broken header and travel!

[tomsp]

This is a travel-log and need for tech advice piece! It was Dave's idea: we meet in the Old Murphey's Hotel (read:bar) on Sunday -- Dave Pott's on his V11, his wife Jamaliah on her Ducati Monster (I know I probably spelled her name wrong this time too), Jack (Dave's buddy) on his H-D, and me with le mans. Had a spirited ride from Murphey's to Moke Hill (after they all rode for 3 hours plus getting to Murphey's in the first place). My bike however had been backfiring big time the whole way and was increasing in this behavior. PLus the le mans felt and sounded like it was running on one cyclender! At Moke Hill at a break, while checking my spark plug cables to see if they were indeed connected into the coils, I saw a complete crack around my left exhaust header! See the Pic. What the hey!

 

After I got the bike home (!), I took off the header-- no gasket material at all in either side! The left exhaust right tight with the cylender head was split compete. What caused the crack? I'll call mg cycle Monday-- see if they have a part.

 

The ride: great fun. Nor CAl has to do this again -- death valley or Mendocino. Dave and Jamaliah and Jack - great.

[dlaing]

Ouch! tough break.

FWIW it looks like the gasket is still in the head.

I hope you did not burn your exhaust valve.

Best of luck.

[Martin Barrett]

Do I get a quzi point for diagonsing the cracked headers as the cause of the backfire.

 

Sorry, bad taste.

 

I hope you don't have to wait too long for a replacement. Mine took over 4 months.

 

Can they be welded in the mean time.

 

The gasket does look like its still in the head, 3-4 mm wide should prise out with a screw driver. Go for the outer metal part of the sandwich and the rest will follow as it falls apart.

 

I don't know what causes them to fail, too rigidly mounted and vibration or too slack?

 

When mine was replaced within 100miles started blowing at the balance pipe header gasket, still waiting for my dealer to get the replacement gasket. I got so fed up and ordered them myself. Took two and a half weeks and thats over Easter, they were out of stock and the first set arrived crushed so were reordered. Thumbs up for them.

 

Just waiting for the phone call from my dealer to say got them in- could be a while. Cost me 2x£1.51 head gaskets and 2x£8.51 balance pipe gaskets. Worth it as I now love my Guzzi again. I can't say the same about my dealer unless he phones today saying was a world wide shortage and the parts are now in. Can't see that happening.

 

Good luck.

[tomsp]

do you know if I can just buy the LEFT header piece or do they only sell the whole thing (both headers pipes and crossover)!

 

Martin -- within a few hundred miles of getting my 03 le mans, my header crossover gaskets fell completely out! I ordered those truly fine aluminum gaskets from this forum and THEY have held perfectly soldily ever since.

 

This header pipe cracking like that has me ticked off I don't mind saying! Now I'm out of riding for who knows how long! I could start to feel like Al MG Cycle does not have the part. I'm checking tonight to see if it's still on warranty (save the humor remarks here, I already know that's funny). Tuesday (the day in the US when every motorcycle shop opens) I'll call moto italiano in San Jose.

[v50man]

I ordered those truly fine aluminum gaskets from this forum and THEY have held perfectly soldily ever since.

 

Where did you get these aluminum gaskets? I need some, too.

 

Thanks.

[tomsp]

v50man-- I believe we got them from turtle. He made a run of them and offered them to the forum. email him for more info. They are great.

[al_roethlisberger]

Yep, here is the thread:

 

http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...exhaust++gasket

 

 

It was a "limited run" but he may be able to make more if there is enough demand for another group buy

 

Drop him a note

[Keith Foster]

I ordered those truly fine aluminum gaskets from this forum and THEY have held perfectly soldily ever since.

 

Where did you get these aluminum gaskets? I need some, too.

 

Thanks.

48414[/snapback]

 

I too bought a set and installed them when I had my headers and crossover ceramic coated. A tight fit, but they work nice. They are stainless steel, not aluminum. Forum member Turtle is the guy that made up a dozen or so sets. Good Luck.

[tomsp]

I stand corrected on the ss gaskets.

 

Back to the original thread title -- I did leave out a lot about the ride Saturday. I loved it! With the negative implications of my header breaking, etc., one could get a bit of an ill feeling I suppose-- but I love my goose-- nothing like that sound when cranking on hard out of corners, and the steady feel of turning in... Those roads we were on were awsome too- some of them were like pot-holed like crazy with way steep hairpins while other roads were 80-90 mph'ers. Dave Pott led most of the way and for good reason -- that guy can ride

[Guest Dave Pott]

Dave Pott led most of the way and for good reason -- that guy can ride 

 

I swear it's not ME, it's the BALLABIO!! This thing just gives the illusion that I know what I'm doing

 

I would over-cooked the first curve and hurt myself on my old Honda Magna...damn thing handled like a stubborn mule

 

Sure glad you made it home Tom. And I certainly hope you get the header fixed real soon...there's alot of riding that needs to be done this spring

 

Hey, if "push comes to shove" I'm sure Jamileh will let you borrow the Bonneville when need be ......or, ofcourse the Jackal is available if you must be on a Guzzi

[tomsp]

Thanks for spelling BALLABIO

[DeBenGuzzi]

This is a travel-log and need for tech advice piece!  It was Dave's idea:  we meet in the Old Murphey's Hotel (read:bar) on Sunday -- Dave Pott's on his V11, his wife Jamaliah on her Ducati Monster (I know I probably spelled her name wrong this time too), Jack (Dave's buddy) on his H-D, and me with le mans.  Had a spirited ride from Murphey's to Moke Hill (after they all rode for 3 hours plus getting to Murphey's in the first place).  My bike however had been backfiring big time the whole way and was increasing in this behavior.  PLus the le mans felt and sounded like it was running on one cyclender!  At Moke Hill at a break, while checking my spark plug cables to see if they were indeed connected into the coils, I saw a complete crack around my left exhaust header!  See the Pic.  What the hey!

 

After I got the bike home (!), I took off the header-- no gasket material at all in either side!  The left exhaust right tight with the cylender head was split compete.  What caused the crack?  I'll call mg cycle Monday-- see if they have a part.

 

The ride:  great fun.  Nor CAl has to do this again -- death valley or Mendocino.  Dave and Jamaliah and Jack - great.

48356[/snapback]

I bet you get way more top-end with that. and the sound I'm sure is similar to a fighter plane

[Guest davidb]

The header can be welded good enough to last you until another one arrives. call me and we will discuss it. I can weld it at work but with no garranty or you can have a pro do it in stockton like belleto fab or another stainless specialty shop.

[tomsp]

DavidB -- great. sounds good -- I will. Let you know what moto italiano says later today!

 

DeBenGuzzi (son of guzzi?) -- you are so right! despite the fact that I wear good ear plugs, when I got home from the ride, I thought I was going deaf! my ears were ringing like crazy . Thought I was riding a H-D or something.

[tomsp]

Brought my header pipe assembly to san jose today to moto italiano, along with the broken off piece of course. Good news here- my bike's on warranty so mg replaces. I did have to leave the pieces there - hopefully for not too long -- so I can bring them back and do a tempory weld. Couple of good things about going over there too: (1) sat on Triumph 955i, Speed Tripple (!), Sprint ST ( I'm buying a lottery ticket) and (2) got a good close up look at Al's 02 le mans (Al obviously already won his lottery!). New Pirelli's looking good along with everything else on that bike! Man. Al, you got to take pics and show us in detail that thing-- impressive really