'04 Cali EVT Swingarm Pivot AND Threaded Dowel ?

[Tom H]

I had to pull the swingarm today to replace a rear trans seal.

I remember there was a thread or two about how to "center/align" the swingarm. From what I remember, you would measure the thread on each side and make them even, this would center the swingarm.

On my Cali, the threads are not even. LH was showing 7.94mm and the RH was 4.23. Shoulda taken a picture before I tore it down. See the pics with the pivot's removed. On this bike the hole for the pivot is different on each side. Hummm??

The LH                                               The RH




Are all Cali Tonti type frames built this way? Or do I have an odd one?

I plan to re-assemble at the same measurements or very close. The bike only has about 19K miles on it and the bearings feel fine, so I don't think I need to adjust the pivots in anymore than they were.

Now if I would have only bought a new u-joint boot when I bought the seal, I'd be done by now

Tom

[fotoguzzi]

could you put those in slack and turn the ujoint with back wheel (trans in neutral)  to center the alignment then feel the pivot pins as they tighten to keep the ujoint in the aligned position? hard to describe but I'd do it by feel..

[rodekyll]

I'll check a few in the morning and get back with you.

[oldbike54]

I'll check a few in the morning and get back with you.

  Although the OP might not get the reference   

 Dusty

[antmanbee]

I ended up centering mine, but here is the thread where it was discussed.

http://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=86316.msg1362239#msg1362239

[Dick]

I don't own a later year EV, and am no expert on them, but I can tell you that yes the engine is off-set in frame roughly 4mm to allow for wider rear tire. I skimmed thru the article linked and didn't see that confirmed. I may have missed it. I'm pretty certain of this because I tried to install a set of lowers off a 200? EV on an early Tonti frame and found this offset to be true. You can see it by the way the frame is manufactured in pics. posted. Not saying the pins shouldn't be protruding the same, though?? I only have a set of lowers, no frame or swingarm, so I could be wrong. Good luck.

After re-reading the linked post I see that Wayne did mention the drive shaft offset. So, I guess the engine isn't?? Though the lowers are.  Wayne's quote below.

"Unlike the earlier Tonti bikes, the Cal Vin has a different u-joint setup to intentionally allow the drive shaft to be offset to the outside. That allows for slightly wider tires. The older bikes had a double u-joint more like a CV joint. It didn't allow for side to side offsets, just angular changes."

[Orange Guzzi]

An issue I ran into with using the "equal" length adjustment is a clicking sound.  Come to find out the cardan joint knuckle was rubbing inside of the swing arm.  I adjusted the swingarm off to one side and the clicking went away.  The swing arm pivots up and down much more than the amount of clearance between the swing arm bearings and the frame. The "suggestion" of measuring the pivot screw is a good starting point, not an absolute. As you know, when you re install the swingarm, there is very little clearance side to side. 

[rodekyll]

OK -- checked four jackal and even frames.  They all look like yours.  They have the boss trimmed back to the frame plate on the left side, and a protruding boss on the right.  Generalizing from other comments re: offset, I conclude that the difference is to allow the measured length method of setting the pin depth.

Hope this helps.

[Tom H]

I'll check the boss height, when added to the RH length, it may have made the pins about equal "to the frame" but not the boss. I measured to where the pin screwed in, frame LR boss RH.

Now it has me wondering, is the RH frame at the pivot machined in just a bit to allow the swingarm to move to the right?? Have to look tonight.

Tom

[Orange Guzzi]

I'll check the boss height, when added to the RH length, it may have made the pins about equal "to the frame" but not the boss. I measured to where the pin screwed in, frame LR boss RH.

Now it has me wondering, is the RH frame at the pivot machined in just a bit to allow the swingarm to move to the right?? Have to look tonight.

Tom

I think you are over concerned.  If it moves up and down freely, tighten the nut.  It cannot be out one side or the other more than a couple of millimeters at the most before the swingarm starts rubbing the frame.  Your tires are out of round and have much more run out than that.  Kinda like "how much preload" is right for a wheel bearing?  Most people just guess and reassemble. 

[Tom H]

OG, your probably right. I think the swingarm had been off before I bought the bike. So I remembered that the pins "should" be about equal. But then this boss on the RH got me thinking. Measure to the boss or the frame?

As it was seemed to be fine. All splines and U-joint all look good. Unless I find something when I put it back on, I'll just leave it as it was.

Thanks all,
Tom

[rodekyll]

As I said, the bosses are of unequal length.  The difference seems very close to the 4mm offset mentioned.  This would tell me that the measurement should be made per tradition.  But I won't argue with OG's depth of knowledge in this area.

[Tom H]

So I looked tonight.

The LH threaded boss is flush to the outside of the frame, but protrudes into the frame. The RH is about flush to the inside of the frame and protrudes to the outside.

So the swingarm is offset to the right as far as I can tell provided the frame is symmetrical  at the swingarm.

Thanks again!
Tom

[Tom H]

There is a threaded dowel (per the parts book) that threads in from the underside of the swingarm just in front of the drive shaft bearing. It looks like it might be missing.

What does it do??

I'm guessing it locks in the bearing??

Thanks again,
Tom

[Tom H]

OK, figured it out.

The Threaded Dowel is a set screw. It is installed on my swingarm. Found it once I cleaned out the hole for it.

I again guess that it somehow keeps the shaft bearing in place like the Eldo/Ambo C-clip.

Tom