Refurbishing a 1980 LeMans for Touring

[arbezc]

Greetings all,
I’m located in Toronto Ontario & own a 1980 LeMans II that’s been disassembled since 2008. It’s a long story but I love this bike & since I’m now semi-retired I’d hope to use it for exploring back roads & camping trips. I’ve enjoyed reading your posts & appreciate the candor & expertise on this site. Any advice on how to ensure best reliability would be much appreciated.

This LeMans has 95,000 Km (59,000 miles) on it. Routine servicing was followed; it was always reliable other than some carburation issues. The top end was disassembled in 1980. Heads, pistons & rods were removed & measured. One cylinder had slight scoring (compression was 162 & 152 PSI). Both piston skirts were also scored but measured within tolerance. All valves & rings have been replaced. One rocker pin & two tappets needed replacement.

Both the big & small ends measured just below the upper end of Guzzi’s tolerance limits. Bearing & Journal surfaces looked very good but I haven’t seen the mains. (I’m under the impression that the bottom end on these bikes is good for over 100K miles) The timing chain, tensioner & oil pump have also been replaced. The drive shaft was removed & greased 15 years ago but I’ve never seen the clutch or splines. There were no oil leaks at the time of disassembly but the bike has been sitting for over a decade. I still need to clean-up the electrical & rebuild the brakes.

My questions for you are:
•   What are the common failure points at 60,000 miles?
•   Should the bottom end be disassembled & checked?
•   Do all engines seals need replacement?
•   Should I pull the transmission & plan for a new clutch?
•   Is it advisable to have the rear drive checked?

Any ideas / pointers would be appreciated. Thanks in advance,
Charles

[Groover]

Welcome. It sounds to me you know more than I do, so take my input with a grain of salt. At that mileage, I would expect the large (maybe the small too) rear drive seal to fail once you hit the road and it gets hot. The larger one, the more prone to failing one, is easy to change. No need to open it up the rear drive. Taking the rear wheel off you should be able to change it with some patience. If anything, have a replacement on hand.

There are two types you can use:

http://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79_234&products_id=1372&zenid=dab4eabf5e23c16442174f461fc748ed

http://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79_234&products_id=2853&zenid=dab4eabf5e23c16442174f461fc748ed

Good luck.

[th_01]

If your in the area the clutch, rear main, trans input/output seals

Drain the trans see what comes out  If itis ugly go from there.

Same with rear end

The u-joint should be checked.

I'd look at carb parts for wear.  Choke plungers get hard. 

Check rubber bits for cracks

Bleed brakes
 
Check / Lube cables lever pivots
Get a spare clutch cable

Check wheel bearings

You could also upgrade charging system
https://www.euromotoelectrics.com/ 

Check shocks especially if original 

Clean all your electrical connections and coils

Clean tank if needed  and petcocks

Check ground connections

Check switches update as needed

[arbezc]

Thanks to both of you for your feedback.
I'll change what seals are accessible, change all fluids & give the electrics a good cleaning.

From experience, how reliable is the bottom end if an 850 is cared for? Even if bearings are OK are the original engine seals likely to cause trouble on a longer ride?

As I see it there's two routes: 1. Button it up, ride it & see what happens, or 2. Do a full engine & drive train rebuild now.

The bike looks good from a distance but the frame needs painting. That said, I'm more into reliability & usability than cosmetics.

Thanks again,
Charles

[Chuck in Indiana]

As I see it there's two routes: 1. Button it up, ride it & see what happens,

I'll take door number 1, Alex.. You might be surprised at how well all those old seals hold up. About the only way to find out is ride it a bit. In my experience, the most likely failure will be electrical. When going through the electrical system, have a good look at the alternator brushes, wiring connectors under the tank and at the diode board. Clean and DeOxit every connector. Take apart the switchgear and do the same.
I did a tutorial on a thread called Monza annual inspection that shows the electrical system refurb. They are the same on the Tontis.
Monza annual inspection site:wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?board=1.0
Just do a normal mechanical service including greasing splines, etc. and run it. You'll shortly see what needs to be done.. or maybe not. :)

[blackcat]

In my experience, the most likely failure will be electrical. When going through the electrical system, have a good look at the alternator brushes, wiring connectors under the tank and at the diode board. Clean and DeOxit every connector. Take apart the switchgear and do the same.

There are a lot of wires in that harness, and I would consider buying a new main harness and sub-harnesses from Greg Bender.

[arbezc]

Thanks guys,
I'll follow-up on your leads & go step by step.

I hadn't thought of a new wiring harness but the old one is looking a bit funky. It would be nice to have heated grips, a better alternator would also be useful. I guess its a matter of how far you want to go before just buying a newer version. I'm on the small side - the new stuff looks pretty massive.

I'd like to be able to take the bike on some gravel for camping. Does anyone have recommendations on touring tires for the original 18" wheels?

I appreciate your advice & will report back on I'm on the road.

Charles

[LeRoy]

Sounds like you know your bike very well. But if you find that you'd like a bit more detail, I can send you a CD with the factory manuals, period ads and brochures, helpful hints, how-to procedures, and other Guzzi-specific information on the Le Mans II/CX 100. Just send me a PM with your full name and mailing address and I'll drop one in the mail. No cost. Sent world wide.

The same offer applies to any WildGuzzi member, anywhere in the world. I also have model-specific CDs for most Tonti-frame models from the mid-70s to the late 80s/early 90s. Send me a PM with your request and full mailing details.

[chuck peterson]

I like #1...if it ain't broke don't fix it...if it runs add gas and oil, it will tell you what needs to be fixed after some time on the road. GUZZI is the one bike that'll run when it shouldn't...complete engine and crank tear down? Yeah, if i want too and can afford it, and have the tools and space...for the price of a rebuild you can find a great runner that needs nothing, especially in the EV Cali world...there is a Raceco motor and frame for sell in the classifieds, cheaper than doing it all yourself

[Stevex]

I completely rebuilt my 1980 Le Mans II a couple of years ago. It really depends how far you want to go.
I stripped down my wiring loom, cleaned it and checked every terminal for corrosion, job sorted, no worries since.
Most problems encountered were due to below standard maintenance from previous owners.
The only oil seal I had to replace was at the rear of the gear box, but a lot of chassis bearings had seen better days and the UJ was toast.

[Peter949]

Hi Charles,
 
My 84 Moto Guzzi California II has still been running well at 115,000 kilometers.  The voltage regulator was changed to an newer style from MG Cycle, and of course a new clutch cable etc ...

I live just north of Toronto, and we have a local Guzzi Club that enjoys rural rides and rallies.  Please just send me a message if you would like more information.

[Chuck in Indiana]

I rode a beater 1000 SP out to California to leave at the grandkid's place. Once I was there, I realized it *really* needed the wiring harness replaced, and I didn't have the time or place to do it. This was before Greg's excellent harness was available.

I hadn't thought of a new wiring harness but the old one is looking a bit funky.

The copper wire inside of my harness was green. (!)
Just do it.

[harrytief]

Hey Charles
I live in downtown Toronto and am currently caregiver to four plated guzzi with two more in the rafters. Your tonti LM2 is a gem and will reward whatever you do with it. The advice you get here on this forum is sound but your own circumstance determines how that advice is followed. If you enjoy the build and are capable, then the LM2 is a great bike to work your way through and the help you will get on this forum is outstanding. I like to tinker but when a bike goes on the road, I want it to stay there. When I rebuilt and reinstalled the transmission on my cx100, the rear of the engine looked dry so I left all seals and gaskets alone. Bad idea that I don't repeat. Just decide on the nature of your invovement at the start of this process. I have a small mountain of spares if that helps.
Harry

[arbezc]

Thanks for all the responses, the help on this site is excellent. I'll add your suggestions to my checklist.

Chuck your thread on the Monza is excellent - Thanks. Harry, I'm actually in Port Credit. Could I contact you if I run into issues?

While I love to tinker with mechanical things I' also running out of time to complete several projects. There's a BMW R1100S in Vancouver that is due for a major service & an early 911 in parts. The BMW is a very nice highway machine but is prone to several reliability issues. An input shaft inspection & lube takes about 16 hours. I'm leaning towards a thorough clean-up of the electrical system, a look at the clutch & brakes then a road test. I really need to control my perfectionist side or I won't get any touring in.

I serviced the drive shaft not that long ago but I've never seen the clutch or input shaft. It's likely a good idea to replace as many seals as can be reached while in there. I take it one of the rear drive seals can be replaced without disassembly. Could someone tell me which engine & transmission seals can be accessed with disassembly those units?

Thanks again,
Charles

[nick949]

Hello Charles,
    I would suggest that you tuck your CAA card in your wallet and start riding in ever increasing distance day trips out from Toronto until something either breaks (in which case call CAA) or, more likely, nothing breaks and you start to develop long-distance confidence in the bike.  I'm a great believer in the 'don't fix it if it ain't broke' adage.  Just ride!

Good luck

Nick

[acguzzi]

the tank can shed rust, plugging up the in tank filter as well as the little filter at the carb inlet banjo

[harrytief]

Charles
Yes
Harry