600 Mile Service

[JCD]

If this has already been covered, please forvive the redundancy! I just hit the 600 mile marker on my V7 Classic. the "Maint" message comes on at start up. I have wrestled with getting a service manual and owners manual from my selling dealer (which is 300 miles away) with no results. Not a big deal...yet. I own an automotive repair shop and have plenty of access to anything I need to service any one of my bikes. What I want to confirm is what the dealer would do for me @ 600 miles since I may wind up doing all myself. I would assume:

Oil and filter change
Gearbox oil service
Final drive oil service
Fork oil service
Valve adjustment
And on that vavle adjustment, do you guys break the head bolts just loose then make the adjustments? I've heard different versions of the adjustment on these bikes.

In addition to the above, I'd imagine they'd run through all of the yellow tagged nuts and bolts for proper torque.
Am I missing anything?
Cheers
JCD

 

[Moto Fugazzi]

That's what my local dealer all did to my bike, plus a new set of plugs. The brake fluid was also dark, so that was changed as well. He re-torqued the head bolts as well BEFORE doing the valve adjustments. I believe he broke loose and torqued each head bolt one at a time if I remember correctly. Don't remember if there's 4 or 6 bolts (it's my dealers job to remember that info).
Make sure you keep all of your receipts. I would also get a few sets of valve cover gaskets as well. Any dealer should have them, otherwise www.mgcycle.com stocks them. As long as it's under warranty, use the factory recommended fluids. 10W60 for the engine oil.
Heres a link to the manuals: https://www.guzzitech.com/downloads/ca ... assic.html
I think to get rid of the "maint" you hold down both silver buttons on the dash while turning the key on. The maint should be gone next time the bike is turned on.
Hope this helps.

 

[draidt]

Skip the Fork oil change and wait until 10K or so.

Re torquing the heads is important on a Small Block, There are 4 bolts 2 on the out side under the rubber bumpy thingies they are Socket head M8 bolts and should be re torqued to 21-22 ft lb. The other bolts M10's are under the valve cover and they are the one's holding the rocker shaft on as well as being the head bolts, torque to 31-32 Ft Lb.

Break them loose first and re tighten in a criss-cross pattern. Then perform valve adjustment. Remember all this has to be done on a stone cold motor as leave it sit over night.

Grade of oil is very important as these little gems run hot. 10W60 Full Syn. When you order the oil filter order the "O" ring that goes on the filter trap door and replace. Do not over tighten the trap door bolt manual says 18 ft lb. DO not use a torque wrench on it. best left in the tool box situation as is the valve cover bolts make em snug. Do order valve cover gaskets as the factory ones are crap and odds are will break when pulling off the covers. When tightening the oil dip stick do make it good and tight.

Hope this helps.

 

[john zibell]

Grade of oil is very important as these little gems run hot. 10W60 Full Syn.

How did we ever run these small blocks before 10W60 synthetic?

Of note, these small blocks are notorious for using oil. If you run synthetic from the start, the rings may never seat. In the one I had (750 Breva), I ran Castrol 20W50 (3K change interval) until she stopped using oil, then switched over to a fully synthetic. Heat isn't as critical in the small blocks as it is in the 4 valve bikes.

You do want to get a VDSTS to keep her in tune. Get the version for the 15RC. You can order one from Todd, see the Store Tab at the top of the page and read through the VDSTS thread https://www.guzzitech.com/forum/160/1676.html for how to use it. On these small engines keeping the throttle bodies in sync gives a noticeable improvement in performance.

 

[rossw]

Grade of oil is very important as these little gems run hot. 10W60 Full Syn.

How did we ever run these small blocks before 10W60 synthetic?

Of note, these small blocks are notorious for using oil. If you run synthetic from the start, the rings may never seat. In the one I had (750 Breva), I ran Castrol 20W50 (3K change interval) until she stopped using oil, then switched over to a fully synthetic. Heat isn't as critical in the small blocks as it is in the 4 valve bikes.

You do want to get a VDSTS to keep her in tune. Get the version for the 15RC. You can order one from Todd, see the Store Tab at the top of the page and read through the VDSTS thread https://www.guzzitech.com/forum/160/1676.html for how to use it. On these small engines keeping the throttle bodies in sync gives a noticeable improvement in performance.

I use the officially alternative 15W/50 because it's possible to get. I live in a warmish climate so the 10W is not really necessary.

 

[JCD]

Thanks all for the advice. I am told my service manual is in the mail along with my owners manual. I will keep all receipts and probably do one better-- I'll just open up a service order on my bike from my own shop and keep it as evidence of the 600 mile service, should any warranty issues come up. Any issues that is besides my now badly distorted tank! :x

 

[Holt]

Grade of oil is very important as these little gems run hot. 10W60 Full Syn.

How did we ever run these small blocks before 10W60 synthetic?

Of note, these small blocks are notorious for using oil. If you run synthetic from the start, the rings may never seat. In the one I had (750 Breva), I ran Castrol 20W50 (3K change interval) until she stopped using oil, then switched over to a fully synthetic. Heat isn't as critical in the small blocks as it is in the 4 valve bikes.

I use the officially alternative 15W/50 because it's possible to get. I live in a warmish climate so the 10W is not really necessary.

You probably didn't, as the 10W-60 came with the EFI-models.
And for once I will have to raise objections to Johns expertise; the EFI smallblocks runs very very hot. I have NEVER seen the thermometer be lower than 120*C when running on cold days, and it will regularly show more than 140*C summertime. Not many oils can withstand those temperatures over time. These temperatures MAY be caused by my driving, but I wouldn't put a bet on that.

Also I checked the thermometer against known temperatures. It shows correct temperature.

I did use a 10W-50 for some time; it had a funny texture and an unhealthy color then drained, so I changed for the better alternative. Also I don't consider the cost of a premium motor oil as the heaviest burden of expenses for driving the Breva. :dry:

 

[john zibell]

Holt,

I've found that Mobile1 15W50 holds up well in the small blocks and the 2 valve EFI bikes (I had access to an oil analysis lab). I would run the 10W60 in the 4 valve bikes unless the Mobile1 15W50 is tested and shown to be good.

I think you will find the temperatures up in the small block sump due to the low oil capacity and lack of sump cooling. You do want to get the oil well above the boiling point to vapor off contaminants. That 140 (284 F) is a bit high, I like to see oil reach about 240 to 260 F (115 to 127 C) but the 140 is below the temperature that will degrade a fully synthetic 15W50 which is above 300 F or 149 C. If you are seeing the high temperatures I can see your preference for 10W60, but the jury is still out on which oil 15W50 or 10W60 maintains viscosity better over time. I've seen reports (shown on this forum) that indicate the 10W60 oil viscosity will drop lower (get thinner) than a 15W50 oil viscosity exposed to the same conditions.

 

[Holt]

John;

I do have the sumpspacer mounted since many years, allowing that extra liter of oil. It doesn't seem to add much - maybe a centigrade or two - to cooling, even though it lower the oil tray so it will be free of the 750 Breva bottom plastic fairing and thus be right into the slipstream. The sumpspacer mostly gives me safety against running dry of oil when running down a EU freeway where the SB do consume quite a lot of oil in the 140 KMH area at high summer outside temperatures.
Is the thickness of the oil really the issue? AFAK the real question is if the oil is capable of keeping an intact lubrication film all over the temperature range, without turning into resin. Modern vehicles also generally seems to prefer thinner oils (my cars will use a 0W30 oil all year) to lower internal losses.
There may be other oils out there capable of withstanding the shown high temperatures; as I don't know where to find Mobil over here, I'll stick to the accessible high quality ester-based 10W60s, as I do rely on them.

 

[Perazzimx14]

If this has already been covered, please forvive the redundancy! I just hit the 600 mile marker on my V7 Classic. the "Maint" message comes on at start up. I have wrestled with getting a service manual and owners manual from my selling dealer (which is 300 miles away) with no results. Not a big deal...yet. I own an automotive repair shop and have plenty of access to anything I need to service any one of my bikes. What I want to confirm is what the dealer would do for me @ 600 miles since I may wind up doing all myself. I would assume:

Oil and filter change
Gearbox oil service
Final drive oil service
Fork oil service
Valve adjustment
And on that vavle adjustment, do you guys break the head bolts just loose then make the adjustments? I've heard different versions of the adjustment on these bikes.

In addition to the above, I'd imagine they'd run through all of the yellow tagged nuts and bolts for proper torque.
Am I missing anything?
Cheers
JCD

If memory serves the alternator belt tension is also to be checked along with the steeing head bearings on the 1st service.

 

[john zibell]

If memory serves the alternator belt tension is also to be checked along with the steeing head bearings on the 1st service.

There is no alternator belt on the small blocks, you are thinking of the CARC bikes. The alternator on small blocks is mounted directly to the crankshaft.

 

[sign216]

If memory serves the alternator belt tension is also to be checked along with the steeing head bearings on the 1st service.

There is no alternator belt on the small blocks, you are thinking of the CARC bikes. The alternator on small blocks is mounted directly to the crankshaft.

Yea, the smallblocks have an old-fashioned design for the alternator. Like using the "flat" Heron heads, the engines use designs of 50 years ago.

But that's why I love them! It goes with the whole "less is more" philosophy.

Joe