750 S3 - the recommisioning

[balvenie]

Lovely as always

[canuck750]

Thought I would throw this out there, I was not able to find the original left front brake hose and at a vintage bike club meeting a guy mentioned he took his old brake hoses to a local parts store (Gregg Distributors in Canada) and they made him new hoses while he waited.

So I took the hose I needed and the other four used ones and paid Gregg's a visit. In a coupe hours they had made me the hose I needed and five more to use on the Le Mans MK I I am going to rebuild. Worked out to about $40.00 a hose with tax.



I have bought new braided hoses for other bikes and used the DIY kits on my Eldo but for the S3 and the Le Mans I want to keep it as stock as possible. The round banjo ends are not like the factory originals but the rest of the fittings look pretty darn good.

HMB sells the replacement steel lines for the front and rear caliper to rubber hose,  including the long steel line that connects the left front brake hose to the rear splitter on the frame.

http://www.hmb-guzzi.de/shop/Brakes/Brake-Hoses---Accessories/Rigid-brake-pipe--under-fuel-tank--LM1-3--T3--LM--Cali-2-etc-.html

http://www.hmb-guzzi.de/shop/Brakes/Brake-Hoses---Accessories/Rigid-brake-pipe--rear--LM-1-3--T3--Sp-etc-.html

http://www.hmb-guzzi.de/shop/Brakes/Brake-Hoses---Accessories/Rigid-brake-pipe--front-left--T3--G5--Convert.html

[canuck750]

Time to install the wire harness, I ordered a complete main harness and the sub harness's from Gregory Bender, this is the third set I have gotten from Gregory, his workmanship and attention to detail is amazing. Every connector, wire colour and gauge are exactly as the original and each piece comes in a plastic bag labelled. If you are restoring a Guzzi, Loopframe or Tonti you must get a hold of one of these kits.





This is the headlight shell sub-harness with all new fresh multi plug connectors



I bead blasted the fuse panel to get 40 years of oxidation off the brass terminals



I coated all the terminals with a wee bit of electrical grease



It all falls into place by following the wire diagram that is in the Guzzi manual





I fitted the reproduction Stuchi seat, original fender and light bracket and a repro tail light





Waiting on the signal light parts to come back from chrome plating and exhaust retainer flanges are getting ceramic coating





Hopefully I can get it fired up by the end of July

[Zinfan]

April 5th

June 28th Amazing progress! 

[canuck750]

The exhaust collars came back from the coaters today with a lovely ceramic semi gloss black finish.



The original Silentium mufflers took a lot of work to get them presentable, not 100% concourse but pretty decent and these cut off edge (not rolled like the repops) are correct for the S3

The collars fitted



Original headers and cross over







Originally I didn't like the black Silentiums preferring the chrome pipes of the V7 Sport, I am starting to like this look more



I removed the emblem and plastic grills from the right hand side cover and went over the surface with a mild rubbing compound to get the dirt out of the paint surface then a very fine polishing compound over all surfaces





Then I cleaned the plastic grill with acetone and a clean rag, keep wetting a clean section of the rag to get the part cleaned



Now for the hold your breath part - soak the side cover in metal etch acid to get the rust out, it should not attack well bonded paint



Then take the plunge, leaving this rust on will eventually allow the part to be destroyed

 

Take some XXX steel wool in a pair of vice grips and gently rub over the rust



When the rust is dissolved wash the part with warm soapy water and thoroughly dry the part. It should come out like this



To preserve the inside of the cover I then use Tremclad black, brushed on liberally





Then to touch up the outside, let it dry

When its dry I will sand the other side with 2000 grit and then polish it again and then give it a couple coats of paste wax,

the gas tank is next

[Muzz]

I am in awe.   It truly is a work of art/labour of love.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Excellent.. rust never sleeps. 

[canuck750]

I am in awe.   It truly is a work of art/labour of love.

Thanks, its just like building a big plastic model, with a little bit more fiddling

I feel a 'responsibility' to preserve a bike as rare as this to its original build state as much as is possible. Somewhere down the road, perhaps 40 years from now, another guy or gal may have to restore it again and it would be nice to know they had an original platform to maintain for history's sake.

PS. Chuck, you are right about rust never sleeping but perhaps I can get it to take a nap I hate rust even when it's called 'patina'

Cheers

Jim

[Chuck in Indiana]

Thanks, its just like building a big plastic model, with a little bit more fiddling

I feel a 'responsibility' to preserve a bike as rare as this to its original build state as much as is possible. Somewhere down the road, perhaps 40 years from now, another guy or gal may have to restore it again and it would be nice to know they had an original platform to maintain for history's sake.

PS. Chuck, you are right about rust never sleeping but perhaps I can get it to take a nap I hate rust even when it's called 'patina'

Cheers

Jim

This.
I fool with antique airplanes. The original designers never dreamed that their creation would still be in service after 90 or so years. :) Repair, Restore, maintain original as best you can on an antique.. (thumbs up emoticon) Attaboy..

[canuck750]

90 year airplanes! amazing, you are operating under a whole other level of diligence, if the engine in a 90 year plane quits or some critical airframe component lets go someone could die, If I screw up a bike restoration the probable worst case is the buyer will just want to kill me.

[Triple Jim]

This.
I fool with antique airplanes. The original designers never dreamed that their creation would still be in service after 90 or so years. :) Repair, Restore, maintain original as best you can on an antique.. (thumbs up emoticon) Attaboy..

I'm amazed at examples like the DC3, which first took to the air in 1935, and is still in commercial use 80 years later!

[kevdog3019]

Maybe I missed it, but did you have the exhaust ceramic coated also?  If so, is that an expensive proposition?

[canuck750]

Maybe I missed it, but did you have the exhaust ceramic coated also?  If so, is that an expensive proposition?

Yep all ceramic satin black, two mufflers and two clamps about $200.00.

I think that is a very good deal for what is involved, they bead blast them inside and out, etch them and then ceramic coat and bake.

Cheers

Jim

[canuck750]

I'm amazed at examples like the DC3, which first took to the air in 1935, and is still in commercial use 80 years later!

Up north of here, well way north actually, in Yellowknife there is a whole fleet of DC3 and DC4s in service. A couple years back I was doing some work at the Yellowknife airport when a big old DC3 goes lumbering by, I grab my camera and run out of the hanger to get a picture. The airport manager I was with seemed oblivious. I exclaimed how amazing that was. The manager taps me on the shoulder to turn me around to face the opposite direction and there was a line up of 3's and 4's. Then a few seconds later a DC4 fires up and chugs down the taxi way like a steam locomotive belching out thick black exhaust as it runs up to speed. A site and sound I will probably always remember!

[Triple Jim]

A site and sound I will probably always remember

Funny story.  I'm sure you will remember it, I know I would.   

[canuck750]

I printed out all of the pictures I took during the disassembly and then checked over where I had routed the cables and wires, lots of little stuff to correct

I had the fuse box upside down, original picture



this is now correct and the wires come and go was they originally did and the tie wraps returned to original locations



I read an excellent article on Guzzi electronics 'Chasing the Circuit' that Kiwi Roy kindly sent to me, reinforced the importance of a good connection to the frame so I got out the little air sander and cleaned off the ground points and dabbed them with dialectric grease

Front right frame tab



and the rear for the diode board ground



Main harness and throttle cable route as it was



and replaced with new harness



And the throttle cables climb up over the frame rails here - I wrapped the frame with black tape like the Factory did where the steel brake line can contact the frame cross rail and I also wrapped the frame where if taking of the left carb cap screw the frame gets rubbed



Plug wires routed and I replaced the cable holder tabs with fresh ones



I also taped the frame with a wrap of electrical tape near the coils, I need to pin them around to get the high tension lead on and don't want to scrape the frame



I need some help finding one of these original Marelli coil wire caps, one is fractured and I don't have a spare, anyone got an extra one they can part with?

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

I needed a cap for a coil once and used the ones that come on an NGK plug wire splicer. Wrong color and shape, but sometimes you do what you gotta' do.

[canuck750]

I needed a cap for a coil once and used the ones that come on an NGK plug wire splicer. Wrong color and shape, but sometimes you do what you gotta' do.

Thanks Charlie, great tip!

Cheers

Jim

[canuck750]

I got serious with the paint detailing this weekend and started on the original side covers and gas tank by 1st removing the emblems and the sprung clips that retain them. I saw an episode of Wheeler / Dealer where they take a vintage Porsche in to a detail shop where they colour sand and power polish the original paint to pretty amazing results. The process is to begin with a wax remover and cleaner, then a wet block sand with 1500 frit followed by 2000 wet and then a power polish.

Here the tank has had the emblems removed and wax stripped. After the sanding is done I touch up the bare metal with a detail brush and some universal black touch up, same for the side panels.



The original shape of the side covers, heavy oxidation of the paint surface, stained and chipped and the plastic louvers are milky coloured



Here are the finished side covers, on the left are the NOS set I got from Germany.



The detailed originals, I mixed up red and orange model paint until I got what was a close match, trial and error, when the touch up dried I shot the side covers only with a light 2 part clear urethane and once dry wet sanded about 90% of the clear off and re-polished the covers. There were so many chips in the side covers that the clear top coat will seal the repairs and by wet sanding level the surface. 



This is the tank in its 'original' condition



For the tank I just did some minor touch ups and power polished it with a very fine paste and then hand rubbed it down with a sealer glaze. I did repaint the tunnel and clear coated it.



40 year old paint looks pretty damn good if I may so myself



There are still minor nicks and scratches but I am really glad I did not repaint the tank and panels.

[Aldo]

Wow, looks fantastic!!! Good work!

[guzzista]

Great job , Jim!. BTW, is the seat one of those new repops with the metal base as per the ones available from MG Cycle?. I was having the same issue with the front of the seat compressing on the back of the tank. Then again the Stucchi replica of the old Gaman did the same thing and I had to trim it as well. I got one of the Coil  end caps , PM me with info and I will pop one in the mail

[canuck750]

Great job , Jim!. BTW, is the seat one of those new repops with the metal base as per the ones available from MG Cycle?. I was having the same issue with the front of the seat compressing on the back of the tank. Then again the Stucchi replica of the old Gaman did the same thing and I had to trim it as well. I got one of the Coil  end caps , PM me with info and I will pop one in the mail

Yes the seat is a new Stuchi replica with the metal base, good quality, lousy fit! I will need to take the seat to an upholstery shop to get the foam trimmed down and the cover reformed.

Cheers

Jim

[balvenie]

"40 year old paint looks pretty damn good"

Yes

[kevdog3019]

Yep all ceramic satin black, two mufflers and two clamps about $200.00.

I think that is a very good deal for what is involved, they bead blast them inside and out, etch them and then ceramic coat and bake.

Cheers

Jim

Perfect, thanks.  Going to go that route this winter. 

[canuck750]

I bought a pair of the original Aprilia signal light on German Ebay a year ago, these were listed as NOS. They looked beautiful, great chrome, clear plastic lens and shiny screws, I never looked real close. Unfortunately the female threads were stripped on both of them and the hollow threaded stud is imperial. not metric! NOS?? maybe, perhaps some dumb ass just  fitted some studs off a Lucas light and wrecked them and they ended up on Ebay.



I drilled out the cast pot metal bodies and fitted helicoils





I made some new hollow studs from a pair of stainless steel bolts



And drilled out the stud on the lathe

Gregory Benders signal light extension kits



I had the light bracket re chromed, saved the flexible rubber boots (same ones used on the V7 Sport front brake cables)



All metal pieces other than the orange plastic lens, sprung lamp holders, very high quality signal lights, you won't find this quality of parts on new bikes



The 750S3 was arguably the last of the high end spec bikes Guzzi made before DeTomasso lowered the spec across the board.

[Cam3512]

Spectacular work Jim!  I'm in awe.

 

[canuck750]

Thanks Cam, I wanted to get it running by August and providing International Post from Germany comes through I think I will make it. As much as I try to plan in advance of what I will need to keep going there is always some obscure part I need to finish a piece off.

Our local chapter of the Canadian Vintage Motorcycle Group is hosting a summer in the park vintage display this Saturday, I was hoping I could of got the S3 down to the park as a non runner but that won't happen this year. We had a great turn out last September of 100+ bikes from a 1911 Harley single to bikes from the British, European and Japanese on display. I am doing my part to wave the Italian flag

[canuck750]

The chrome shop sent me the last of the platting, they did a nice job on the pot metal Aprilia signal light castings, many shops won't touch pot metal



Unfortunately  they did not protect the fine 3mm female threads in the cast body, it took me over two hours to carefully drill tiny holes and tap the threads back



Eventually the signal lights were done and the stems threaded into the head light shell



I had the chrome ring re-platted, the original Aprilia head light is in great shape



It finishes off the box of parts



Still waiting on HMB to send the steel brake lines and misc. rubber parts to finish the job

[Penderic]

Very Impressive Work!  Love the pics. 

[canuck750]

Thanks Pender!

I really like the look of the S3, maybe my favorite Guzzi paint schme, hopefully is runs well, looking forward to see what the difference is to the V7 Sport.

Cheers

Jim