Top End Trial Build

Then, just for fun, I tried rebuilding the top end of the right cylinder. This is purely for trial, and no gasket sealants or tightening beyond hand-tight was done.

I cleaned up all mating surfaces and placed the base gasket

Then lowered the cylinder down. Teenage son held the engine steady using a socket in the alternator screw, while I finagled the cylinder rings into the taper that leads the cylinder onto the piston

Then the valve assembly was just slid on top

and she's done.

I then disassembled all this as I'm not yet ready to torque the whole thing down. Just wanted to see how it would go together.

Alternator and Ignition Timing Rebuild

This was literally a rebuild, nothing demanding at all. This is the start, with no camshaft or alternator seal installed.

I did the camshaft first

A spark plug socket was just the right size to push this back in:

Then I did the alternator seal. No suitable washer, so a blunt piece of metal was employed to push the seal in:

No Problem!

Then the rotor was put back on, and the screw tightened:

A teenage son held the flywheel stationary while I tightened the bolt:

Then the alternator just screwed in place

Then I replaced the advance/retard mechanism to the camshaft. This locks in place with an indent on the camshaft so you can't get it wrong:

Then the retaining holder goes on. You have to open the jaws of the advance/retard mechanism to get it it clip in place:

Then just tighted the bolt. Then add the sensor for the Dyna electronic ignition. It just pushes into place:

and is retained only by overlapping washers on screws that go into the nearby posts:

Clutch Rebuild

This was pretty simple. I pushed the clutch pusher assembly into the back of the transmission, with a healthy dollop of molybdenum grease

Then spin the workpiece around, and drop the gear into the waiting bearing:  

Put the washer and lock nut on, and do it up handtight until you can't hold the gear tight by hand anymore:

The drop the clutch assembly back in temporarily:

Check the clutch rod is unobstructed before tightening anything up

Now, the old copper-washer-in-the-teeth trick prevents  rotation of the gear as the nut is torqued up:

Then indent the lock ring to prevent any rotation:

She's done! Now for the clutch mounting. Remove the old seal

and add a new one:

 Get the clutch and retaining half-ring:

Install into the clutch housing:

And drop it onto the transmission. Lock with new stainless allenheads, and turn the whole thing over:

Success! This is now ready to be attached to the engine. Note the well-deserved beer modestly hiding.

Swing Arm Bearings

Well, I thought this would involve lots of hard work and swearing, but it was very easy instead. Clearly I must have done something wrong!

I bought a Harbor Freight Blind Bearing Puller. It works really well. You have an expanding bit that is inserted into the bearing:

You then tighten it, so the jaws extend and push into the back of the bearing

When it's tight, pull the slide hammer back as hard as you can, so it hits the handle of the puller. Two pulls and out she came:

Totally blown away by the tool. Other side worked just as well. Only problem is, I now have no more blind bearings to pull! But if I ever do, I'll have the right tool for the job.

To put the new bearing in, just place it on top of the bearing receptacle:

and then rattle it into place with side-to-side motions of the flat face of a hammer like so:

End of story.

Gentle Rebuild

Ah well... rain stops bike riding in the Pacific Northwest, so back to the Guzzi rebuild I go. A lot of tidying up the garage after summer's distractions, and just some simple rebuilding to get back into the swing of things.

The gearbox went back onto the transmission housing without problem

It's now ready for the clutch to be rebuilt. The timing chest cover went back on easily too:

needs new seals for the alternator and timing shafts:

So three parallel projects here: clutch rebuild, top-end rebuild, and alternator/ignition timing rebuild. More soon!

New Seat

I had the seat remade and recoverd by Rich O'Connor of Rich's Custom Seats in Kingston, WA. Here's the finished product:

But let's start at the beginning. I turn up at Rich's to see a fine collection of bikes inside and outside his shop

I really don't like the stock seat cowl, and think the bike looks too rectangular. As I wanted a rounded bum-stop seat, Rich first made an extension to the seat pan.

He then added and removed seat foam to sculpt the seat to the idea I had in my head:

The man himself:

Rather shaky picture taken in Rich's workshop:

Better photos taken once I got it home:

I'm starting to think about tidying up the rear by removing the fender, or at least chopping it off below the frame line, and adding an LED-based license plate holder:

Look how much better it looks that the old seat, in the previous blog below. Final comment: BIG THANKS to Rich and his team in Kingston, WA. Great, great craftsmanship and service, totally recommended to anyone wanting a seat made to their specific requirements.