750 S3 - the recommisioning

[canuck750]

There's a nice article on an S3 by Nolan Woodbury in the most recent issue of RealClassic magazine.  ;-T

Nick

Here's the link to subscribe - it' rarely available on the shelves.
http://www.classicmagazines.co.uk/subscription/rc/real-classic

Thanks Nick,  I bought a subscription last year, my copy is hopefully on I its way.

[nick949]

Thanks Nick,  I bought a subscription last year, my copy is hopefully on I its way.

Mine arrived yesterday, so it should be there soon.

N

[smdl]

I subscribed to the electronic version via Zinio, so always get it right away.  Finding time to read it is another matter entirely...

Cheers,
Shaun

[canuck750]

Goy my copy of Real Classics in the mail today, thumbed through it but haven't read the S3 article yet.

The engine disassembly has started off on a rocky road, one pan bolt head stripped, had to drill it out



Clutch discs look good but I will replace the bolts on the flywheel and the clutch springs



I should have removed the crank nut before I pulled the flywheel off and used the ring gear retainer to lock the crank, damn that nut was on so tight!! I pinched the chain with a steel dowel in a sprocket, can't believe how much force it took to get that nut off





Crank rod journal feels good, no visible scoring or ridges, the rod shells look pretty good, I will mic the rod when I pull it on the weekend

[Brightblade]

Amazing.  At this rate you'll be ready to ride her pretty quick.  Can't wait to see it finished.

[canuck750]

Between a morning at the office and late afternoon doing spring yard work I got an hour in to take the wheels into a shop to have the tires removed, the pulled the main bearings and removed the crank and cam. No obvious trouble but I still need to measure both.

My home made flange puller



Works fine



40 years of sludge, off to the car wash and a liberal soaking in Aluminum Brightner



wheels need to be stripped and inspected for cracks



The front wheel has taken a real serious hit at some time in its life

sure this can be saved, may try my luck in a hydraulic press

[fotoguzzi]

I can use that flange puller idea, thanks! progress looks great..

[canuck750]

Hi Brad,

The puller cost me a buck for bolts and a scrap of electrical mounting channel I picked up on a job site. Sometimes the best tools are the cheapest :BEER:

Cheers

Jim

[balvenie]

             What gets me is; they're all Blue ;D
             Is is a boy-thing?
              Even his screwdriver handle ;D ;D

[canuck750]

             What gets me is; they're all Blue ;D
             Is is a boy-thing?
              Even his screwdriver handle ;D ;D

Cause I like blue tools?? I had a container of Ford blue powder, and being a OCD nut job I just wanted all of my tools blue :D

I got the block cleaned up, three soakings of NAPA Aluminum brightener, a truck wash high pressure blast after each soaking and the aluminum is as clean as the day it came out of Mandelo.



I can't take credit for this tip, Mark Ethridge at Moto Guzzi Classics put me on to this method of cleaning engines cases, heads etc.



Call me simple but I could marvel at how easy this Aluminum Brightener is to use and the amazing results



I masked off the bearing surfaces of the front and rear bearing flanges and treated them to the same cleaning process, ditto the oil pump



I removed the crank sludge trap plug and dug out the crud, surprisingly very little sludge, the Eldo and two V7 Sport motors I have rebuilt were packed with crud, testimony to what a proper oil filter can do for a motor



After emptying an aerosol can of brake cleaner in the crank recess the  crank is clean

Measured the three bearing diameters



Thank goodness all three diameters are within spec, but the rod pin is just in tolerances so I will install a new set of con rod shells, This saves me at least $600.00 on a crank grind and new bearings.

Luca you looked after this motor,  ;-T

[Maaka]

somehow I feel like a motorcycle cowboy when I see a mancave dripping with tools and stuff like that..an ultrasonic what...sounds like my doctor..here I am with basically the tools that come with the bike, and afew rusty old spanners...I am oozing jealously

[smdl]

Hi, Jim.

I'm going to try your cleaning method next weekend.  Would you mind telling me what you used to mask off the bearing surfaces?  It seems to me that almost anything would come off with the pressure washer.  Maybe you are only worried about when the aluminum brightener is applied, and it doesn't matter once you start to spray?

Thanks for the great tutorial!

Shaun

[canuck750]

Hi Shaun

I mask off the bearing surface with plain masking tape, press it on tight and then spray on a 50/50 solution of water and aluminum brightener, wait at least a minute, the aluminum will foam up white, then hit it hard with as high a pressure as you can find.

Make sure you are wearing a full face mask and that the respirator is for a chemical type, mine is a good quality but I think I need new canisters as my throat is a little sore from the chemical irritation, I sprayed with a hand spray bottle outside in the lane with little wind. This chemical brightener is very serious stuff, take caution and wear rubber gloves.




Cheers

Jim

[smdl]

Thanks, Jim.  Has anyone ever commented on your Darth Vader attire when using the car wash?

 :BEER:

Cheers,
Shaun

[canuck750]

Thanks, Jim.  Has anyone ever commented on your Darth Vader attire when using the car wash?

 :BEER:

Cheers,
Shaun

You know the problem with a coin-op car wash is that some impatient guy or gal in line always opens the overhead door before I am done washing, just to push me along, having this respirator on, my big green industrial rubber gloves and a yellow rain suit bib overall on really gets their attention, you bet they close the damn door quickly when I yell out don't breath!!

I think I look like a character out of some Breaking Bad episode in the meth lab ::)

At least no has called the cops yet.

[Moz]

love the S3
thanks for posting  :D

[Maaka]

I guess that NAPA goo would not be the thing to clean up the outside of an old dirty engine..would eat the gaskets yeah?? I feel such a rookie at this restoring lark..

[canuck750]

I guess that NAPA goo would not be the thing to clean up the outside of an old dirty engine..would eat the gaskets yeah?? I feel such a rookie at this restoring lark..

No problem using the aluminum brightener on a complete bike, it will not harm the gaskets, BUT.. it will discolour plastic, especially black plastics and black paint. Will not hurt rubber and I have not seen it discolour black frame paint. It will discolour the Brembo caliper paint. If you use a spray bottle that you get in any hardware store with a mist spray had (use an empty window cleaner spray bottle) and a 50/50 solution and be careful to just wet the areas you want to clean you will be good. The Brembo calipers can be masked off with clear plastic kitchen wrap or even plastic bags. Bare metal will turn a gold colour. Work in small areas and be sparingly with the spray of cleaner. As high a pressure wash as you can find is the trick. The 1st photo of the bike is after I cleaned it with brightener prior to disassembly.

[Don G]

That shite will kill your lawn grass! :BEER: DonG

[canuck750]

That shite will kill your lawn grass! :BEER: DonG

And every other living thing it comes into contact with :o but is sure as heck cleans aluminum ~;

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

And every other living thing it comes into contact with :o but is sure as heck cleans aluminum ~;

I worry about using any chemicals such as that, even at the car/truck wash. Even when diluted, they're still nasty, hopefully the waste water treatment plant has means of neutralizing it.

[Maaka]

Copy that Canuck...thanks for sharing your knowledge..
will try a wee drop at a time, when I get my hands on some of the stuff, and when my bike sails in.
yup I hate chems at anytime, but it does a nice job..just dont wash it into any near by stream neh..

[canuck750]

The Aluminum Brightener is the same stuff you get in a spray bottle of Aluminum Mag Wheel cleaner, except of course this NAPA stuff is not diluted, I think the off the shelf mag cleaner is at least 25/1 diluted. By the time I spray the guck off I have diluted the mix down to at least 25/1 so it can't be any worse for the environment than what else goes on at a car wash.

[canuck750]

A pair of new 750 S3 side covers arrived today from Germany via Belgium, Raymond (Mantaray) helped me acquire these as the seller would not ship to Canada, thank you Raymond!!!

New set on the left, original on the right



I will polish up the originals and put them away for safe keeping, The NOS pair have never been on a bike, how does stuff as rare as this end up on Ebay 40 years after they were made??





Spent an evening bead blasting up all the parts that will get Cadmium plated, the cleaner I can get the parts the better the cad finish will look



And pulled the lower steering bearing off the stem



That just leaves the transmission and rear drive the strip and check.

Fast industries ( Canadian affiliate of Millennium) called today to say they received the original cylinders in the mail, confirmed to be in good shape and suitable to re-plate and they will deck the heads and seat the new valves and shim the valve springs to spec.

Chrome bits that need chrome re-plating are sorted, they will go out this week.

The frame and associated bits will get sent to the bead blaster before the weekend.

A Guzzi is definitely greater than the sum of its parts

[smdl]

Amazing!  Are you related to the Energizer Bunny?

Great work, Jim!   :bow

Shaun

[canuck750]

Amazing!  Are you related to the Energizer Bunny?

Great work, Jim!   :bow

Shaun

Hah

Taking a bike apart is the easy part ;D The getting it back together, ....well that can take a bit longer. I have taken at least a hundred pictures so far so I can hopefully get it back together.

Cheers

Jim

[Maaka]

yes amazing work..what do you do in your spare time?

[canuck750]

Well I don't watch much TV, and I am usually in my office 6 days a week and sometimes 7, running my own business doesn't leave a lot of time for much else, but this bike building is how I relax and leave 'work' at the office. Working with my hand's has always been a source of relaxation and reward. An hour or two a day, when I can, in the garage and I just plug away until its done, then on to the next one.

Cheers

Jim

[Cam3512]

Jim,

What's your logic for using the NOS side covers on the bike and stashing the originals?

Why not use the originals that will match the tank, and sit on the NOS?

They're only "NOS" once.  You do plan to ride the bike.

Cam

[Waterbottle]

Good on you Jim,
 i for one appreciate your story and pics. I have a task in front of me, pulling the crank out of the zuke 750 GT. meaning a complete engine strip. I can't yet find the energy to do it after a 4 year restoration. maybe this weekend ?