Subject: noisy valves
Author: mjon-@yahoo.com
Date: Jan 29, 2004, 3:36 PM
Post ID: 1715895965
Hi, all. I've written to this list several times
saying that I would like to lesson my valve train
racket. Now I've a little story to tell. When I bought
my 69 Ambo, I had no idea that it was anything but 100
% Ambassador. It was a basket case, and I had it all
apart, but it being my first Guzzi I did not recognize
that it was one of the early birds with some V700
parts. When I started riding it I followed all the
data specified in the factory manual for an
Ambassador.
About a year ago I mentioned on the list that I
thought it strange that the intake ports are larger
then the holes in the manifolds and gaskets. Mike
(Classic Guzzi) suggested that I probably have V700
heads, as did the earliest Ambassadors, and that I
should have the steel adaptors that the V700s came
with. He sold me a pair and I installed them. It
seemed to improve gas milage a bit, too.
Monday night I had some spare time, but was too tired
to do any school work, so I dug out Guzziology and
started re-reading any sections that I thought might
be relevant to my soon-to-begin Convert project. Near
the front of the book is a table of various
specifications. I was comparing the differences
between the old Ambo engine and the new-fangled
Convert engine (mine's a �77 - a whole �nother decade)
when I noticed - low and behold! - that the valve
clearance for the V700 heads is MUCH TIGHTER then on
the Ambo heads! I had no idea. The Ambo clearances are
.006" and .010", whereas the V700 clearances are .004"
and .006". I verified this in the factory manual. I
have been adjusting the valves way too loosely. I
imagine that would account for some of the valve
tappet noise. I sure hope I have not significantly
accelerated valve train wear. I've been doing it wrong
for 19,000 miles.
(The moral of this story: everyone go out an buy an
old Convert to fix up.)
-Mike (69 ambo, 77 vert)
=====
M.Jones, student of philosophy and religion at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
"The heart has its reasons which reason does not know." -Blaise Pascal
"With man, instinct and reason avoid each other with adversity, yet, by repudiating each other they lure each other to reach mutual correction." -Lucian Blaga