Engine Recoat

[Guest carlomoto]

I checked for prior discussion, but didn't find any.

 

I guess the backordered parts finally arrived and MG has started its recall to recoat the crankcase. Well, at least they've started it at Moto Italiano in San Mateo California.

 

Anybody had there's done yet? How's it look? How's it running after being taken apart and totally rebuilt? Worth it, or should I have opted for the accessories?

 

Signed, Nervous.

[al_roethlisberger]

Ahh yes.... well, I've been waiting since last Fall... sooooo <_>

 

 

My shop is Moto Italiano in San Mateo as well, and I just had another long conversation with Mike(Service Manager) last week on the topic.

 

He's been very helpful, and genuinely seems to be concerned about this now 6 month-ish wait... but there's only so much they can do.

 

But here's the current deal.

 

They recieved their first "kit" about 2 months ago. The owner that had the first sceheduled service couldn't get his bike in for several weeks, so MI decided to not remove/inspect the "kit" from it's packaging so as not to risk any damage before it was time to do the rebuild.

 

However, although they now realize they should have opened the kit upon receiving it, once the owner brought his bike in, they tore down his engine... then unpacked the "kit", only to find that either MGNA or MG Italia packed the kits very inappropriately, with only one layer of bubble wrap, all the engine pieces clanging around in one big box.... and hence, a couple of the cases had ribs/fins broken off.

 

So now that owner's bike is sitting in pieces waiting for another kit to arrive

 

Then, the second(would have been mine) arrived a week or so ago, and they were similarly packaged, and damaged... then a third kit, also damaged.

 

All have been returned to MGNA, and we are all now awaiting new kits to arrive. So who knows how long that will take, and if the pieces are coming directly from Italy packed like this(versus MGNA repackaging them incorrectly)... there may be little anyone can do to gaurantee that the new pieces arrive undamaged from MGNA.

 

In the meantime, my sump spacer has started to blister and peel as well, and I let Moto Italiano know to try to get that part also for the rebuild.

 

*sigh*

al

[Guest Brian Robson]

Its all perspective really.....I took the "gifts" and decided to leave the crankcases be. They were considered the worst the dealer had seen, but they have remained the same over the past year in all weather riding every day.

The point is that while stopped at a gas station today, a bloke came over and was asking about the Guzzi and said he really liked the finish they had acheived on the engine cases!

I'm now looking at the bike differently now with its exclusive and unusual engine treatment

[Steve G.]

I have seen Brian's Lemans a few times, and can't see why anyone would have a problem living with the coating in question.

Besides, the other options and negatives are something I would look at. First off, I think the riding gear they offer instead is quite good stuff. The big ones for me however would be:

1] The new engine cases [if they ever arrive undestroyed that is] of course have a different, probably slightly tougher coating, but it looks to be visually different, and to me it would look weird with it up against the gearbox.

2] I understand the new engine case "does not" have any serial numbers. I know that other fellows on this forum have had the change and have no problem with an unidentifiable engine case, but that would bother me no end. One of my hobbies is collecting older machines, and restoring them. Machines with no numbers or missmached numbers are rarely considered for purchase buy buyers.

3] You will be getting your engine builtup at a shop rather than at the factory assembly line, where repetition of assembly offers some [even at Mandello] level of quality control and consistancy of assembly. Unless you have great confidence in, and have seen the fellows work that will be putting together what is the soul of a Moto Guzzi, that lovely lump of an engine, and he has been inside these things alot, this would again make me feel uneasy.

4] There is nothing worse than seeing a summer go buy while your bike sits in a shop waiting for parts to arrive, or impatiently waiting for the bike to be fixed, at the same time hoping the mechanic does not take short cuts to put it together quicker because he feels your impatient state.

Ciao, Steve G.

[al_roethlisberger]

All good points Steve, and each I've considered.... and would recommend anyone making the choice also consider.

 

However, although Brian's cases are supposedly the "worst ever seen"... mine are pretty darned bad I've got bubbles so big that they completely obscure the ribbing below the cylinders. And of course, if you "pop" one, well... that's purty too <_>

 

Anyway, to each his own, and if I hadn't already planned to put in new pistons, cam, and conn rods, I may not have taken the new-cases choice. But it was coming apart anyway, and this is now just a freebie rebuild

 

BTW, the photos of the new cases I've seen seem to match quite well... certainly better than the current leprous gray my engine now is up against the transmission (...which BTW, is also bubbling, just at a much slower/smaller rate)

 

I also have thought about the serial number thing, but I don't think that number is referenced anywhere else on the bike. So I don't think it really matters. And given the known history of the 01/02 "fuzzy" bikes, I think any knowledgeable buyer/collector wouldn't think twice about this issue, as it would be expected.

 

....or you could just get the engine number engraved later

 

Anyway, in the meantime, I'm just waiting for the call from Moto Italiano, then order my parts from Mike Rich, and drop it off. We'll see how it turns out.

 

al

[Guest JohnInNH]

Why not have the old # stamped in the place the # goes.. if they are blank I would think the Shop could just stamp them... Sounds very simple to me!