oil leak

[francesco]

Hi guys today was my second ride after a loong winter in Montana. I found that the panel where the gear change pedal is located is shining in oil the whole thing.

And worst I think I found oil dripping by the bolt on the frame close to the red wire( you guys help me with these mechanical terms because I have to talk to the dealer and explain him where is the leaking oil). How bad do you think this is?

[Guest ratchethack]

Francesco, it looks like you may have a leak at the top of the oil return line from the in-frame oil condensor. If this is the only problem, it's not serious (it's a low pressure line), and it may be the source of the oil on your trans side-plate. You should be able to tell by the feel and smell of the oil on the trans if it's engine or trans oil. The best news - the bolt on the banjo union (shown in your photo) probably just needs tightening up. I'd recommend a thorough cleaning and drying of the valley between the cylinders and the cases after the bolt is tightened. Do you have a leaf blower? They work great. Careful inspection after each ride to make sure there's no more oil afterward will verify that this was the source.

 

Good luck!

[francesco]

hi ratchethack, I check that bolt and seems tight to me, any way what kind of a 22mm tool is supposed to fit in there? Could that bolt drip even if tight?

The oil is only on the left side of the bike. If is not the bolt where it can leak at >?

[Guest ratchethack]

Francesco, the leak may actually be higher up on the under-side of the frame at the crankcase breather junction with the frame (internal oil condensor). If so, oil may be running down from this point to the banjo union and dripping off at the bolt where you noticed it.

 

This is actually a more likely source of an oil leak. I'm referring to the OEM black garden-hose diameter hose that runs from the upper back of the engine case just in front of the cluch housing, forward, up, under, and several inches behind the steering head. The OEM hose is known to be of inferior grade material that decomposes after a few years. It has 2 significant bends in it. The rearward one is a 90-degree, and the front one is 45-degree. You could first try tightening the clamp at the forward junction to see if this stops the leak, but the entire hose should be replaced with correct high-temp hose and fittings.

 

Rich Maund posted a great write-up here, which I used to make my own replacement a year or so ago (thanks again, Rich!), using high-temp bulk hose, a high-temp barbed nylon "ell" fitting, and a "garden variety" schedule 40 "ell" with hose clamps per Rich's procedure. Warning - It's difficult to access this hose to get the old one out and a new one in because of it's location. But frankly, like everything else on my Guzzi, it's a job that I wouldn't trust anyone else to do because no one loves your bike like you do, and I get concerned anybody else would more'n likely just be too tempted to do a hack job - particularly in this case, because it's so hard to get in there...

 

I'd suggest that you do some more careful exploration with the tank off to see if the breather hose might be the source of your problem. If so, do a search for Rich's post and the ensuing thread, this should help you out a great deal.

 

Rgds.,

 

Ratchethack

[francesco]

Hi Ratchethack, thank you so much. I'll do what you suggested, I saw on this forum 2 cd workshop, I got them on ebay, they might help soon or later.

one last question: tools where can I find a list of tools to work on the bike? can you point me to a post on this forum?

grazie e ciao Francesco

[Guest ratchethack]

Francesco, I'd be willing to bet that no 2 Guzzisti have the same recommended list of tools - or even close. How much work do you anticipate doing? You can go virtually as deep as you want. I've noticed a few here tackle such things as head porting with specialty grinders, shapers & polishers.

 

Speaking for myself, I'd be as likely to do my own brain surgery as my own headwork, but that's just me. What I do is essentially 100% of my own routine maintenance, and a bunch of other-than-maintenance things (modifications, etc.) with simple tools. There are also a few odd-ball tools specific to the Guzzi on what I consider to be my "absolutely mandatory" list:

 

a sump "manhole cover" wrench made from a 27 mm nut welded to a 10" steel strap

a billet oil filter wrench (mine came from the prev. owner).

shop stand

tire pressure guage

a good set of sockets, 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" drive, (both shallow and deep)

assortment of screwdrivers

set of allen wrenches (not Craftsman - they're notoriously undersized - NOT good)

large and small torque wrenches

set of combination wrenches

home-made manometer for balancing the TBs

quality DMM (digital multi-meter)

Loctite, both red and blue - it's so important that it goes on this list

 

Then there's sort of a "next level", what I would call non-mandatory - but in all honesty, I still gotta have 'em:

 

shop compressor with overhead retractable hose reel

shop vac

drill press

bench grinder with wire wheel

angle grinder

set of pin punches

assortment of files

large work bench

large, medium, and small bench vises

grease gun

Dremel moto-tool

belt sander (yeah, I've been continually amazed myself for 30 years)

hospital-style rolling tool tray (as used in operating room for instruments)

cabinet full of good chemicals

cabinet full of bad chemicals

 

Then we start getting into "nice-to-haves" (that I still can't do without):

 

shop rags

bar towels

a moveable flood light over the bench that easily moves anywhere over the bike

beer

imported cigars

high quality talk radio

 

Hope this helps.

 

Ratchethack

[francesco]

ok, I have a lot of shopping to do. thanks for the list, that help a lot. I'm still looking for Rich Maund write up, but I can't find it, anybody remember the title of the post?

one other thing you mention set of sockets, 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" drive, how come in inches? I thought I'll be needing tools only in mm?

[Guest ratchethack]

Francesco, here's a more recent thread with all credit duly given also to Dave Laing:

 

http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1301

 

My reference to "1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" drive" is the designation for the drive sizes, not the sockets. Of course you're going to have all metric sockets.

[francesco]

Ratchethack thanks so much, I will check under the tank this weekend.

This forum is a bless.

[jrt]

cabinet full of good chemicals  

 

 

50348[/snapback]

 

Isn't that just a liquor cabinet?

 

Those are really good suggestions ratchethack. I would add three small things-

1) a magnet on a telescoping handle

2) a small led flashlight to look into holes and crevices

3) dental picks. I can't tell you how often these come in handy. Fortunately, there's a dental school here in town, so I have a wide variety of them.

 

is it safe?

 

J

[Guest ratchethack]

Isn't that just a liquor cabinet?

 

Those are really good suggestions ratchethack.  I would add three small things-

1) a magnet on a telescoping handle

2) a small led flashlight to look into holes and crevices

3) dental picks.  I can't tell you how often these come in handy.  Fortunately, there's a dental school here in town, so I have a wide variety of them. 

 

is it safe?

 

J

50391[/snapback]

Got 'em all myself, and yeah, I guess I could keep going quite a ways with my list. Come to think of it, everything in my workshop is "mandatory", otherwise why's it in there?! I just edited in a tire pressure guage. I thought of a few more important ones just now, but I gotta cut myself off sometime...

 

Is it safe? Dr. Zell would really appreciate some of my stuff...

[belfastguzzi]

Isn't that just a liquor cabinet?

 

Those are really good suggestions ratchethack.  I would add three small things-

1) a magnet on a telescoping handle

2) a small led flashlight to look into holes and crevices

3) dental picks.  I can't tell you how often these come in handy.  Fortunately, there's a dental school here in town, so I have a wide variety of them. 

 

50391[/snapback]

 

ointment?

[jrt]

That too, Belfast. Gotta keep those gaskets looking young and smooth.

 

Ratchet- glad you got the Marathon Man reference.