Subject: So This Is Guzzi/Patience Update
Author: Keith Ruff
Date: Oct 13, 2002, 8:26 PM
Post ID: 1711200150
Sorry for last empty post, hit the return key by accident again.
Just wanted to send a note (sorry for the length) about how in awe I am
with Guzzi owners. It all started when I called the dealer 2+ years ago
to get info on the Ambo, as well as sending an e-mail to an unknown
owner whom introduced me to this board. You all have been the greatest
with help along this long and trying journey of ownership as well as
providing a good listening ear, well eye that is, as I vomited and
vented on the board about Patience's problems. Then, the ultimate event
that still has me at home scratching me head in dis-belief, is the
offers of help I recieved to fix Patience. I especially can't thank
Andy Hill enough for taking on this project with full and total interest
in tearing her down and finding the problem. Andy drove 3+ hours to
meet me on Saturday at a truck stop 3 hours from my house (the
mid-point), in the rain, on his day off from work, to take Patience home
with him another 3+ hours in the rain, so he could work on it "free-no
labor, only parts and gas". I can't explain it, don't understand it, my
wife asks me about it and I can't explain it. The comraderie of this
small nitch group of Moto Guzzi owners, more specifically, loopframe
owners, can't be put into words. Heck, Andy wouldn't even let me buy
him lunch or coffee! I even gave me some money to cover his gas charges
plus another $150 or so to start the project, and his response was that
I didn't need to give him any money up front, and that he would probably
be bringing me back money with the bike as he didn't think it would cost
that much to fix. Amazing. He wouldn't hear of me paying him for his
services, and when I questioned him about this whole thing, how I didn't
understand why a complete stranger (other than knowing each other from
an internet BB) would offer so much free, his response was, "It's a
Guzzi thing, you'll do it too for another Guzzi owner when you know how.
Welcome to Guzzi". Welcome indeed, so glad I decided/was persuaded by
y'all to keep Patience. Indeed I plan to help out any other owner I
can.
Now, as far as Patience goes, Andy tore her apart already and the report
is excellent. Motor internals are like new, no problems could be found
other than his amazement at how new it all looked. The rear main seal
that was supposed to have been replaced by the Guzzi dealer apparantly
was not as it is leaking bad and is very hard. I had already purchased
the front main seal as that one was leaking also, and it was hard also.
One thing Andy was going to check into was relative to compression. The
left side was 155psi whereas the right side was 170 psi, both good
numbers, but why so different? He plans to check out the rings on that
left side to make sure one has not cracked. Otherwise, the only other
thing Andy could find wrong was, as a few of you already had figured, 5
of the flywheel bolts were loose and one had a head sheered off so the
flywheel was rattling around pretty good but no damage was done. So a
new main seal and new upgraded flywheel bolts appears to be the only
damage noticed thus far. Andy was going to check out the rest of the
trans also to make sure the dealer did the work correct, but thus far it
looked OK. A few new gaskets along the way and JB weld on the cam bolt
and she will be going back together. He is also going to blast the
engine/trans to clean her up. Once together, a test ride will confirm
she is OK, plus he is going to see how the front end is doing as I
believe it is a bit mushy. He said he could install some PVC spacers to
beef up the springs which will make a noticeable improvement, what a
guy!
Thank you Andy Hill for all you are doing for Patience and myself, and
thanx to the rest of you for your past advice and support.
This-is-Guzzi.........
Keith Ruff
71 Police Ambassador - NJ