Side cover bottom pin repair

Moto Guzzi V700, V7 Special, Ambassador, 850 GT, 850 GT California, Eldorado, and 850 California Police models

Created: 2013 February 25

Updated: 2016 August 23

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Thanks to Charlie Mullendore of Antietam Classic Cycle for providing the following information on the old Yahoo! Loopframe_Guzzi news group (which has now moved to Groups.io).

Battery cover pin alternative 1 - steel rod welded to steel tab.
Photo courtesy of Charlie Mullendore of Antietam Classic Cycle.

Battery cover pin alternative 2 - one piece, cut out and bent.
Photo courtesy of Charlie Mullendore of Antietam Classic Cycle.

Installed. Could be riveted in place as well.
Photo courtesy of Charlie Mullendore of Antietam Classic Cycle.

Only visible from below.
Photo courtesy of Charlie Mullendore of Antietam Classic Cycle.

Thanks to Paul Hanks for sending me this information via e-mail. In Paul's own words:

My battery box cover had one pin corroded off. I used a piece of 4 mm all thread (SS) and nylocks. It's not for a purist but it will get the job done. My wife has since painted it black.

Personally, I like Paul's solution. In my experience, JB Weld never works to hold a new pin in place. Paul's method is unobtrusive and permits him to keep the original patina as long as he wishes to do so. Should a repaint ever be needed, the rusted area and drilled hole are very easily repaired to as original condition. Nice.

To prevent any abrasion damage, a person could slip a length of small diameter vacuum hose tubing over the threads - particularly the horizontal portion that does not fit inside the protective grommet of the battery tray.

Replacing a broken bottom pin on a side cover.
Photo courtesy of Paul Hanks.