My Guzzi is not playing ball...

[nudemetalz]

Well, looked outside this morning, thought what a nice day to take the Guzzi to work. I am allowed to ride it, just have to be careful and feel well.

As I was getting it out of the garage, I found a small bit of oil on the floor.
Wasn't worried as I thought it must have been from when I was working on the DR250 clutch.

Blast down the motorway and got to work. No problem so far.

Lunchtime, and thought I'd go an check on it at the Mercer St bikepark.
Hmmm,...a little puddle of oil underneath it. Wipe my hand under the sump...yup...it's coming from mine. Looked around the bike and there was oil spots over the exhausts and bit on the rear tyre (eeekkk...).

Okay, I'll drop into WMCC and see about some plugs.
Got to WMCC, looked down and it was worse !!
So talked to Crasher Pete who got one of the guys to wheel it out the back and degrease it to see where it's coming from.
Start it up and it's peeing out of the timing cover (behind the clutch). The gasket has gone. The mechanic says it totally unrideable and I was lucky to have got it this far (either pumping the sump dry or spitting me off 'cause of the "oil-cooled rear tyre").
So...it's a drop motor out of chassis job.... $$$$$$$
No Guzzi for a while...

...and I don't want to hear, buy Japanese or Italian is crap, 'cause when it's going, it's beautiful to ride.

End of Part 1.

Part 2 when I get the bike back.

[James Deuce]

Phew!

I'm still at work btw, so sorry I didn't get back to you.

[xwhatsit]

Awww damn mate, what a shame!

*insert appropriate Italian-oil-leaking-McJim-antagonising-line here*

They have to drop the engine out to access the timing cover?! Jesus, good thing it doesn't have points. I suppose that's just because the engine is `sideways', though, not due to poor design.

How fast was it `peeing' out? I didn't think that part of the engine would be under any oil pressure. Wonder what caused the gasket to die.

[merv]

Sorry about the bike, but nice to hear you are allowed to ride it again.

[nudemetalz]

Thanks peoples.
I guess when you own a peculiar bike, you get peculiar problems. No idea why it would develop a leak there.
I think they call it "character"....

[Ghost_Bullet]

Totally awesome, oil is such a glorious substance, without it where would we be... ha ha in your case the workshop!!!!!!!! The best place for her uh. A total bugger, but you know what, once they take the leak away, there is somthing inside that misses the slimmy stuff.
A less Sensible type that I know bought a scott oiler to put a bit on his chain.... I was thinking to, with my oil leaks ceased... I am almost missing the ooozing charactor.... The scotty could just be the solution...

Something to consider uh Nudz'?

Hope shes back on the hard stuff soon!!!!!

[xwhatsit]

Heh, I'm the same -- if my bike stops leaking oil, I start getting worried and thinking it has died.

Oozing character.

See! Hondas have character too! It just takes more than 20 years to develop

[Paul in NZ]

Um..... Timing cover?

Is it coming out at the front or rear of the engine?

A rear main seal on a Guzzi usually does not leak that badly.... I'm not sure on how the breathers on the V11's work but on mine the crankcase and rocker covers vent into a box where the vapour condenses and drains back into the sump. They can leak there and it looks like a rear main (which is where mine leaks as well - has for yonks)...

Get them to do a compressin test - blow by into the sump can ruin the seals.

A little research now might save you som $$ here

[laRIKin]

Well, looked outside this morning, thought what a nice day to take the Guzzi to work. I am allowed to ride it, just have to be careful and feel well.

Well first of all this is great news .

Start it up and it's peeing out of the timing cover (behind the clutch). The gasket has gone. The mechanic says it totally unrideable and I was lucky to have got it this far (either pumping the sump dry or spitting me off 'cause of the "oil-cooled rear tyre").

Um..... Timing cover?

Is it coming out at the front or rear of the engine?

A rear main seal on a Guzzi usually does not leak that badly.... I'm not sure on how the breathers on the V11's work but on mine the crankcase and rocker covers vent into a box where the vapour condenses and drains back into the sump. They can leak there and it looks like a rear main (which is where mine leaks as well - has for yonks)...

Get them to do a compressin test - blow by into the sump can ruin the seals.

A little research now might save you som $$ here

Second the timing cover is at the front of the motor and there is a dry clutch in the middle and the gear box at the back.

So the motor can not leak though the gear box.
So is it a engine leak though the timing cover (front) or a gear box leak at the back.
Like Paul said I would look a bit closer at to where the oil is coming from.
As it can be a problem with the rear main seal on older Guzzi and I have not heard this with the newer Guzzi's.
And they do not normally just spring leaks.

The cover that they may be talking about could be the gear box selector cover.
Which is easy to fix, by taking the starter motor off and few other bit's.
By laying the bike on it's side with a short stool or box under the handle bar you can do all the work with out draining the oil and there is not a gasket, just use a good gasket snot.
Now if you do this, put the bike in neutral and DO NOT PLAY WITH THE GEARS OR LEVER.
Unless you want a lot of hair pulling to get the cover back on.

I think that I know of a link with pic's to help you.
With in 1/2 an hour to an hour and you will be riding again if it is this cover that is leaking. (part number 1)

Or it could be the hydraulic clutch cover (part number 13)

[nudemetalz]

Hiya,

I described it wrongly.
The leak is at the front of the motor by the front engine mount.
The timing cover, not the clutch.
Apologies for that.

I did some research on that awesome V11lemans.com website forum.

Apparently the 2002 (black) engines were reknown for it.
It seems that while they were being made in the factory, the crankcase was sprayed black and some of the paint would seep throught on the mating surface. Then engine is fully assembled and anywhere between 5K's and 40K's (mine) they would start leaking.
Hmmmm...dodgy quality control.....

Of course, the '99 - '01 unpainted engines didn't suffer this.

[laRIKin]

The leak is at the front of the motor by the front engine mount.
The timing cover, not the clutch.

Apparently the 2002 (black) engines were reknown for it.
It seems that while they were being made in the factory, the crankcase was sprayed black and some of the paint would seep throught on the mating surface.

Good to hear that it is going to be an easy fix.
The hardest part is getting the alternate off.
With in an hour and you should be back on the road.

And not a

So...it's a drop motor out of chassis job.... $$$$$$$
No Guzzi for a while...

[Paul in NZ]

OK - That makes a lot more sense. I can do a timing cover gasket on the LM2 (Tonti frame) without removing the engine - does the engine really need to come out of a V11?

[nudemetalz]

Well, I'm only going by what the WMCC mechanic was telling me. I think he probably meant drop the motor at the front to get at all of the bolts.

Research on the forum said that it wasn't necessary. I forwarded the link with all of that info on how to do it to Pete so hopefully might make things happen quicker.

[nudemetalz]

Good to hear that it is going to be an easy fix.
The hardest part is getting the alternate off.
With in an hour and you should be back on the road.

And not a

What the forum said was leaving it in gear and put something across the swingarm to stop the wheel rotating and then lever on that big nut.
Sounds rough and ready but obviously works.

[Rhino]

Hi Nudz,

I hope that WMC get you back on the road soon. At least the oil didn't cause you to have an off. That would have been really annoying.

Will try and catch up the next time SG and I are in Wellyland.