Speaking of Silicone oil, I am hoping they have thought about expansion. With the temperature fluctuations we have in Texas, I am afraid that I will find the gauge leaking oil. So that may be a reason to have the mounting as you did it, so the gauge is less exposed to the ardent sun we have here. Or I will maybe need to have some kind of cover?

[droydx]

On 7/18/2021 at 5:54 PM, p6x said:

Hopefully, the newer technology will decrease the frequency at which you need to change the battery on the clock.

I am not yet settled on what I am going to do to install the gauges. I thought about doing what you have, having them at the back. But I am waiting to have them on hand, with the "mounting bar" fixture, to see if I can put them closer to me.

Calibrating a mechanical temperature gauge is not easy.

Speaking of Silicone oil, I am hoping they have thought about expansion. With the temperature fluctuations we have in Texas, I am afraid that I will find the gauge leaking oil. So that may be a reason to have the mounting as you did it, so the gauge is less exposed to the ardent sun we have here. Or I will maybe need to have some kind of cover?

It gets pretty warm inland from where I live on California central coast, and I've seen the guage register 100 F on several occasions. The calibration is done on my unit by rotating the thermal expansion coil so the needle reads the current ambient temp.  There is a plastic backing inside the stainless back ring, which would seem to allow some degree of thermal expansion, although I think the silicon oil is fairly expansion/contraction stable under normal climate heat range.

[p6x]

29 minutes ago, droydx said:

It gets pretty warm inland from where I live on California central coast, and I've seen the guage register 100 F on several occasions. The calibration is done on my unit by rotating the thermal expansion coil so the needle reads the current ambient temp.  There is a plastic backing inside the stainless back ring, which would seem to allow some degree of thermal expansion, although I think the silicon oil is fairly expansion/contraction stable under normal climate heat range.

Formotion shipped the set yesterday, I am just waiting for the instruments to reach me.

Yesterday, the temperature outside was about 102 degF in the afternoon. Today only 88 degF.

True about silicone oil. Most of the Bourdon tube pressure gauges we had were filled with silicone oil for pointer stability. We also used silicone oil in buffers, so there must be a reason.

 

[p6x]

My Formotion instruments have arrived; sadly, they don't glow in the dark.

Now is the time when I need to figure out how I will affix them.

 

[footgoose]

I attached mine to the bolts just below the gauges. I think I had to bend the little brackets some

[p6x]

4 hours ago, footgoose said:

I attached mine to the bolts just below the gauges. I think I had to bend the little brackets some

Indeed. If you use the 1/4" screw that hold the cluster, the brackets are pre-bent the wrong direction.

[footgoose]

Mine have been on long enough I don't recall details but I can see marks where I  bent them so they mount level. They are off at the moment awaiting batteries or I'd post a pic. They hover flat about 1/4" above the dash.

[footgoose]

when one or more of these give up the ghost I'll look for a better solution, maybe just the clock the way Phil did it.

 

[docc]

Those faces and bezels look really nice with the Veglia!

[p6x]

I decided how I want to install the Formation instruments.

I will use the upper fork tee, and install two 1/4" stainless steel bosses which I will glue to the tee.

Now, "gluing" is not the best possible bond, especially those Formotion dials are not super light.

The other options, would be to drill and tap the holes for 1/4". I don't know if the tee is in steel or alloy. If it is in allow, then I would need to drill for helicoils since you don't thread directly into light alloys else you strip the threads, or welding a 1/4" boss on the tee.

Here's below the hardware I selected, for the glue maybe the high-strength urethane?

What is your opinion? I know that mechanically, glue is not the best.

 

[Lucky Phil]

2 hours ago, p6x said:

I decided how I want to install the Formation instruments.

I will use the upper fork tee, and install two 1/4" stainless steel bosses which I will glue to the tee.

Now, "gluing" is not the best possible bond, especially those Formotion dials are not super light.

The other options, would be to drill and tap the holes for 1/4". I don't know if the tee is in steel or alloy. If it is in allow, then I would need to drill for helicoils since you don't thread directly into light alloys else you strip the threads, or welding a 1/4" boss on the tee.

Here's below the hardware I selected, for the glue maybe the high-strength urethane?

What is your opinion? I know that mechanically, glue is not the best.

 

There is no need to use a Helicoil if you drill and tap the Triple Tee (as you call it) or Triple Clamp as I call it if I'm understanding you correctly. I think from memory the thinnest section of the top clamp is around 4 mm so a 6 X 1 cap screw/bolt will be fine into that section with 4 threads when it's only holding a small clock if you are realistic about the torque you put on the bolt and use a little blue Loctite. There are thicker sections in the top clamp if you choose and once again no need for a Helicoil. Forget about the spring washer, there're horrible things and dont work anyway.

Ciao  

[p6x]

2 hours ago, Lucky Phil said:

There is no need to use a Helicoil if you drill and tap the Triple Tee (as you call it) or Triple Clamp as I call it if I'm understanding you correctly. I think from memory the thinnest section of the top clamp is around 4 mm so a 6 X 1 cap screw/bolt will be fine into that section with 4 threads when it's only holding a small clock if you are realistic about the torque you put on the bolt and use a little blue Loctite. There are thicker sections in the top clamp if you choose and once again no need for a Helicoil. Forget about the spring washer, there're horrible things and dont work anyway.

Ciao  

Yes, I think this is what I meant by Tee, which I should have named clamp. Tee was a literal translation from my language since English is not my mother tongue.

As for the Grower washers, we installed them systematically on the battle tanks, and they seemed to do the job.

 

[Lucky Phil]

18 minutes ago, p6x said:

Yes, I think this is what I meant by Tee, which I should have named clamp. Tee was a literal translation from my language since English is not my mother tongue.

As for the Grower washers, we installed them systematically on the battle tanks, and they seemed to do the job.

 

Note the spring washer performance.

Ciao