Sourcing Allen Screws for Dashboard and Tank Filler

[Kristian]

Hello!

Attached is a picture of some gold screws on my dash and tank filler that I want to replace - not a fan of the gold color. Does anyone know if I can get these as Guzzi parts, or should I check hardware stores? Any help is appreciated!

Thanks!

[audiomick]

Without knowing exactly which screws they were, I've noticed at times whilst looking for parts in the lists at, for instance, Stein-Dinse or Wendel Motoraeder in Berlin, that the screws are sometimes available, and sometimes not. If you want "Guzzi original", go looking at one of the above mentioned, or an equivalent in your country. NML in the Netherlands occurs to me as well.

However, if you get the screws from a Guzzi dealer, be prepared for some interesting prices. For instance from Wendel €5.60 for one of the tank cap screws, presumably the longer one.

https://wendelmotorraeder.de/tcei-schraube_gu98690230-p-1037361.html?ref=expl

 

My opinion : they're just screws. For anything that is not a critical application, I go looking for a screw with a head that I find attractive in the place in question. My tank has a Hepco-Becker tank ring on it, and the screws holding it came from here and cost about €0.90 each, if I recall correctly.

https://www.fedorgross.de/

From there not because they are cheap, but because the shop is about 10 minutes walk from where I live, and I can go in there and have them show me various different options. I've had occasions where I went in, talked to them for nearly fifteen minutes, and came out with a couple of M4 screws for fifty cents in total, and they are quite ok with that.

Anyway, the point is, I reckon you would be paying a premium price for "original Guzzi" to no particular advantage. As I said, the ones you have circled are just screws, they don't hold the wheels on. The pretty screw heads for the three holding the dash might be harder to source, but not impossible.

Take out one of each type, measure them, and go looking. If you don't have a shop within reach, there are any number of screw suppliers in the internet.

PS: As I indicated further up, the tank cap screws are in two different lengths, three of each, alternating long-short-long-short around the ring. That surprised me, but is obviously original.

Another PS: the screws holding the dash screw into "silent blocks" that are screwed into the carrier. When you take them out, pay attention to what is really coming loose, the screw or the silent block.

[swooshdave]

I'm not sure what it's like in Norway but where I'm at I have a couple local stores that carry a wide variety of hardware.

But the best way is to take the screw off and measure it.

I have noticed that many of the stainless steel screws on the bike are very soft. As in the screw would fail before the aluminum would.

[activpop]

Ever use a black Sharpie? 

 

[Lucky Phil]

The last place on earth I'd go for those is a Guzzi dealer. The tank cap ones are All M5 but 3 are long and 3 are short decorative ones. Remove the gold ones and you'll find they are the long mount ones at M5X30mm. Buy some Titanium ones off ebay or stainless ones from the hardware store.

 

Phil

[audiomick]

2 hours ago, Lucky Phil said:

 Buy some Titanium ones off ebay ...

I would have been prepared to bet that you would suggest that.

 

But you're right, of course. That would be the slickest option.

[guzziart]

I suppose those are aftermarket screws....mine plain cad plated silver color, lucky for me, I don't like the gold color either.

[Lucky Phil]

I suspect those will be gold anodised alloy screws. I have a ton of them in a box in the workshop.

 

Phil

[Kristian]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

I was able to find the tank cap screws and some smaller ones at a local hardware store. For the the other dimensions, I placed an online order.

I must say, the updated look is a great improvement in my view.

 

 

[Kristian]

Also, I began polishing the exhaust system today – it's turning out really well!

I realized there's a missing cover here. Is it mainly for looks?

[docc]

51 minutes ago, Kristian said:

I realized there's a missing cover here. Is it mainly for looks?

Yes. They are quite prone to cracking at the mounting points, much like the side covers and front fender  . . .

[audiomick]

6 hours ago, Kristian said:

a missing cover here. Is it mainly for looks?

It's only for looks.

This is an aftermarket copy, I gather:

https://www.stein-dinse.com/de/nml-anlasserabdeckung-v11-valeo-grau/item-2-1021803-01733330-.html

and also, like the original, no longer available.

The one on mine, original I believe, doesn't have the circles between the screw holes, but is otherwise pretty much the same. I don't like it much. It is very shiny, and looks a bit tacky to my taste. I was going to leave it off, but put it back on because the rather large and mostly silver sticker on the starter motor annoyed me more than the tacky-placky cover.

[Kristian]

I guess I will just clean it up a bit and leave it without the cover!

[PJPR01]

I painted my dash screws black, and a few other items.  They don't get taken out often enough to worry about the paint peeling...so by all means take them out and paint them.

On the Ohlins reservoir, those screws holding the bracket must be gold in color....it's in the manual as a requirement or the bike just won't run properly!

[po18guy]

On 12/3/2023 at 10:25 AM, Kristian said:

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

I was able to find the tank cap screws and some smaller ones at a local hardware store. For the the other dimensions, I placed an online order.

I must say, the updated look is a great improvement in my view.

 

 

For future needs, check RaceTi for titanium, and RaceBoltUK in England for aluminum, stainless and Ti fasteners. Great people to deal with.