V7ii oil leak

[stevet]

A couple times I've had that dipstick o-ring fall right off the dipstick while checking the oil.  Other times it has shifted around while screwing in/out.  So, I have been very careful to check that o-ring every time I pull the stick.  It seems to be a poor design.

Steve.

[Kev m]

Steve, a dab of grease really helps keep it in place.

  I'll never forget what they said- " a little oil can make a big mess.

That's a really good point. Ever see a drop of oil in water... It can spread and spread.

[mojohand]

Not at all. Color yourself fortunate. Not sure if yours is the same as my V7 Classic, but my dipstick had a tendency to loosen and spin off on its own. Make sure yours is snugged appropriately.

Geez. Yet another thing not fixed in years. My 2004 Breva 750's dipstick loosened three times. The first two times it crapped oil all over my left leg and the left side of the bike, but I was able to tighten it up. The third time...it jumped ship! Fortunately, Tom Farley's quick thinking helped me get home:


(I've posted this to the forum before)

[JeffOlson]

^ That's a great temporary fix. Classic!

[Muzz]

Geez. Yet another thing not fixed in years. My 2004 Breva 750's dipstick loosened three times. The first two times it crapped oil all over my left leg and the left side of the bike, but I was able to tighten it up. The third time...it jumped ship! Fortunately, Tom Farley's quick thinking helped me get home:


(I've posted this to the forum before)

Ok, so you've seen my sponge and upped it one stick.

[Cam3512]

I post this whenever the "disappearing dipstick" topic comes up.  Buy one of these and don't worry about it.  Easier to read oil level,  And finger tight works!

 http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=121220339329&globalID=EBAY-US

[stevet]

Dab o' grease, I can do that.  Thanks, Kev.

That temp gauge dip stick is pretty nifty, Cam.  I'm leary of sending 60 bucks to Taiwan, and then also having a "no returns" policy.  Any domestic sellers that stand behind the sale?

Steve.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Dab o' grease, I can do that.  Thanks, Kev.

That temp gauge dip stick is pretty nifty, Cam.  I'm leary of sending 60 bucks to Taiwan, and then also having a "no returns" policy.  Any domestic sellers that stand behind the sale?

Steve.

[stevet]

Ah-ha.  Thanks, Chuck.

Steve.

[sign216]

I wire my dipstick in place (top two photos). 
Know of another rider that drilled a hole, and pins it in (bottom photo).
One less thing to worry about now.

[rss29]

That Taiwan ebay seller is legit. I wouldn't hesitate to make a purchase. I ordered one of those from him-no issues with the purchase and the quality seems good. I haven't read about anyone else having problems either.

That was the only version I could find that read in F. Last I looked the MG one was Celsius only. No big deal, I guess, but I prefer F. The best part about the dipstick how easy it is to get it nice and tight using gloved fingers. Never had a problem with it coming loose.

[Muzz]

I post this whenever the "disappearing dipstick" topic comes up.  Buy one of these and don't worry about it.  Easier to read oil level,  And finger tight works!

 http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=121220339329&globalID=EBAY-US

As far as the Celsius one goes, seller has listed as "no longer available".

[Cam3512]

Dab o' grease, I can do that.  Thanks, Kev.

That temp gauge dip stick is pretty nifty, Cam.  I'm leary of sending 60 bucks to Taiwan, and then also having a "no returns" policy.  Any domestic sellers that stand behind the sale?

Steve.

No problem buying from this seller.  Think I had it in a week.  Only gripe is whatever liquid they used under the glass has slowly evaporated.  Doesn't seem to affect the reading, and seller confirmed it will not.  I wanted a stick with that read "F", not "C".  I compared the oil "low" and "high" marks with the stock stick.  Exactly the same, to include the overall length.   

[CapitalGoose]

You guys need one (or two) of these:



A little pricey for what they are, but the fit is perfect and they work VERY well.

NICE! I'm ordering one now (Fin-design, correct?)

After a weekend of riding, no leaks. I guess it was the dipstick.

I'm going to keep an eye on it just in case. Yes, it was the dealer who looked at it last. They didn't give me any issues. They replaced the whole dipstick, washer included, and had me on my way.

Thanks again, gents!

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

I post this whenever the "disappearing dipstick" topic comes up.  Buy one of these and don't worry about it.  Easier to read oil level,  And finger tight works!

 http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=121220339329&globalID=EBAY-US

$60 for a dipstick! my suspenders just snapped involuntarily!

[Chuck in Indiana]

$60 for a dipstick! my suspenders just snapped involuntarily!

Yeah, but it's for a dipstick that will tell you that your engine is running hotter than you want it to.  I'd rather be blissfully unaware..

[Muzz]

Yeah, but it's for a dipstick that will tell you that your engine is running hotter than you want it to.  I'd rather be blissfully unaware..

I'm with you on that Chuck. I know they run hot. Not knowing just HOW hot is good with me.  One good side effect is that (so far) there is no problem with mayonnaise.

[CapitalGoose]

I'm with you on that Chuck. I know they run hot. Not knowing just HOW hot is good with me.  One good side effect is that (so far) there is no problem with mayonnaise.

I was with you on this. Right up until mayonnaise.

Perhaps a newbie question, but what the heck is "mayonnaise" a euphemism for? 

[Kev m]

I was with you on this. Right up until mayonnaise.

Perhaps a newbie question, but what the heck is "mayonnaise" a euphemism for? 

Emulsified Oil.

Happens on some air-cooled motors (if they are OVER COOLED) and not brought up to a hot enough temperature on a regular basis to purge all moisture formed from condensation (heat cycles of the motor).

Basically an over-cooled motor run too short at a time in the winter could start to form this mayonnaise-like emulsified oil internally that could damage things.

I've seen it on one Harley that was incredibly abused with repeated short (read like 2-3 mile) trips in winter.

I've seen it on the inside valve covers of my old Jackal in winter (though ironically once I found it I changed some variable and it never happened again).

And I believe some big block owners in EU and AU have suffered some damage from it.

No smallblocks that I've heard of though.

[CapitalGoose]

Emulsified Oil.

Ah, interesting. Thanks Kev.

[jas67]

The real danger is if it drops off completely and you don't notice it, or it is completely out of position, then the stick can loosen in service and people have lost the dipsticks.

This happened to me with my V7R.   It made a helluva mess of the bike, my right leg and boot.    I also ended up calling my wife for a tow.

Knowing how log it can take to get Guzzi parts that aren't service items like filters, I looked around my garage to find what might fit.
It turns out a Honda CB175 dipstick fits and is the right length.    I still haven't gotten a replacement from MG.   I might just get one of those temp-gauge ones.