Rusty Nipples

[WP2]

My spoke nipples on the '03 EV-T are rusted and are just ugly. Problem arose after I did a January ride and I think exposed them to the instant corrosion chemicals that out locality was testing for snow melting. one ride and a rinse down immediately after but still infected.
Chrome on the wheels and spokes is solid so I think that replacement of just the nipples is needed.
I've never done anything with motorcycle spokes and I would like to have a pro replace them for me. I have no idea who or where or the best nipples to ask for.
Any suggestions?

Thanks

Walt

[Kiwi_Roy]

Replacing them one at a time should be pretty straight forward, get yourself a spoke wrench and tighten each one till it twangs ~ as before when you tap it.

[OlDogface]

I agree with one-by-one replacement. It's not hard. If you want to practice first, find an old bicycle wheel and buy some cheap spokes and a nipple wrench from a bicycle shop (~$20 max). Replace them one by one. Aim initially for barely snug (rather than tight) then slowly start tightening them in a cross pattern until they twang. Best bet might be to do the grunt work and then take the newly respoked wheel to a bike shop for final truing.

One tip:  rub your rusty nipples with penetrating oil before you start twisting too hard.

[Tom]

Walt.....you'll have to take the tire and tube off the rim.  Just thought that I'd throw that in.

[OlDogface]

I thought about mentioning taking off the rubber before rubbing penetrating oil on the rusty nipples but I didn't want to get tossed from the flock with my fourth post.   

[canuck750]

Buchanans is the place to go to for spoke and nipple replacement. If you are not familiar with wheel rebuilding and truing I would recommend sending them the bare wheels and let the pro's do it.

Alternately you can phone them and order new spokes and nipples. They had all the specs to make me new ones for a 73 V7 Sport and fit tem to an Akront shouldered rim.


http://www.buchananspokes.com/

[Kiwi_Roy]

Buy Stainless or Brass nipples they shouldn't rust

[Wayne Orwig]

Walt.....you'll have to take the tire and tube off the rim.  Just thought that I'd throw that in.

No, it is a tubeless tire and the nipples are on the outer edge. Easy to get to, sort of.

They have a locking set screw up inside them. You need to unscrew or at least loosen, the locking set screw, then unscrew the nipple.

A few years back on my EV, I took a few at a time out of the front and back. Cleaned them with a wire brush in a Dremel, painted them black and baked the paint on. It took a week, since I was just doing a few at a time, but I had other Guzzi's to ride that winter. Not sure that the black looks all that great, but it looks better than rust. I still have the scrap of wood with a bunch of finishing nails in it that I used to hold them when painting them.

Anyway, when reinstalling, torque as normal, I do it by sound. Then tighten the locking grub screw up in the center of it.

I found a photo that I could zoom in on.

[Tom]

Hey.....thought I throw this in.  I forgot about the EV rims and the outer edge spoke/nipples. 

[Two Checks]

What are these spoke things you speak of?

[WP2]

Thanks gentlemen.
I think I'll do the one by one method as my first winter task. So little season left, they can wait til the snow falls.
I'll need to investigate the set screw thingie - they haven't been obvious to me - but, now that I know to look...
Great idea about testing the water with a bicycle wheel - I have a spare laying around.
Thanks for the input so far.

Walt

[normzone]

I found a photo that I could zoom in on.

Is that a Bassa, or did Guzzi do that plastichrome trim on other models as well ?

[Wayne Orwig]

Is that a Bassa, or did Guzzi do that plastichrome trim on other models as well ?

EV

One of the so called 'upgrades', cheesy chromium plastic.

[WP2]

Ok, I had a chance to search for the set screw...
Guess I don't know what I'm supposed to see. To me, all I see is the hex socket (rusted) but nothing else.
What am I to look for? Starting to feel a bit dense here...

Couple pics -

[Tom]

One recommendation.  Use this stuff.  Spray on.  Wire brush/dremel wire wheel then wipe off.  Leaves a layer of protection.  It's not petroleum based but will bead water off after it's used and does not wash off.

http://strongarmbrand.com/SitePages/Bikers/MotoGuzzi/index.html

[ccridr]

 WOW Walt, you scared me, when I read the header I thought you had left your wife unattended that long !

[Tom]

I have this vision of someone getting fired from the Bunny Ranch.   

[Wayne Orwig]

Ok, I had a chance to search for the set screw...
Guess I don't know what I'm supposed to see. To me, all I see is the hex socket (rusted) but nothing else.
What am I to look for? Starting to feel a bit dense here...

Part # 12.
Tiny little thing run up the center and jammed into the spoke to lock it. You can likely unscrew the nipple with the lock screw in place, but you will have trouble putting it back without loosening it a bit.

[Tom]

If you do one at a time, clean-up, you won't destabilize the whole rim.  It'll teach you the worth of your time.   

[lucian]

whatever you do, don't try naval jelly on your nipples.

[Sasquatch Jim]

whatever you do, don't try naval jelly on your nipples.

It's not good in your navel either.

[oldbike54]

whatever you do, don't try naval jelly on your nipples.

 That may be the best advice ever 

 Dusty

[Penderic]

Older Moto Guzzi wheel restoration .... good pointers on spokes ..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45s1GpRg_Jo



  You wont notice your rusty nipples as much with these on your wheels!

[Tom]

Not spokes......nipples, nipples......

[Sasquatch Jim]

What are these spoke things you speak of?

 They are things the we took off of old wheels, then screwed the nipple on backwards about 4 turns.
 We then filled it with powder from match heads and pressed a lead shotgun bb tightly into the hole.
 Hold it over a cigarette lighter until with a bang it would fire the bb almost all the way through a bar of soap.
 I went to a grade school where all the boys were juvenile delinquents.  We learned a lot of fun things that other kids never knew or tried.

[Tom]

"How to grow old while blowing things up!" 

[boatdetective]

In the boat bidness, we have "Mary Kate On & Off" cleaner. It is a very concentrated cocktail of acids (you will need a respirator). This stuff will melt away oxidation in no time.  I find it very handy for cleaning up parts. It is a thin liquid- so you might want to apply it by wetting out strips of paper towel and wrapping them around the spoke nipples. Obviously- you need to check progress to get an idea of how you are doing. Surface corrosion should take no more than several minutes.  When you are finished with a series of spokes- apply some sort of neutralizing solution like a baking soda wash.

After going through this entire chemistry project, you can progress to replacing the nipples one by one.

Then you can waste another day fighting with the tune.

Finally, you can strip it all down and send to Buchanans         ....like a coward ;)

[WP2]

Part # 12.
Tiny little thing run up the center and jammed into the spoke to lock it. You can likely unscrew the nipple with the lock screw in place, but you will have trouble putting it back without loosening it a bit.

Thanks - makes sense now.

Walt


Walt