OK, second opinion required...

[pete roper]

With this POS Cali I've bought it's going to need a 7/33 final drive. Not just because it's going to pull a chair but also just because I think the 8/33 is stupid high even for solo use.

So I'm in a quandary. Should I try and seek out a good, original, 7/33 box off something which will ensure the gears are good quality or should I buy a set of aftermarket gears of dubious origin and quality and build myself one?

The Stucchi/LLC gears have a reputation for being a bit hit or miss. I'm loath to invest in a set that might be iffy but good, original, 7/33's seem to be like rocking horse shit!

Pete

[DAMMAG]

Just grind a tooth off the 8/33 pinion and you'll be good to go!

[Huzo]

Just grind a tooth off the 8/33 pinion and you'll be good to go!

Run the bevelbox without fluid and it'll do that for you...

[Rough Edge racing]

 Pete, I bought a high mileage well used Cali 2 to remake into a cafe bike about 6 years ago...It had  8/33 rear gears....I bought a 7/33 complete rear drive on Ebay for reasonable money....It was in very good shape and only need seals...
 You work on Guzzi's, do the rear gearsets actually wear out if not run without oil?

[little750]

This is on ebay just now
 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Moto-Guzzi-BEVEL-GEAR-7-33-T3-C2-LM-S-173546500000-GU173546500000-GU1735465-1-/132619713869

[lucian]

here's one 
https://www.ebay.com/i/272724137382?chn=ps   But personally if I had your skills, I would build it. 

[pete roper]

Building one isn't the issue. It's the quality of the gears that concerns me. Problem with the old ones is that they're old. Really old now. That means that most of them will be worn or damaged in some way.

Pete

[Kristian]

Pete, are the gears Teo Lamers sells Stucchi? Stein Dinse has'em too. /2/]https://www.stein-dinse.biz/product_info.php?products_id=640#prettyPhoto[pr_gal]/2/

Had no idea those boxes are going for USD$650 and up!

[John A]

I sure have been disappointed with the quality of the aftermarket gears I've gotten. I'd like to say to the machinist : clean your tooling and keep it sharp. It looks to me the evidence of not doing so is on the gear faces with pits and gouges that were too deep for the grinding process to take out. Tell quality assurance to actually look at the product. The best bet would be new old stock gears from the factory.

[Groover]

When it comes to gears, I'd go with what you know to be solid and durable. In this case, I think I'd opt for the good old trusted box off an old bike with reasonable wear and rebuilt it with fresh seals and bearings than to go with some mystery manufacturer gears with no record other than they work for now.

[Sheepdog]

Since you’re so handy, I would recommend rebuilding with new or used gears. Try a liquid penetrant to test the gears for flaws (such as the one offered by Magnaflux). If the gears are sound, the backlash correct, and the gear oil fresh, your new 7:33 should hold up well...even with a hack.

[gearman]

I assume that is alignment marks for assembly. I hope they use hunting tooth  gear ratios.

[n3303j]

I assume that is alignment marks for assembly. I hope they use hunting tooth  gear ratios.

33 isn't evenly divisible by 7 and 33 isn't divisible by 2 so I'd assume they would hunt.

[Wayne Orwig]

Just grind a tooth off the 8/33 pinion and you'll be good to go!

Or 1/2 a tooth off of opposite sides to even it out.
 

I have an 8/35 set that I am going to try this winter. Not sure how that will work out.

[rschrum]

My experience has been you are always better off using OEM gears if possible.

[pressureangle]

Buy the new gears, have them cryogenically treated and nitrided. Spendy but it'll put them right.