Oil again !

[Guest sdkfz11]

Sorry oil again ! I've just exchanged an 02 V11 for a new 03 v11. Now, in the 02 owners hand book it suggests using 20W 50. In the 03 hand book they [MG] now suggest 5W 40. I used 20W 50 in the 02 [mineral]. My dealer has used 10W 50 either semi synthetic or full synth. Most articles that i have read seem to recommend using mineral oil for at least the break in period. I plan to change the filter & oil as soon as I can & refill with Castrol 5W 40 mineral oil. What does the jury think. Also am I correct in assuming that the 03 v11 still has manual valve adustment ? Reading trough the latest V11 Ballbia & Cafesport brochure it states that the latest 90 degree V engine has hydraulic tappets ! Yours some what baffaled ! sdkfz11

[belfastguzzi]

What does the jury think.

My one man's one vote is with good old Castrol GTX until a reasonable amount of running in has been done.

[Admin Jaap]

Reading trough the latest V11 Ballbia & Cafesport brochure it states that the latest 90 degree V engine has hydraulic tappets !

Marketing geeks, shows how much they know...

 

 

 

Oh wait, I am one...

[Steve G.]

The new "thinner oils" can be directly related to the EPA guys trying to get motor vehicles to run more efficiently, and thinner oils reduce internal engine drag, so the engine does not need as much power to turn itself. I guess the big question is whether Moto Guzzi has either reduced clearances throughout the engine to compensate for the thinner oil, or is using different metal compounds to compensate. Liquid cooled engines have been able to reduce clearances, notably piston to cylinder clearances, to increase effieciency, and to compensate for the new 0w20 and 5w20 oils.

Moto Guzzi lumps are of course air cooled, so must keep bigger clearances or risk seizing the pistons. If I lived in a warmer area, there is no way I'd go with the thinner oils.

I would carefully break in the engine using common sense, not lugging, screaming, or running the engine without slightly moving the rpm around. Then, go synthetic, 20w50. Syth. is way better to lubricate at the engines worst time for wear, the cold start. Easier for the oil pump to move it, and it does not thicken up the way mineral oil does.

Ciao, Steve G.

[Guest Brian Robson]

If the bikes were filled with synthetic at the factory,what is the point of then putting in non synthetic, and then going back to synthetic.

Mobil 1 15/50 and their synthetic gear oil is available everywhere, and is basically the same as the M/C oil.

But the oil threads are endless.

[TX REDNECK (R.I.P.)]

I dunno Brian, I'm having trouble finding non - detergent oil to put in my vehicles. My Grand father used that stuff in his Model A & he swore by Amalie,cuz it's better than it has to be.

[Guest Brian Robson]

Amalie?

[TX REDNECK (R.I.P.)]

Amalie?

http://www.amalie.com i was suprised that they were still around.

[Guest Dave Pott]

By the way, the sport engines do not have hydraulic tappets and that is according to MGNA. My dealer swore up and down that my '04 Ballabio had hydraulics and that it was a great thing... they seem to have been wrong on botth accounts!!

[al_roethlisberger]

Correct.... only the cruiser line received the hydraulic lifters. Hydraulic lifters offer "less" performance than solid lifters, but are quieter and offer "less" maintenance if implemented properly. However, the latter seems to have been an issue with the hydraulic lifter cruisers, and the former probably equates to "not much". This is especially true in regard to easier maintenance... since our valves are so easy to get to.

 

And really, how often does one need to adjust the valves anyway... sheesh

 

Marketing... <_ i glad this is one thing that guzzi didn mess with on the sports.>

 

al

[gthyni]

if you have to start you V11 in cold temperature (below freezing)

5W40 is the thing to use.

We who drive cars during winter prefer 20W50 in our bikes.

 

If you are a luddite - mineral is the way to go,

the modern man belives in progress and buy high quality syntetic oil.