Help with a Cali II breather.

[not-fishing]

My youngest son and I made another 1200 mile road trip to pick up a good looking 85 Cali II.  After renting a BMW GS 1150 and Suzuki Cruiser one day he and I found out we don't like BMW's in general and especially the GS 1150 I hate having to do a "Dwarf stop" (half or full dismount due to inadequate leg length) every time I come to a stop

We both loved the Suzuki Cruiser so.......

He now has a Cali II that actually ran with full bags that needs some attention.  We've both already bought the "ran when last parked" bikes and I even got the T shirt

The easy stuff like bleeding the brakes, cleaning the carbs and petcocks were done first.  We had a fair amount of experience with his V50-III resurrection.

For the first real problem I sourced the keys for the German locks on the Guzzi hard bags from England.  -- Fixed

Then there's jetting.  The main is way to big.  I bought a set Euro jets as described in Guzziology.  -- working on still in the test-n-change phase just like the V50

Then there was the incorrect K & N air filters along with the goofy brass corner hardware store special "X" fuel hose. --Fixed with the correct hose

And finally the plugged breather line.  A problem

We took the bolt out of the breather hose and zip tied a K & N breather filter only to have a cup of oil pump out of the Cali after about 15 minutes riding with much sitting at stoplights   California traffic is hell this time of year

I purchased an oil catch can to put on figuring we'll "T" it into the drain line with a bottom drain in the can.  We did pull the drain line and make sure it was clear.  I having my son pull the two lines to the frame and make sure the frame is not clogged.

Any advice on a Breather ?????

And for you old farts my son Ian is 24 with two running Guzzi's now

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

We took the bolt out of the breather hose and zip tied a K & N breather filter only to have a cup of oil pump out of the Cali after about 15 minutes riding with much sitting at stoplights   

You took the bolt out of which breather hose? There's a long "S" hose that goes from the top of the bellhousing to the frame up near the steering head. Then there's a smaller one just behind that one that originally went back to a rubber "Y" junction that slipped onto the underside of the airbox.

There's also supposed to be a check valve that slips into the pipe on the bellhousing where the long "S' hose attaches.




 

[Daniel Kalal]

I would second that question:  bolt in the breather hose?  I suspect your Cal2 does not have a stock breather system.

As an odd point of reference, in my Cal2, I had a bit of RTV from the oil drain plug (the last time I ever did that) that somehow found its way to the pressure relief valve spring (it's on the sump pan, inside) which caused a great deal of oil to get pumped out the breather.  Lucky for me, I saw the trail of oil on the street in the rear view mirror as I rode away from my house.

[not-fishing]

There's a large hose that goes from the crankcase to the large center tube behind the headtube.  Then there's a smaller hose (I figured was the drain) further down the center tube, just above the 'T", that also goes to crankcase.

There's a second smaller tube, a couple of inches closer to the headtube, above the large tube which had a bolt in it when we bought the bike.  I figured it was a breather that plugged into the stock airbox.

We took out the bolt, put a K & N breather filter on it and zip tied the filter as high as we could in the frame.

This is where the oil was coming out - you could see it pulse at idle.  At the local Chevron Station where we were doing roadside repairs

[John A]

Around that time of manufacture there was a change to the check valve that sets in the large hose fitting on the block.  The old style had a round hole that the check ball could close off.  The new style has a square hole that the check ball cannot close off.  If the check ball closes off at road speed, it pressurizes the case and forces oil backwards up the oil return until the end of that is out of the oil in the sump.  It puts a quart out the small breather drain faster than you can say “oh shit, oh dear” , covering the wife’s bike as well as her and anyone else riding behind you with your favorite crankcase oil. I don’t know if that helps but the stock breather on those work purty well except for that.  I had cylinders off before I figured that one out
I was thinking about this and think maybe it had this problem and they just plugged the drain to stop it.  It was certainly a head scratcher,  I checked every damn thing and it was all good.  It would occasionally blurt out a quart of oil,  I had the drain vented overboard, rather than into the airbox.  It started doing it after about 20 miles regularly  and as I was absent mindedly staring at my disassembled engine  it dawned on me what was happening. I felt so smart...harhar

[John A]

Did you make any progress?  Im taking a break,  were purty much froze in for the duration so Im changing oil, tires and stuff so it wont slow us down if spring comes

[Tom H]

"There's a second smaller tube, a couple of inches closer to the headtube, above the large tube which had a bolt in it when we bought the bike.  I figured it was a breather that plugged into the stock airbox."


If it's like my EVT, yes, the small hose closest to the head stock would go to the stock air box. My EVT has that small hose, a large one that goes to the case, and the oil drain (the lowest hose on the frame tube) has two hoses that go one to each head.

The bolt plugging that hose I think would not allow crankcase pressure to escape.

Good luck,
Tom

[TOMB]

 does your cal2 still have the sump  spacer they came from the factory with a Sump spacers it's about 2 in thick if it does not have one that may be part of your problem the  spacer was added to add more air volume inside the engine so it would not puke out oil and also it takes a different dipstick it still all holes 3 quarts 3 and 1/2 quarts in a total drain and fill but it's to add more air volume inside of the engine and may help your problem

TOMB

[not-fishing]

Thanks, we got the sump off and are going to make an order for parts.

I have plenty of gaskets but I'm more of a parts changer so the vent valve is going to be replaced - to be sure.

The sump spacer is present.

I convinced him to just do a temporary plastic catch bottle to make sure we've fixed the problem before he plumbs the catch can to the airbox hose.  without a drain back into the case