Gearbox oil rises after riding in heavy rain

[taminatorv]

I rode my V11S in heavy rain for the past week. I remember reading something about water getting into the gearbox and rear drive through the breather, before buying my V11 Sport but couldn't remember where. I check my gearbox oil today and it looks like the oil level rose a couple of millimeters in the sight glass. It also looks a little milky. Is this something that will dissapate with heat while I ride or should I change it out and not ride it in the rain again? Will the gearbox and rear drive handle a bit of water in the oil? Is there a fix for this? Thanks in advance.

[callison]

I've been riding in the same rain. My gearbox was a tad low (maybe that's why the neutral light has been so erratic...), but my oil looks more dirty than milky. I'll be changing it this weekend - it's over due. The manual has the interval at 6000 miles, where the Sport 1100i specified 10,000 miles and I'm at 9200+ miles on the V11TT. I had just assumed that the intervals would be the same and never checked the manual for gearbox intervals. That just tells me I need to pay more attention to the manuals. If my oil isn't real milky, it may be because even my short commute to work is 55 miles and it gets warm enough to drive some moisture out. I'll know more when I drain it, and then I'll report back here. I will be changing to the BMW motorcycle synthetic lube with a dollop of engine assembly lube in it (I can't get moly, so the assembly lube is a good substitute).

 

I will refer you to the thread on the Australian Guzzi Forum:

http://www.guzzi.com.au/forum/guzzi/msg/12582.html

and remark that Pete Roper is well known for his mechanical skills with the older Guzzis. There is no reason to believe that what he says about the longevity of the Guzzi transmissions when using the proper oil would not apply to six speed transmission.

[taminatorv]

Thanks Carl. I rode to Pleasanton for work and will probably ride back to my primary location in Mt. View later today. Hopefully the 40 miles or so will warm up the gearbox enough to get rid of some of the water. In this temperature, it will probably take a much longer ride. I won't worry about it too much since it sounds like these gearboxes are pretty tough.

[callison]

You're not too far away. We (the normal, no... make that the usual group of die-hards) have been trying to do some sort of breakfast/ride every second weekend of the month. Usually in the Sierra foothills although we're not constrained to that. You should join us sometime. Mike Stewart or Al would probably be happy to drag you along from your area. I haven't planned anything for January (yet), the turn-out for last weekend was pretty anemic due to the holidays and the weather, that and a lot of fun roads - aren't fun this time of year. There is a Guzzi breakfast in Winters on the third Sunday of each month, which would be this coming Sunday. I've only done a few and have no idea what the turn-out is during a winter month.

[RichMaund]

Gear boxes do not get as hot as engines do to drive off water. Normally, they run just warm to the touch. Once water gets in there and starts forming an emulsion with the gear oil, your box is screwed. The water and the free oxygen in it will attack all bare metal surfaces and pitting can occur.

If you even think you have water in your gear box or rear drive, drain it. Then flush it with cheap gear oil and dump it again. Then refill with the good stuff.

These vents are known to allow water in. Best to fit them with a better fitting and run a hose up to the frame top and then down and out the bottom.

My many years in the engine rooms of ships treating/repairing gear boxes that had been contaminated with salt water still gives me nightmares.

[taminatorv]

Carl, I would definitely enjoy going on a ride with you and the other guys sometime. I typically go karting every other weekend so I'll have to arrange it to make your ride.

 

Rich, you're scaring me. I guess I'd rather have piece of mind of getting the water out. It won't be hard to drain it and refill it again, but I really hate the smell of gear oil. I'll have to figure something out to prevent water from getting in again.

[Guest jeremy]

CHANGE THE FLUID!!!!!!!!! Gear oil is much cheaper than a gear box and water dosen't belong anywhere in a guzzi. seriously though I wouldn't recommend riding it, water will turn the gear oil into this foamy crap that you may not be able to get out unless you flush it with kerosene or diesel fuel, not fun!!

 

jeremy

[emry]

I agree with Rich. I Have replaced far to many four wheeler transmissions due to water ingestion.

[callison]

Okay guys. Now you've got ME scared!!! I'm due to change it this week anyway, but if there is a good method of making the vent less water susceptible, I would appreciate knowing it. FWIW, my oil just looks a little dirty in the site glass and not foamy, but the real proof will be when it's drained.

[taminatorv]

I drained my gearbox and rear drive oil last night. The gearbox oil definitely had a good amount of water in it. It was a yellowish milky color and flowed a bit easier than it should. What surprised me was the rear drive oil looked fine, not a trace of water in it. I filled both back up with decent gear oil and added a bit of engine assembly lube with moly and graphite this time. It might be my imagination, but it seems to shift even better and runs quieter than before, even with temperatures in the 40s last night.

 

It looks like water is being thrown onto the gearbox breather by the rear tire. Water doesn't get flung onto the rear drive breather from anything so the cap on the breather is doing it's job of. On my V11 Sport, the fender doesn't cover all the way back to the swingarm. I'll find something to cover up the gearbox breather. Meanwhile, I'm riding the VFR in the rain.

[al_roethlisberger]

Hey Tam... just noticed that you are in Fremont!

 

Wow, there sure seems to be a real concentration of these bikes in the Northern CA area, as you've probably noticed

 

I am in San Jose, and my GF actually lives in Fremont, so I'm up there all the time.

 

You'll have to hook up with us all for one of Carl's rides

 

al

 

P.S.

 

BTW, good tip/observation on the breather. We'll all have to check ours to make certain it is sheilded, or take Rich's advice and vent it differently with a hose....

[taminatorv]

Hi Al. I'll definitely shoot for making some of Carl's rides. I gotta get this breather thing figured out before his next ride. I wouldn't be right to show up with a Honda if it's raining.

[al_roethlisberger]

Why not, my friend rode his VFR on the last one we went on

 

We don't usually do these rides(at least I don't) in the rain though, so the breather thing probably wouldn't be too much of an issue....

 

al

[Guest jeremy]

FWIW I use Shaffers gear lube with the Moly allready in it!!! Should be available all over the US. I get it from my dealer or the Champion Auto by me has it also, and yes it does make it shift better, especially 5 speeds

 

 

jeremy

[callison]

Well, after I got home from work this morning at 1 A.M., I drained my gear oil(s). The rear box looked normal, the transmission was indeed milky, just like everyone has been stating it would be. I ran a half can of engine oil through the box, let that drain real good (no milk), and then put in the required amount of lube, measured precisely. Now, with the bike on a stand so it's vertical, the window is completely full. I had assumed before that the fluid level should fall in the middle of the sight window, but apparently this isn't so. That sort of makes the window useless as an accurate way of filling the transmission without the benefit of a measuring device. On the 5 speed box, you would just fill it until it just barely reached the bottom of the sight hole and that was it. This window appears to be more of a guestimation. Am I reading all of this correctly? I did put in .85 litres of lube IAW pg. 118 of the owners manual.

 

Well, since I have more commuting in the rain today and for probably the near future, it won't take too long to determine the moisture infiltration rate. I'm prepared, I have more lube on hand for a quick replacement. I will say that changing the transmission and rear box fluids on the V11 is a whole lot easier than it is on the Sport 1100i.