California sump spacer - Do I have one?

[Andy B]

Hi Guys,

I stripped the cali down at the weekend ready for my winter rebuild, and noticed the sump looks like its got a spacer in there?



A quick google and it kind of looks like




So... is there a spacer in there? Will it have been stock? - its a 1997 Cali 1100i... I'm now wondering, if it is a spacer that's been added, is the dipstick the correct length? does it affect oil capacity? i did a bit of reading up and found some Guzzis had a spacer from factory to stop the crank swimming in oil..?


Thanks for any insight 

Andy.

[pete roper]

All earlier engines from about '83 through to the early 2,000's had a spacer fitted. After that time the sump was finally redesigned as a one piece item with the same volume as the old sump with spacer..

As for the dipstick? It should be the right length but to find out after you've rebuilt it and got it back together just add 3.5 litres, run it for a minute or two and then see where it sits on the stick. After its run in don't add oil and see where the level stabilises after a couple of hundred kms. That's your 'Full' mark, ignore the ones on the stick.

Pete

[Wayne Orwig]

My 1994 California had a spacer.
My 2004 EV has no spacer, but has a deeper sump the same depth as the 1994 with spacer.

I was on a ride once with two identical 1998 EVs. Same color, same year. I noticed that one had a deep sump, and one had a shallow sump with the spacer. So I assume the factory finally ran out of the "old shallow sump with spacer" parts sometime in 1998.

[rocker59]

My experience:

1996 Sport 1100:  sump and spacer.

1999 Cal Bassa:  Deep Sump.

2000 Quota 1100:  Deep sump.

[Andy B]

Brilliant,  thanks guys.. puts mind at rest... had a fear that a spacer may have been put in by a PO and the dipstick not modified and have potential oil issues (I suspect a rear crank seal has gone so it came to mind it may be a cause...)

Learning something new about guzzis with every bit I take off the bike 

[twhitaker]

The oil splattering that gives you the impression you've lost a rear main is more than likely from the crankcase breather system. The most likely culprit is the hose clamp on the breather hose that goes up to the frame.

[Andy B]

It's prety oily all over to be fair, but I suspected the rear main seal as there was a definite drip of sorts under the bellhousing, and when I took the starter off at the weekend , it looks pretty oily in there too 

My old smallblock developed a gearbox input seal leak at one point, and I thought it might be the same thing, but doesnt smell of ep90... I'll find out foe sure when I split the box I guess...

[Wayne Orwig]

If you go into it deep, don't just assume the rear main.

I just found this on one I'm working on, after cleaning it, spraying it down with powder, and pressurizing the crankcase a bit.