Valve Adjustments

[Guest PJBrendel]

Can anyone tell me the valve adjustment intervals for a new V11, and how much to expect to pay.

 

Thanks,

 

Paul

[bigbikerrick]

Can anyone tell me the valve adjustment intervals for a new V11, and how much to expect to pay.

 

Thanks,

 

Paul

76711[/snapback]

every 4-5K miles is reasonable, you can easily do it yourself, its so simple. I believe Guzziology recommends every 4K miles, but Dave Richardson states you can stretch it to 5 once the bike "stabilizes" out, I think. Its actually fun to do ,and very satisfying to "Bond" with your Goose!

[Steve G.]

every 4-5K miles is reasonable, you can easily do it yourself, its so simple. I believe Guzziology recommends every 4K miles, but  Dave Richardson  states you can stretch it to 5 once the bike "stabilizes" out, I think. Its actually fun to do ,and very satisfying to "Bond" with your Goose!  

76727[/snapback]

I check it every spring. They havn't moved as all in 37,000 kms.

Ciao, Steve G.

[pete roper]

Do a web search for Moto Guzzi Maintenace. It'll show you how. Honestly it will take you 15 minutes and cost you a 5mm allen key t-bar an 11mm ring spanner a plug socket to take the spark plugs out and a set of feeler guages.

 

It might be a good idea to buy a pair of rocker cover gaskets,an oil filter and a sump gasket before you start as you *will* be changing the oil and if you read the book the bike came with you'll see that they recommend removing the sump at every filter change, (Which makes the externally changeable filter a bit redundant!) . After you've checked it the first time though there should really be no need to take the sump off for the next 50,000 miles though so Do it once. Do it right.

 

With a Guzzi you get bugger all power, weird handling and the oprobrium of all other motorcyclists. You also get spud-thick simplicity that anyone who isn't a complete imbecile can cope with and service. That explains how I can make a living out of fixing 'em

 

Pete

[al_roethlisberger]

 

With a Guzzi you get bugger all power, weird handling and the oprobrium of all other motorcyclists. You also get spud-thick simplicity that anyone who isn't a complete imbecile can cope with and service. That explains how I can make a living out of fixing 'em

 

Pete

76774[/snapback]

 

 

Hrmm, I'm not sure what you are saying about yourself... or your customers there Pete

 

 

[bigbikerrick]

Do a web search for Moto Guzzi Maintenace. It'll show you how. Honestly it will take you  15 minutes and cost you a 5mm allen key t-bar an 11mm ring spanner a plug socket to take the spark plugs out and a set of feeler guages.

 

It might be a good idea to buy a pair of rocker cover gaskets,an oil filter and a sump gasket before you start as you *will* be changing the oil and if you read the book the bike came with you'll see that they recommend removing the sump at every filter change, (Which makes the externally changeable filter a bit redundant!) . After you've checked it the first time though there should really be no need to take the sump off for the next 50,000 miles though so Do it once. Do it right.

 

With a Guzzi you get bugger all power, weird handling and the oprobrium of all other motorcyclists. You also get spud-thick simplicity that anyone who isn't a complete imbecile can cope with and service. That explains how I can make a living out of fixing 'em

 

Pete

76774[/snapback]

Hey Pete , you say after the first cleaning its not necessary to remove the sump for 50K miles? I thought that the screen in there had to be cleaned? and isnt the "manhole cover" easy to crossthread if you replace the filter through there? I dropped the pan on my first oil change , but if I can safely remove the filter without doing the pan off monkey-squat in the future , hey, thats ok with me!

[pete roper]

Hey Pete , you say after the first cleaning its not necessary to remove the sump for 50K miles? I thought that the screen in there had to be cleaned? and isnt the "manhole cover" easy to crossthread if you replace the filter through there? I dropped the pan on my first oil change , but if I can safely remove the filter without doing the pan off monkey-squat in the future , hey, thats ok with me!

76797[/snapback]

 

The mesh on the screen is far too big for it to stop anything but really *big* stuff. The oil filter and sludge trap in the crank take out the little bits. In the event of a major blow-up the screen *may* save your oil pump, apart from that it really has little use.

 

The thing is that there is nothing inside the Guzzi donk that in *Normal* use is going to shed bits of a size that the screen will pick up. In fact the guzzi motor is a very *clean* motor all round. It doesn't get contaminated by bits of friction material from the clutch, there is no shared transmission to have bits biffed off the selector dogs, the cam drive is by chain and sprockets, where are these *bits* going to come from? Even the piston rings are running on nicasil so wear is slow and any material that comes off them is microscopic, too small even for the filter, it ends up in the sludge trap or is drained out at oil changes.

 

The 'Manhole' in the sump was put there specifically to allow removal of the filter without removing the sump as on earlier models. The problem is that the filter is prone to sticking very tight which makes it very hard to remove sometimes, even with the filter wrench you need that fits up through the 'Manhole'. If you do the 'Bash a screwdriver through the filter and wind it off.' trick there is a risk that as you turn the screwdriver it will scrape against the side of the 'Manhole' and damage the threads. If this happens it is very hard to get the plate back in square and it's easy to cross-thread it with expensive consequences. You also need a 27mm allen key or similar to turn the plate out, not a lot of people have one of those so for a lot of people it's actually easier to drop the sump than use the 'Manhole'. There is though no need for the screen to be cleaned and inspected with anything like the frequency recommended in the book though. How often do you drop the sump in your car to clean off the strainer? My guess is NEVER!

 

Pete

[bigbikerrick]

The mesh on the screen is far too big for it to stop anything but really *big* stuff. The oil filter and sludge trap in the crank take out the little bits. In the event of a major blow-up the screen *may* save your oil pump, apart from that it really has little use.

 

The thing is that there is nothing inside the Guzzi donk that in *Normal* use is going to shed bits of a size that the screen will pick up. In fact the guzzi motor is a very *clean* motor all round. It doesn't get contaminated by bits of friction material from the clutch, there is no shared transmission to have bits biffed off the selector dogs, the cam drive is by chain and sprockets, where are these *bits* going to come from? Even the piston rings are running on nicasil so wear is slow and any material that comes off them is microscopic, too small even for the filter, it ends up in the sludge trap or is drained out at oil changes.

 

The 'Manhole' in the sump was put there specifically to allow removal of the filter without removing the sump as on earlier models. The problem is that the filter is prone to sticking very tight which makes it very hard to remove sometimes, even with the filter wrench you need that fits up through the 'Manhole'. If you do the 'Bash a screwdriver through the filter and wind it off.' trick there is a risk that as you turn the screwdriver it will scrape against the side of the 'Manhole' and damage the threads. If this happens it is very hard to get the plate back in square and it's easy to cross-thread it with expensive consequences. You also need a 27mm allen key or similar to turn the plate out, not a lot of people have one of those so for a lot of people it's actually easier to drop the sump than use the 'Manhole'. There is though no need for the screen to be cleaned and inspected with anything like the frequency recommended in the book though. How often do you drop the sump in your car to clean off the strainer? My guess is NEVER!

 

Pete

76827[/snapback]

Thanks pete , thats good information, someone here mentioned that the nut on the rear axle is the right size to put a wrench on and remove the manhole cover....

[Orson]

With a Guzzi you get bugger all power, weird handling and the oprobrium of all other motorcyclists.

76774[/snapback]

OK...I had to go look up opprobrium

 

yup! that about sums it up!