Topica Loopframe_Guzzi Archive


Subject: Re: cylinder/piston advice needed!

Author: andy hill

Date: Sep 10, 2001, 5:20 PM

Post ID: 1708183645


gary-
hi- this drive unit is the deep sump style, and it seems to go down the
road well, but lacked the power i anticipated. also, if i remove the left
sparkplug, and rotate the engine [with a wrench] with my thumb on the
sparkplug hole, there isn't enough compression to pop my thumb loose. it's a
very faint pressure @ tdc.
you were right- when i lapped the valves, only about 1/8 in. around the
outside of the valve seat was affected. the rest of the seat does not touch
the valves [it's the same for all 4 of them, in fact]. So, i ran my T-3
heads up to the machine shop for a proper grinding. shoulda done it in the
first place. the maryland rally draweth nigh!! woohoo!
thanks again,
andy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gary Cheek" <kg8-@home.com>
To: <Loopfram-@topica.com>
Sent: Monday, September 10, 2001 07:06 PM
Subject: RE: cylinder/piston advice needed!


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Of course you want the heads to be right ,but I think the main problem
you are facing is gearing. You are starting out with gearing in first
gear somwhere between 1st and second. This results in substantialy less
torque at the rear wheel in every gear ,for a given engine speed. I hope
you will try to remedy the gearing!
andy hill wrote:
 hi gary-
thanks! i have an eldo drive- the engine/trans. were ambo, tho- this
bike
was origionally put together from parts in washington state [forget the
dealer's name].
i see your point- i'm gonna have my xtra heads done right. it's almost
gotta be the prob.!!
andy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gary Cheek" <kg8-@home.com>
To: <Loopfram-@topica.com>
Sent: Monday, September 10, 2001 07:07 AM
Subject: RE: cylinder/piston advice needed!


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Are you using the 5 speed trans with the original Ambo rear drive
gearing ?

The Ambo is 4.375:1 and the Eldo 5 speed used 4.625:1 and had 100 ccs
more to boot!It also had a different primary reduction in the trans.

The 30 Lbs is a pretty large spread,but I have had folks bring bikes
into the shop with a much larger spread and they still pulled
surprisingly strong.
It is easy to break down the rig edges on the cylinder chafer when
installing the cylinders. the chafer is as rough as a file and harder
too ! Valve lapping is also easily overdone and is not really a good
practice for used valves/seats. It is for better to machine cut (IE
"KWIK WAY equipment) or grind the seats and valves. If you MUST you can
LIGHTLY lap them after machining.
The problem with lapping used seats ( ONE of the problems)and valves
is the valves usually have a worn groove from the contact with the seat
and lapping only cuts it deeper. the grooves do not seal or flow well at
all.

A cylinder leak down test as others have suggested is a good start.In
the meantime it would be nice to see valve lapping go the way of the
snow goose!

When you do get the egine sorted out you may fid the Eldo rear drive
will make a huge differnce in the way your Ambo scoots down the road.
andy hill wrote:
 hunter-
thanks- i'll run it a few more miles. seems weird- the ##'s i got are
xactly the same as the ones from the old ambo engine! [???] at least the
spiffy new 5-speed works well!
andy
'72 eldo [for real!]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Hunter Jones" <rjon-@nc.rr.com>
To: <Loopfram-@topica.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2001 05:23 PM
Subject: Re: cylinder/piston advice needed!


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Andy,

If you are reasonably sure that the valves are OK AND have run the
engine
long enough for the rings to develop some kind of positive karma in
their
new home AND the compression is nearly the same as before AND you are
not
sure of the bike's past THEN it may be possible that you have a
difference
in combustion chamber volume. There is no telling what a PO may have
done
or had done to it.
Do a leakdown test if you can to determine where and how much leakage
the
cylinders have and if they are within reason. If so then pull the heads
off
and cc them. That is measure the volume of the combustion chamber. Also
make sure that the pistons are the same and come to the same height in
the
bores.
If you don't know how to do any of this stuff I'm sure one of us can
help.

Hunter

At 04:37 PM 9/9/2001 -0400, you wrote:
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hi dave-
after getting kermit outfitted with the new engine/trans., i went out
for
a
 ride today- real nice, but the torque just wasn't there [STILL!] so i
came
back home and grabbed the compression guage. crap!!! 120lbs., left
cyl.,
 
 150
 rt.cyl........
question- i lubed the cyl. walls with a liberal dose of stp engine oil
treatment before sliding them over the pistons. is it possible that
this
 
 
 sticky stuff has prevented the rings from sealing? i was gonna assemble
them
 dry [figuring the nikisil is hard stuff & could take it] but d.
richardson
reccommended against it. i did lap the valves, so this is the only
thing
 
 
 i
can think of. if so, i guess i gotta tear it down again @#$!!%&(%!! and
hone
 [?] the cyls.???
any advice is needed& wanted, with thanks!!!!!
andy

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Gary Cheek

1971 Ambassador (I think it's sold)
1972 Eldorado Police
1974 Eldorado 4LS/Amal carb civilian

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Gary Cheek

1971 Ambassador (I think it's sold)
1972 Eldorado Police
1974 Eldorado 4LS/Amal carb civilian

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