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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: oldmxdog61u on June 01, 2018, 06:57:19 PM

Title: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. “grace”
Post by: oldmxdog61u on June 01, 2018, 06:57:19 PM

(https://thumb.ibb.co/dELRSd/5688_A9_B5_7079_49_B5_B9_F4_D3_DFB5_DD5806.jpg) (https://ibb.co/dELRSd)


16,000 miles young. Long history. Stock bores.  Can’t wait for her to show up at her new home. 
My norge will be sad as I suspect this will be my first pick for a quick ride.  Beautiful in my eyes.

Let the constructive comments and “you must change this or else” suggestions begin!
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: Antietam Classic Cycle on June 01, 2018, 06:59:58 PM

(https://thumb.ibb.co/dELRSd/5688_A9_B5_7079_49_B5_B9_F4_D3_DFB5_DD5806.jpg) (https://ibb.co/dELRSd)


16,000 miles young. Long history. Stock bores.  Can�t wait for her to show up at her new home. 
My norge will be sad as I suspect this will be my first pick for a quick ride.  Beautiful in my eyes.

Let the constructive comments and �you must change this or else� suggestions begin!

I'd sure as heck be changing this! Chrome definitely won't get you home.
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: RinkRat II on June 01, 2018, 07:11:38 PM
 
       Yeah you'll Shirley be disappointed, don't even ride it, just ship it to me and I'll let you know what yor missing. :evil: :evil:


            CONGRATS Oldmxdog :thumb:

         Paul B :boozing:
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: fotoguzzi on June 01, 2018, 08:48:36 PM
I don't like the mirrors, you must change them.
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: oldmxdog61u on June 01, 2018, 09:16:45 PM
Anyone have some stock mirrors? 

I figured I would look at the bores before I spring for giardiasis set of cylinder, pistons as I’m tapped out for awhile. 

Tom Hetrick, where are you Bro?
(https://thumb.ibb.co/hzPTOJ/654_C1_BF2_1_C96_47_BB_91_D1_157_A603_F2840.jpg) (https://ibb.co/hzPTOJ)

(https://thumb.ibb.co/bvDcHd/B0039211_693_C_46_C6_A737_75_F2468_EA2_B0.jpg) (https://ibb.co/bvDcHd)

(https://thumb.ibb.co/kV3NiJ/03_E556_A7_10_D1_41_EA_8357_C82_EA278_DA81.jpg) (https://ibb.co/kV3NiJ)


Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: Dave Swanson on June 01, 2018, 10:17:54 PM
Original chrome bores will flake and destroy.  It’s just  a matter of when.  And with a bike without an oil filter like the Eldo you could end up with a engine that would totally destroy itself.
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: Guzzi Gal on June 01, 2018, 10:59:48 PM
:drool: (too busy drooling to extend my congratulations) :drool:
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: Shorty on June 02, 2018, 12:16:49 AM
 :bow:
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: normzone on June 02, 2018, 02:28:45 AM
Ride it till it breaks, you'll be so happy you won't mind fixing it.
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: oldmxdog61u on June 02, 2018, 07:47:13 AM
Replacement jugs or sleeve?
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: Antietam Classic Cycle on June 02, 2018, 08:33:53 AM
Replacement jugs or sleeve?

Gilardoni kits or have the original cylinders replated (providing the pistons are reusable).
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: Cam3512 on June 02, 2018, 09:14:44 AM
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Loopframe_Guzzi/conversations/messages

And join this group.  No question that can't be answered.
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: Yeahoo Whoyah on June 02, 2018, 09:20:16 AM
I remember seeing this bike for sale recently on the SF Bay Area CL for a very tempting asking price, congratulations!  Are you in NorCal?
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: blakestree on June 02, 2018, 11:27:27 AM
:drool: (too busy drooling to extend my congratulations) :drool:
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: Idontwantapickle on June 02, 2018, 12:34:58 PM

(https://thumb.ibb.co/dELRSd/5688_A9_B5_7079_49_B5_B9_F4_D3_DFB5_DD5806.jpg) (https://ibb.co/dELRSd)


16,000 miles young. Long history. Stock bores.  Can�t wait for her to show up at her new home. 
My norge will be sad as I suspect this will be my first pick for a quick ride.  Beautiful in my eyes.

Let the constructive comments and �you must change this or else� suggestions begin!

Very nice! Congrats!
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: Dave Swanson on June 02, 2018, 12:38:11 PM
Ride it till it breaks, you'll be so happy you won't mind fixing it.

Always an option of course.  But riding while the bores are flaking will result in a crankshaft regrind with corresponding oversize bearings (assuming it hasn't had a regrind already),  an oil pump that is toast, and worst of all the grinding action can wear out your camshaft, and score the camshaft bearing lands to the point that the main housing will only be able to serve as coffee table art. 
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: Dharma Bum on June 02, 2018, 12:46:48 PM
Nice score! Congratulations.
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: twowings on June 02, 2018, 12:55:34 PM
That bike is stunningly beautiful! Nice score!!!  :grin:
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: bigbikerrick on June 02, 2018, 01:48:58 PM
Nice bike, Bruce! Thats an interesting paint job, for sure!
Follow Charie's advice, and get the cylinders done. Gillardonis are the easiest way to go.
congratulations,
Rick.
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: Perazzimx14 on June 02, 2018, 04:35:06 PM
Ride it till it breaks, you'll be so happy you won't mind fixing it.

And in stead of spending a $1,000 on a set of Gilardoni's now you'll get to spend about $4,000 to $6,000 totally rebuilding the entire motor. The up side is you'll get to really know the internals of  round head Guzzi.
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: JJ on June 03, 2018, 11:26:55 AM
My vote?  Don't change a thing...(IHMO)...and just ride it for awhile first...then you can decide. 

It looks FINE as is...mirrors and all!!! :1: :1: :thumb: :thumb: :cool: :cool:


(https://thumb.ibb.co/d5J1Vy/Screen_Shot_2018_06_03_at_9_25_37_AM.png) (https://ibb.co/d5J1Vy)
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: oldmxdog61u on June 03, 2018, 01:25:52 PM
Wonderful inputs, and thanks for the encouragement. 
I recently went from years of sport bikes, eg, sport 1100: lemans 4, and variety of Japanese speed demons, to my norge (say ahhhh!) and now this, back where I started in the early 70’s.  As I wax more philosophical about life, my interests seem drawn to my youth. Grace scratches that itch.
I hope to spend any remaining days with the grace of God with her in my cycle life.

When I finally move on some other projects I will likely pop for the new jugs and pistons.  In the meantime, I will just do some check out rides, borescope the cylinders to observe if I am heading towards catastrophic failure and save my pennies.

Thanks for the Eldo yahoo group. Wonderful idea.
More pictures to come as I recreate my youth and the machines of my imagination. 
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: bigbikerrick on June 03, 2018, 01:51:42 PM
My 73 . You are going to love being a loop owner. There is a certain charm to these old bikes thats hard to describe!
(https://thumb.ibb.co/cKfkqy/MOTOGUZZIPICTURES311.jpg) (https://ibb.co/cKfkqy)

(https://thumb.ibb.co/hFVPiJ/MOTOGUZZIPICTURES308.jpg) (https://ibb.co/hFVPiJ)
 
Rick.
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 Eldorado. �grace�
Post by: Antietam Classic Cycle on June 03, 2018, 02:23:39 PM
When I finally move on some other projects I will likely pop for the new jugs and pistons.  In the meantime, I will just do some check out rides, borescope the cylinders to observe if I am heading towards catastrophic failure and save my pennies.

It wouldn't first hurt to check to make sure that you actually have chrome bores. Easy to do: use a "pencil magnet" inserted through the spark plug hole to touch the cylinder wall (piston needs to be down away from TDC first). No magnetic attraction = chrome, very slight = Nikasil, strong = iron liners.

I've never been able to see much useful with a borescope, just different shades of grey.

If you're going to run it "as-is" change the oil very often - I mean like every 500 miles often. Elevate the front wheel so the engine sump is sloped towards the back, so it'll drain completely. Drain the oil through something like a paint strainer or cheese-cloth and look for metallic flakes.
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: oldmxdog61u on June 03, 2018, 02:57:18 PM
Thanks Charlie. Appreciated.
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: vintagehoarder on June 03, 2018, 08:42:46 PM
That bike is BEAUTIFUL!
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: oldmxdog61u on June 03, 2018, 09:39:13 PM

(https://thumb.ibb.co/c74e2o/BB774_D37_1052_4_D04_B2_E3_48623009_CE6_D.jpg) (https://ibb.co/c74e2o)

(https://thumb.ibb.co/chNA8T/3_A2_F27_D9_DBED_4015_A9_E9_6_C3_BCE3_F46_CC.jpg) (https://ibb.co/chNA8T)

(https://thumb.ibb.co/kjr3TT/5485311_B_A8_C0_4_CF6_B4_F0_DD59159_DE72_C.jpg) (https://ibb.co/kjr3TT)

(https://thumb.ibb.co/mvvxoT/6_A5384_B1_E482_449_E_8_D99_C7_F27912_A673.jpg) (https://ibb.co/mvvxoT)

(https://thumb.ibb.co/mwgFa8/1_D677158_AC0_F_4_EA2_8811_A9002_BA1_BFD6.jpg) (https://ibb.co/mwgFa8)
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 Eldorado. �grace�
Post by: Kiwi_Roy on June 04, 2018, 07:12:08 PM
If you're going to run it "as-is" change the oil very often - I mean like every 500 miles often. Elevate the front wheel so the engine sump is sloped towards the back, so it'll drain completely. Drain the oil through something like a paint strainer or cheese-cloth and look for metallic flakes.
This surprised me.

I know of two loops nearby still running the original bores, both owners are very in tune with mechanical stuff.

When I restored mine I figured out how to add a filter inside the sump thinking it would catch any flakes first time through but the piping was a bit complicated, it would be relatively simple to add a bypass filter in the connection between front and rear bearings, of course that wouldn't protect the front bearing from first time through.
The Gilardonis became available again so I scrapped that project but I still may add the bypass filter at some stage.
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 Eldorado. �grace�
Post by: Antietam Classic Cycle on June 04, 2018, 08:21:19 PM
I know of two loops nearby still running the original bores, both owners are very in tune with mechanical stuff.

Loops will run well even when very "sick". Unless those two Loops are disassembled for an inspection, the owners might not know if they're knackered or not.
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: oldmxdog61u on June 10, 2018, 11:30:01 AM
I will at least check bores.  The new bores will be a priority.
Again, appreciate the wisdom here.
Bruce
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. “grace”
Post by: Fireflyr on June 10, 2018, 02:18:23 PM
I bought my '74 Eldorado with an Ambassador 750 and 4 speed installed, and the original 850/5 speed in boxes needing a rebuild for flaked cylinders and ruined heads (chrome flaked: plugged oil pump: destroyed cam chain tensioner: threw off timing: pitted combustion chambers beyond repair). 

The Ambo engine, I was assured by the PO, was good....  When I was rebuilding the 850 I pulled the heads off the 750 to see how they looked (were new) and discovered the cylinders in that one were also missing 1/2 the chrome.  The sump was clean so the PPO sold the 750 to the PO as a rebuilt engine....  It ran great but was completely trashed.

So, I guess I respect your optimism, but these guys know what they are talking about; they will flake and cost you a ton of money.

Beautiful bike.  You have the hardest part done; the cosmetic stuff.
Title: Re: My new squeeze 1974 el dorado. �grace�
Post by: toolittletime on June 10, 2018, 05:32:21 PM
Don't take a chance riding it....toooo dangerous.   Just ship it out to me.......so my wife can have one that matches mine
Tim


(https://thumb.ibb.co/hKomA8/IMG_6993_Large.jpg) (https://ibb.co/hKomA8)