Eldorado and the quest to ride a Moto Guzzi for the first time.

[LesP]

Just one person in the whole world who might have noticed this obscure thread in passing would do. 

[bmc5733946]

No oil on gasket????!!!! Mike won't be working on my bike!!

Brian

[LesP]

I rest my case.

[LesP]

The 1954 Sunbeam S7 Deluxe is sold so only have one now (The first year 1949)
Two brothers bought it for their father and were delivering (unknown to him) it tonight after picking it up, I am happy it went to a good home.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Have you seen this photo?

Gendarmerie, on Sunbeam S8 motorcycles, waiting to Escort Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Lisbon, in 1957

[LesP]

Can't say I have seen that photo.

The photo description should say S7 Deluxe (the S8 from 1949 on was the skinny wheel/ mud guard model with BSA forks and non cantilever sprung seat)
S7 Deluxe / S8 production was over by 1956 starting in 1949.

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/1949-sunbeam-s8

I seem to remember the Scout guy (Moto Guzzi parts) has or had a S7 Deluxe.

[LesP]

VHB30 manifolds from Germany ready for the original 32 mm PHF Dellorto's off my 1981 Ducati 900SD.

[LesP]

[LesP]

Both carburetors needed to swing out a fraction, the 0 to - 1mm taper gasket machining jig did the job. 

Gasket holes look to be 33.25 mm from the hole on the right to the holes on the left then 27.5 mm out to each of those holes (fwiw which wont be much)

[s1120]

I will look into it when they get here, nearly two weeks and still in the processing stage of USPS but a sign of the times unless sent by courier.

There is no real interest in this sort of thing so pretty much flagged it but have prepped up the electronic distributor which has massive amounts of end float on both the main shaft and advance unit which would not suit the hall effect sensor.
There is probably four hours in the rework of a points distributor, this one probably has numerous days all up.
There are quite a few mods to get the advancer very smooth in operation.







The spark plug threads had some wear so with the steel rocker mounts needing removal I might as well do what I should have done last year so will get some M14 -1.25 Time- Serts.

Back in the days before affordable good aftermarket dist's for US V8 powered cars, I was amazed how BAD most of the stock dist's were!!  I would spend hours rebuilding, swapping parts, and shimming, to get a good unit. As a low buck racer back then I had far more time, then money back then!!  Nice work, and the bike is coming along well!! 

[LesP]

Paul, the bike was done some time ago now and ran like a champ from the first start.
The throttle action (stock VHB springs) is lighter than my F.I Africa Twin and the gear box shifts quieter than its DCT transmission.

Now we address what I heard on every running video bar one, this one and that is with non pumper Amal carburetors.
Its sounds crisp and a good deal of that will be the ignition. (This IE might be discontinued now for whatever reason)

1974 Eldorado 850 First Start C5 ignition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhz8ep8fd68

#

Hopefully I can squeeze the PHF 32's in without having to move the air box but it should look 'fairly stock either way.

[LesP]

M48 / 1.25 threads to suit the Dellorto's and good to go for now.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Very nice! 

[LesP]

Thanks Charlie, appreciate it. 

I had found this post online (and was surprised to find 60/3 slides in these carburetors when 70/2's are stock)

https://www.guzzitech.com/forums/threads/dellorto-phf-32-carbs-for-850-t.5109/

I will need to sort out cables but want to keep the stock throttle.

[LesP]

These PHF's have been in dry storage for the best part of 31 years (I bought a PHM 40 mm Malossi kit @ $750 to replace them, which were replaced with Keihin 41 mm FCR's)
They were unbodgerated but a little sad looking so got a spray (a few times) with diluted DuraGloss 853 and washed off as soon as any white foam appeared then gone over with the trusty wood handle brass bristle wire brush followed by some Pledge.

Of course you need to be careful with any acid based product unless you want to turn them black hence washed off as soon as the white foam appeared.
I am glad they will get another go round, the last time I worked on them I was probably in my early/mid 20's.

[LesP]

A (letterbox) parts delivery waiting game now
Hopefully the action will be as smooth as the VHB's and I get the same up to 60 imperial MPG as in the 1980's on the stock 900SD.
There is probably not much more I can do besides a cartridge fork to go with the Ikon's to make it the ultimate classic long distance tourer.

[Dave Swanson]

Les, when you said "quest" you weren't kidding!   

The most impressive Guzzi build I have ever seen. 

[LesP]

Thanks Dave.  but I will never be in your league let alone same galaxy.

If I can find that black paint can I should give the poor old battery tray a touch up.

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

Les, when you said "quest" you weren't kidding!   

The most impressive Guzzi build I have ever seen.

I'm exhausted just following along and I havent turned a single wrench

[LesP]

I'm exhausted just following along and I havent turned a single wrench

I hear you, it must be the most mechanically loved Eldorado in these parts.

IIRC this is the gas cap surround I machined and sent you for free via ADV Rider.

[LesP]

We are in three day lock down but tracking says the PHF jetting and other parts are due today.
I did not want to modify original parts but to get the 32 mm carburetors to fit, angled outward slightly using the original rubber air boot the air box needed to go rearward around 6 mm (1/4")
I decided to mill the battery tray lugs so there is a north/south 6 mm slot.

It now fits even easier than stock, place the air box with the top bolt in then push the bottom in a couple more mm for a great seal (It is sitting with the bottom bolts loose in the picture which can in n place at installation unlike stock)

[LesP]

Another instalment for 'but if it was running fine, why not keep riding it.



Almost looks stock ish.



A rookie mistake and denial to some degree but the heads will need spark plug thread inserts for longggggg time reliability , they are wobbly enough to warrant it and would be stupidity if they failed in the future and you got stuck on a forest dirt road far from home.

I will use TimeSerts.

[LesP]

Hard to believe a T4 frontend (LamontSanfurd eBay) (forks / triples / axle / 08 calipers) only reached US$102.50 / AU$134.88.
I had been tempted to ask about shipping cost (forks only) and bid for a if needed future disc conversion.

The front drum brake is OK but the cable (inline switch) is quite stretchy and will be replaced with a non switch version (have one) to see if there is an improvement.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Hard to believe a T4 frontend (LamontSanfurd eBay) (forks / triples / axle / 08 calipers) only reached US$102.50 / AU$134.88.
I had been tempted to ask about shipping cost (forks only) and bid for a if needed future disc conversion.

The front drum brake is OK but the cable (inline switch) is quite stretchy and will be replaced with a non switch version (have one) to see if there is an improvement.

That was a good deal. Looks like an SP front end, not a T4 (which we never got in the US) though.

[LesP]

That was a good deal. Looks like an SP front end, not a T4 (which we never got in the US) though.

I would have thought the calipers worth $50 each in the US alone but will get back to gaining forward motion again over stopping.

[leroy_can]

Hard to believe a T4 frontend (LamontSanfurd eBay) (forks / triples / axle / 08 calipers) only reached US$102.50 / AU$134.88.
I had been tempted to ask about shipping cost (forks only) and bid for a if needed future disc conversion.

The front drum brake is OK but the cable (inline switch) is quite stretchy and will be replaced with a non switch version (have one) to see if there is an improvement.

  I really like LamontSanfurd,s auctions I thought the 7/33 rear box from the same bike was going to be mine but got blown out of the water on it in the last 10 seconds. He gives good descriptions and clear pictures and has the balls to do true no reserve auctions starting at almost nothing. He does end up giving the odd item away but often gets people fighting over things in the last seconds. You can search anything on ebay and find 10,000 in a category then click on auction only and it drops to maybe 500 and lots of those are not really auctions because the starting bid is really a buy it now price. Also living in Canada I know if you get a shipping quote from Sanfurd it is very reasonable.

[LesP]

Indeed, a top bloke and have bought a few bits off him now over the years, even the Moto Guzzi fitment Brembo caliper on the Commando was from him.

Even the stanchion chrome looks good on those forks.

[LesP]

No TimeSerts, they were priced at AU$500 to $700 for kits in standard and long tooling so ended up getting a coil insert kit.
Even the coil set was expensive but with a lengthy drive it was available off the shelf.

The sun is out again but a funeral to attend today.

[leroy_can]

  Hi, Hopefully when you say it was expensive that means it is an actual Heli-coil kit. I have installed literally 100s of them and swear by them. I used a Perma coil kit once to enlarge a set of dual plug Harley heads that had been done in 10mm and I enlarged them to 12mm. It was a spark plug specific kit that had a special tap that threaded into the remains of your old thread and then reamed it to size and then cut the new thread. The actual thread you finished with turned out rough even though you would never know once the coil was installed. I blamed it on the fact that I did it on an assembled engine but the real problem was the tap that began after the reamer portion was far to blunt and wouldn't of had a chance without the old thread helping to pull it in. I recently used it on a bracket I was making and even with a good thread to pull it in on a piece of 6061 it still made a rough thread. Just a warning that if it is Perma coil of the type I described proceed with caution and try it on a test hole first. With your equipment you could probably grind a bit more lead-in on the tap if required. When I tried it on the piece of 6061 I made a normal 12mm thread first for it to start in and only had a bottoming tap for that and even so it effortlessly made a perfect thread but the perma coil tap not so good even with the good thread to follow.

[LesP]

All I can say is, what was I thinking buying this bodge kit (That has a bottoming thread) and have to ask myself why I did not buy a conventional M14 - 1.25 insert kit and do it in the mill with angle plate even if it took all day to do two holes.

Yes it is the tap like you describe but has a decent lead in from the guiding to cutting thread.
I tried it on a spare head which I would now regard as scrap, the plug was loose enough to think it was a taper thread most of the way after the coil was in place.
There is no way I would use this insert on the heads in the bike and I thank my lucky stars I tried it on another head which now has a thread looser than what was in place before hand.

I will leave the existing threads as is and simply hope for the best as they are better than this kit produced but am still kicking myself all the same.

I will get back to replacing parts that were not broken which is making a lot more sense than before.