V11 LeMans fuel tank removal...?

[radguzzi]

You guys are gonna kill me...  In an effort to chase down a non starting issue on the V11 I need to get at the main ground mounting to check it, clean it etc... 

The side covers seem to be captured by the rear of the fuel tank and I cannot pull them off to try and find the ground mounting point.  That leads me to ask how the heck do I pull that tank up enough to pull the covers, three small Allen head screws have been removed.  I find the rear tank mount bolt and have no idea how to release the front of it. 

Does it rest in rubber discs up front and simply pull up and back as most Guzzis do...?  My apologies, the LeMans is not mine, helping a friend out hopefully and I do not have a Tech Manual.

Thanks for any assistance here,

Rob 

 

 

 

[docc]

Simply releasing the rear tank bolt and chocking up the back of the tank should be enough to slip the side covers out without removing the tank.

Shouldn't be necessary to get to the main ground on the back of the gearbox on the right.  Remove the seat latch lock and you will find the ground under a bolt on the back of the gearbox.

Here is a view from behind for reference:

[audiomick]

I haven't had my tank off yet, but...

Here is a workshop manual for multiple V11 models. On page 540 of the document it refers to removing the tank. Seems like the bolt at the back and the fuel lines are the only things that have to be removed.

https://guzzitek.org/gb/ma_us_uk/1100/V11_1999-2003_Atelier(Compil-GB-D-NL).pdf

Regarding the fuel lines:

They are under pressure. As I wrote, I haven't done it yet, but I've had some good advice regarding them. The trick is to relieve the pressure before you try and disconnect the couplings.

To do this, disconnect the electricity to the fuel pump and start the bike. Let it run until it runs out of fuel, and then there is no more pressure in the fuel lines, and the (somewhat fragile) couplings are much easier to disconnect.

 

But I see that docc wrote that you shouldn't have to remove the tank.

[docc]

Worth noting that the early Short Tank, 1999-2002, with the chin pad does not have the later fragile and fussy fuel line connections.

@radguzzi, did you do the simple jump wire test to the starter solenoid (with the bike in neutral, ignition off)? What is that outcome?

[radguzzi]

You guys are the best,

Thanks for the images docc.

Yeah, hoping to not remove the tank.   My guess is that the tank has either never been off or it has been some time since. Good and stuck. 

 

 

 

 

[docc]

These tanks suffer expansion. If you were to get that bolt out (and, yes, the tank just slides forward over the rubber frame pucks at the front), it could be quite an event getting the tank back on.

Buy beer. Invite friends . . .

[radguzzi]

Yup, I have heard about tank swell.  I had a 2007 Norge from new and never experienced that malady, a friend here did with a 2010-ish V7 II or III.  Not pleasant. 

Lets go with the lift the tank slightly and call it good.  But, I will try removing the seat latch first. 

 

 

 

[guzziart]

Tank Story....

I bought my '03 Lemans from the original owner(a friend of mine) in '15.  Along with the bike came some "extra " parts.  Among the extra parts that he finally gave me in 2018 was the original fuel tank.  Apparently the original tank had been replaced under warranty because it got "sucked' and was irrepairably damaged.   The dealer that did the warranty work let my friend keep the tank because Guzzi didn't want it so my friend stuck up in his attic.  Fast forward 13 years, when my friend got around to giving the tank to me the damage was no longer visible or obvious.  Crazy, eh??!!

[audiomick]

36 minutes ago, guzziart said:

when my friend got around to giving the tank to me the damage was no longer visible or obvious.  Crazy, eh??!!

No, not crazy. Some plastics have a "memory". If you leave them alone long enough, they revert to their original form. Some varieties do it when you warm them up a bit.

[guzziart]

On 3/25/2023 at 7:41 PM, docc said:

These tanks suffer expansion. If you were to get that bolt out (and, yes, the tank just slides forward over the rubber frame pucks at the front), it could be quite an event getting the tank back on.

Buy beer. Invite friends . . .

I had my tank off last week to replace cam position sensor & install heat resistant foil tape to the exterior underside of the tank.  I had a minor struggle getting the tank pushed back onto the support pucks up front and remember seeing the photo above ... LOL!   I've not had issues before when I've had the tank off and went back to install it, crazy eh??!!

Art

[al_roethlisberger]

I think someone mentioned, perhaps in this thread, that if one drains the tank of fuel and lets it sit open to the air for a few months... say over Winter... the tanks can shrink back to relatively normal?

 

 

[audiomick]

14 minutes ago, guzziart said:

... heat resistant foil (on the) underside of the tank.

I haven't had my tank off to have a look, but just so I know what to look for when it comes off: Was there insulation on there as standard from new?

 

[docc]

1 hour ago, audiomick said:

I haven't had my tank off to have a look, but just so I know what to look for when it comes off: Was there insulation on there as standard from new?

 

Yes, certainly on the early chinpad short tanks.  This self-adhesive foil commonly comes loose and benefits from re-adhering.

I cases with open-top air box modification, the foil has been known to drop down and block the air flow.

Perhaps someone with the later, internal pump/filter long tank can confirm the heat shielding was still being applied?

[KINDOY2]

1 hour ago, al_roethlisberger said:

I think someone mentioned, perhaps in this thread, that if one drains the tank of fuel and lets it sit open to the air for a few months... say over Winter... the tanks can shrink back to relatively normal?

 

 

Yes I have done a few of them for myself and friends on Ducati,Aprilia and Moto Guzzi...If you take it off and wash and rinse the inside good with some dish washing soap and hot water ( I hook a garden hose up to the bottom outlet on the hot water heater if nothing else)

Then let it dry out for a couple months , in the sun as much as possible possible, I have even taken a low power hair dryer and stuck it in the fill hole and let it run for half a day a couple times... The tank will eventually return to its original size.  

A good thing to do if you want to take the time and care is to Casswell Epoxy treatment , then it wont swell again and it wont bubble .

https://www.google.com/search?q=casswell+fuel+tank+treatment&oq=casswell+fuel+tank+treatment+&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i22i30l3j0i390i650l3.25640j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[Skip]

49 minutes ago, KINDOY2 said:

Yes I have done a few of them for myself and friends on Ducati,Aprilia and Moto Guzzi...If you take it off and wash and rinse the inside good with some dish washing soap and hot water ( I hook a garden hose up to the bottom outlet on the hot water heater if nothing else)

Then let it dry out for a couple months , in the sun as much as possible possible, I have even taken a low power hair dryer and stuck it in the fill hole and let it run for half a day a couple times... The tank will eventually return to its original size.  

A good thing to do if you want to take the time and care is to Casswell Epoxy treatment , then it wont swell again and it wont bubble .

https://www.google.com/search?q=casswell+fuel+tank+treatment&oq=casswell+fuel+tank+treatment+&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i22i30l3j0i390i650l3.25640j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I was amazed with the Casswell product line, especially the tank sealer. Great info.