Older Small Block Issues?

Steering head bearings

These are similar to push bike technology, a ball race with loose ball bearings. If they are greased and tensioned properly then it is unlikely that there will be an issue. They do last for quite a while and I've never had an issue with mine but some owners insist on replacing them with a tapered bearing kit available from some suppliers. Modern small blocks come with tapered bearings so they are readily available. Just check for any notchy feel or uneven movement when the steering is moved from side to side.

Frame

The good news is there is absolutely nothing wrong with the frame and its basic design hasn't altered for decades. I am not aware of any chronic issue with the frame at all. The only reason I have mentioned it is to make you aware of a few minor differences that mean you just can't necessarily turn a V50 into a V50 Monza by clicking on a couple of body panels. Lugs and attachment points have altered depending on year and basic style. Later model frame rails bend upwards under the seat near the rear to suit the more modern styling and the sports versions like the Monza have their peg brackets welded to the frame behind the lever pivots where the V50's had the bracket welded to the lower frame rails. Many vehicle authorities have legislation and restrictions in regard to frame welding and modification that may hinder your ambitions so you have been warned.

Stand and tyres

The centre stand is generally rock solid and with normal profiles the rear tyre should clear the ground. Anything larger than standard would be difficult to fit past the swing arm and the drive due to the protrusions that extend into the cush drive fitted into the rear wheel. The bike handles well with recommended sizes and unless there is a reason, wider profiles will only slow the ability to change direction and higher profiles may cause instability if they don't allow the centre stand to take the full weight of the bike.

The side stand may be a different matter. There are a couple of different types. Some later bikes, like the GT, had the stand from big block Californias fitted. This is a very robust affair though aesthetically challenged. It is easily deployed from the saddle, protrudes far enough to be extremely stable and has a mechanism that when it settles locks it down so it can't retract if on an incline. I have one bike with this and absolutely love it but I'm not a café racer, form over function, type.

The Monza is a completely different affair. There is a small bracket welded onto the lower frame rail. It has a pivot hole, spring attachment and is shaped to stop the stand leg from going too far forward. The leg uses a pivot bolt through the hole and as can be expected wear is not far away. Not a big issue and a bit of grease every now and then will keep this to a minimum or it can have a sleeve introduced but that is really only for an extreme case. The real issue with this stand is that it is a self retracting type and quite short. If a gust of wind or a clumsy passer by moves the bike and removes the pressure the stand will retract and the rest can be imagined.

Due to its shape and location this style cannot be deployed easily from the saddle so a one legged balancing act is needed to dismount the bike. The length of it is even more of an issue depending where you live. The Italians ride down the right hand side of the road and I ride on the left, this means that when the bike is parked backed into the kerb my bike is falling down with the camber rather than up into it. This can cause an alarming angle of lean. I have extended the leg by 25 mm and welded on a small shaped protrusion so I can deploy it whilst seated. I still don't trust it 100% but it allows me to dismount easily, even when heavily loaded for touring. Then deploy the centre stand at my convenience. I have also moved the spring attachment point a bit further forward so the stand will just stay down by itself but will retract with the slightest knock. I have also done this previously with an 850 Le Mans III and I am happy with the result.

I have heard of no specific issues on the spoke wheel versions. Straight over conversion, if considered for aesthetics, isn't always a straight swap. Axle diameters can vary through the Guzzi range as do wheel bearing widths and spacers for the wheels. Differing fork diameters also come into play with regard to the spacing. Everything is possible but it may take some individual machining or sourcing different parts to achieve any change. The Guzzi spoked wheels for these earlier models are obviously designed for tubed tyres. I have read of owners sealing the spoke ends in the rim and using a tubeless tyre. Theoretically this may be possible but the method would want to be closely analysed. I have read of one supposed failure that caused a fatality but the materials reportedly used in this instance were doomed to failure. I haven't dealt with a spoked version of the small block but I would also doubt that the rims had the dipped internal profile designed for tubed tyres that prevent the tyre seperating during deflation.

The cast wheels generally give no issue unless they have been abused. They are also designed for tubed tyres but can be modified so that a tubeless tyre will work with a little bit of shaping of the valve aperture. Unfortunately the rim, though being able to seal a tubeless tyre doesn't have the internal profile designed for tubeless. I have run tubeless on these rims with no issue but if you do so then be aware they weren't designed for it. There are varying opinions on this from its fine to are you crazy. I won't comment further but at least you are aware of what you may be riding on. If you, like most, don't fit your own tyres and they are taken off into the Do Not Enter workshop out of sight then these are questions to be asked. I now use a tyre business that allows me to be present when tyres are fitted and as they know me, I'm permitted to save some money by removing the wheels myself. The only times they have had real trouble getting a bead to seat has been on the front wheels of my 2 small blocks.There is obviously just something with the profile and modern tyres that make them a bit tricky and I have witnessed them having to use a lot of pressure, clean the inside of the rim and rubber grease to get the bead to seat. In this case we replaced the over stressed tube before fitting to the bike. Once the tyre has beaded once it seems more compliant the next time.

When I purchased the GT I eventually discovered the front tyre was tubed and the rear tubeless. I have no idea why a previous owner would do this but it just shows that one should never assume.

The 16 inch wheels are specifically detailed below in the 4 valve section.

Brakes

All models that I am familiar with are fitted with the ubiquitous Brembo F05 calipers with 2 up the front and one on the rear mounted to the rear drive. The bikes use the Moto Guzzi Integral Brake System with links the rear and front left hand caliper via the rear master cylinder controlled by the right foot and the front right hand caliper being controlled by the lever with the right hand. Later bikes had a single rotor mounted on the front rear but is outside the parmeters of this older model article.

This system was revolutionary when it was introduced well before ABS and tests at the time showed it reduced stopping distance by around 25%. Many of these bikes have been de-linked due to owners not appreciating the system or being incapable of adjusting their riding to it. Too often I read threads on forums of new owners wanting information to de-link the brakes. Why they didn't purchase a Ducati or BMW escapes me but be extra careful when testing a bike that this has been done on. It is clear that many of these de-linkers have absolutely no idea about hydraulic ratios or what they are doing.

The linked circuit has a few advantages besides a shorter stopping distance. It prevents any harsh diving under brakes and allows a certain amount of braking whilst cornering. It also gives the bike good redundancy as the single hand operated brake gives considerable redundancy if a failure occurs. I've never had one or heard of one but anything is possible I guess. Dr John Wittner had a Guzzi Le Mans Racer that won the long distance GP series in 85. He actually had all 3 brakes linked to a single master cylinder. Lets face it, how many brake controls does your car have for driving? One, a pedal.

The linked brakes can be a bit tricky to bleed due to the small master cylinder, lengthy plumbing and all the dips and joins. I personally use a pressure bleeder and just a few PSI to push the fluid through. Some use a vacuum bleeder to suck it through. Both will work if done properly. Lifting the calipers overnight sometimes helps too. Use a spacer to stop the pistons from popping out and bleed in the morning. One tip I will give on the bleeding is to use clear tubing from the master cylinder to the reservoir. Ensure the tubing rises evenly without any spots that will trap air. As the lever is used air will be forced up the feed tube from the master cylinder and rise away to the reservoir. The clear tube allows you to see when it stops.

The front brake can often be bled from the top. Position the bike and steering so the hose runs uphill continually from the caliper. Squeeze the lever in and tie it back. Occassionally give the caliper and plumbing a light tap. Leave it overnight then release the lever and squeeze it a few times. The air that has travelled up the hose should vent up into the reservoir.

Some Brembo spares can be difficult to source. I've read the story of an American who purchased a master cylinder rebuid kit, fitted the piston and seals incorrectly, sued Brembo in a U.S. court and won. If you have to purchase a full master cylinder and no one will sell you a rebuid kit then from my understanding you have him and the U.S. court system to thank.

Oil leaks around barrels

There are only 5 bolts holding the barrels and heads on a small block where there a 6 on a big block. Because of this they appear to be logically more susceptible to leaking around the join. I've heard this, I've read this but I've never experienced this. From what I can ascertain it is just a few bikes that this seems to afflict. Maybe its just when the 2 matching faces are at opposite ends of their machining tolerance or if someone hasn't torqued them down evenly in the correct sequence. Most times if I find an oil leak it is one of these things: The rocker cover hasn't been torqued down properly, the gasket is damaged and been re-used anyway or the breather hose on the inside of the rocker cover is leaking. Let's not forget either that the small blocks have a smaller bore diameter so the stud spacing is closer together too.

The advantage for the small blocks over the big blocks is that the rockers don't need to be removed to access any of the studs. Remove the rocker cover and the nuts for the 2 middle studs are right there on top. All the others can be accessed with the covers on so there really isn't any excuse for not having the heads torqued properly as part of regular maintenance.

Valve stretch

You may have heard horror stories about valve failure in the small blocks. I'll deal with that a bit later in the 4-valve section but basically the 2 valve models can suffer from valve stretch. If the valves and spring tensions haven't been set up right or wear on the valve seats has allowed hot gases to escape and cause a hot spot on the stems then the valves are on limited tenure. This isn't an acute problem. I've heard of figures of 60,000 km - 80,000 km on a set of valves but I do know of one Monza that got 195,000 km on a single set of valves. Many other makes of bikes don't even get close to this mileage. From 1991 the double set of springs on the Nevada was replaced by a single outer progressive spring. As this spring is the same size as the earlier outer spring it is a recommended fix for all earlier models also but, like the 4 valve models, there isn't total agreement on this either.

Initially the valve gaps recommended for the small blocks were 0.1 mm inlet and 0.15 mm exhaust but both of these were later increased by 0.05 mm to 0.15 mm inlet and 0.2 mm exhaust. Valve gaps (rocker clearances) are there to allow for heat expansion so that when the engine is hot the valves can still shut fully. It can therefore be guessed that this increase in valve gap was introduced to stop any potential flow of hot gases over the stem thus increasing the service life.

The 2 valve bikes generally give lots of notice that the valves are stretching. The valve gaps start to close between service intervals indicating that the stems are stretching. These should be set and checked on a cold engine at TDC on the compression stroke.

Carburetors

Early bikes were fitted with VHB square slide Dellortos and later bikes with PHBH style. Both seem to work fine for the bikes but the VHB's are known for wear due to the square shape but the point I wish to make here is that it is also possible with these to insert the slide backwards. If this is done then the bike won't run. The cut away or raised lip needs to be towards the air inlet. The PHBH's have a protrusion in the carb body and a slot on the side of the slide removing this possibility.

I've only worked on PHBH fitted small blocks so I'll refer to them, but the same may be true for the earlier bikes. Many of the bikes came with 40 cutaway slides and the ones I've dealt with tend to run rich at lower throttle openings. I've found that 50 slides, as fitted to V50's, tend to overcome the plugs fouling. Jetting changes may be required but generally not drastic ones. I have 2 V65's with identical carb bodies, fitted with 50 slides, identical air filters, different exhausts and different ignition systems and they both need different main/idle/needle settings so I won't offer any specific suggestions here. Bikes of this age seem to be quite individual.

The last of the carby models were jetted very lean to comply with increasing emission standards. With standard filters and exhausts they seemed to cope but I've read that the heat range of the spark plugs was changed to one grade cooler, probably to prevent pre-ignition. Any modifications to the bike's breathing may require careful re-jetting to prevent internal damage. These bikes tended to have the digiplex ignition system that had a vacuum input from the manifolds to help prevent this also. (Refer Ignition System)

Engine breather system

Many of the bikes have had their original filter boxes removed and pod filters fitted to replace them. What a lot of owners don't understand is the breather system that is connected to the filter box.

The purpose of the breather system is to return oil condensate to the sump. Without this a Guzzi engine would eventually pump itself dry of oil. The engine has a shared journal crank so even though the pistons are 90° apart there is still a constantly changing volume under the pistons in the crank case as the engine turns. The volume under the pistons changes by about 70% of the engines displacement every revolution.

Early bikes only had a very small oil dowel (1 mm) feeding oil to the valve gear. The rest was supplied by the breather system. Oil vapour was carried up via the push rod ports to condensate on the inside of the rocker covers. This would then drain down to a ridge in the casting and there are 2 fangs that sit directly above the valves and direct the oil to fall on them. Moto Morinis of the same era used this system solely to lubricate the valve gear. On later small blocks the oil dowel was increased (3 mm) and the main oil feed is via that but the vapour system still works as long as the breather system is intact enough. Larger oil dowels were fitted from engine numbers: V35 / 24550, V50 / 25180, V65 / 1162. It is recommended that this modification is undertaken on earlier engines.

If the breather system is blocked off or restricted then the crankcase builds up pressure. This may cause the engine to leak from any of its joins and seals. At low speeds the breather will suck air in too as the pistons rise so it is a good idea to have the breather vent filtered. It originally vented into the clean, negative pressure side of the filter box. It makes me wonder if the removal or modification of the original systems and the subsequent reduction in oil condensate flow to the top end contributed to a shorter service life for the valves.

It should be noted that the breather flow is the reverse in a small block to a big block engine. The small block flows in parallel with thermal effect up the barrels and out the rocker breathers. The oil returns directly to the rear of the sump below the oil level, so it acts as a one way valve.

Sump spacer

There is a train of thought amongst some that because the small blocks only have 2 litres of oil in the sump and the later big blocks have 3 that the small blocks need more. Firstly to assist cooling and secondly to hold more oil so a low oil level won't cause an engine seizure. There are after market spacers that allow for additional oil. I have been told they hold an extra litre but I doubt this. Having looked at them and knowing the surface area of the sump I find it unlikely. Even a big block spacer holds only 0.8 litre. Neither of my bikes have one and I have no intention of getting one. The spacers I have seen have not been finned, just a smooth machined billet finish so this wouldn't increase cooling area significantly. Even if there is extra oil, without an effective surface area to help transfer heat then I can't see a significant advantage of having more hot oil.

The top surface area of a small block sump is much smaller than a big block too and the base is even corrugated to increase cooling and restrict wave action. This means the height of the oil over the screened intake is more than one might think. A rough measure and comparison to a later big block shows that the height of oil is roughly the same in both engine types and higher than the earlier big Tonti models.

The engine casings also incorporate a web that separates the crankcase from the sump. This alleviates any windage problems caused by the crank spinning in the vicinity of the oil. Big blocks are completely open in this regard and a special after market plate needs to be installed if this is thought to be an issue. This is also often touted as a reason for the sump spacer on the bigger models. It is worthy of note that Guzzi incorporated a sump spacer on the big block in the early 80's but has never seen fit to incorporate one on the small block for over 30 years. The Le Mans III, for example, came with a spacer as standard where the Le Mans I and II didn't.

My bikes have never exhibited symptoms of over heating and I live in Australia. I also think that if I didn't notice the first 2 litres of oil leaking out then what makes me think another part litre will save me? An often forgotten aspect is that many larger Japanese machines hold 3 litres of oil (Yamaha V11 as an example) but this is for both the engine and gearbox in a combined case. The Guzzis hold exactly the same if you take the gearbox into account. Considering the size and power of the engine the small blocks should have more than adequate.

If it helps you to sleep at night then spend your hard earned money, but my 1981 and 1989 bikes have coped so far without one. If one is fitted I don't know of any negatives besides a reduction in ground clearance and a lighter wallet.

Electrics

Italian motorcycle electrics have a bit of a reputation of being individual. I think that's true of any older machine that is exposed to the elelments. Guzzi handlebar switches of this era are often maligned but I have several machines, 30 years or older with original switchgear. In fact I have never had to replace any of them but I have had to repair a couple. They are tricky though due to the solder connections being held by plastic.

The wiring tends to be light weight and the switches are plastic to save weight too. If you try to run a super high power headlight or other high amp accessories the loom will naturally struggle to cope and the resulting heat generated may cause a failure. The simple and common sense solution is to use the existing circuitry as a control circuit to a relay and run a nice big fused feed direct from the positive terminal of the battery. Like any older machine corrosion may have got in and many electrical faults are due to poor earth connections to the frame, also if a previous owner has decided to powder coat it and been reluctant to remove the coating adequately for the connection.

The advantages of the guzzi switchgear is that it is transferable across virtually the whole contemporary Guzzi range with the same switches being fitted to big block models like the SP 1000 and Le Mans III. The switches go to Molex connectors that easily just plug in and out.

Ignition system

The small blocks have their ignition pick ups on the end of the camshaft under the alternator cover. Early bikes came with a twin points plate and a mechanical timing advance system. The V50II came standard with electronic ignition but this model is reported to suffer from a flat spot on acceleration so the V50III went back to the points and the flat spot disappeared. There are after market systems such as the Dyna S that suit and replace the points and condensers while still using the mechanical advance. Many owners forget that the weights and springs need to be lubricated periodically so if the bike isn't running well then worn or sticking parts here may be the cause.

There are crank fired ignition systems available that have a wasted spark on the off stroke. These tend to be more popular with those trying to get the best out of the big block models for historic racing. The big block uses a distributer unlike the small block's direct cam connected system so they have more to gain by removing any play in the system. I have heard of a few bikes burning to the ground that has been attributed to one of these systems. It appears that if excess fuel is allowed into the inlet manifold, either due to a few unsuccessful starting attempts, leaky needle valve or sticking float then if the right air/fuel mixture is present the wasted spark can cause a backfire to the air filter. In the case I know of best, the filter caught on fire being a wire mesh wrapped with oiled material, probably soaked in petrol by this time. There was nothing left to recover.

Later carburetor models from the late 80's came with the Motoplat ignition system. This is a solid state affair with twin modules, one for each cylinder. The Sessantacinque GT is fitted with this system. The Motoplat has been much maligned and the modules are expensive to replace if necessary but I've never had an issue with the one I have. It has been reported to provide a poor spark and I must admit it doesn't seem to be as bright as other machines but the bike starts and runs easily and the timing advances smoothly unlike the seemingly erratic jiggle of the mechanical system. In case of failure the twin system should allow the bike to be limped home or to some assistance too.

Swapping from an electronic system back to points may not be as simple as it sounds if that is what you have in mind. Not all camshafts are the same. There are a number of different part numbers for the bikes and I have been told that the front end may differ between the electronic advance and mechanical advance types. I've not bothered to investigate by pulling the timing chain off the bike to see. Both the V65's work fine. One with a Dyna S and the other with Motoplat.

The last of the carby models had the digiplex ignition system. This tended to be a link between the older carby models and fuel injection as the unit has a vacuum link from the inlet manifolds. This enables the sytem to adjust the timing, not only for revs but for fueling as well. I haven't dealt with one of these but I've been told that the vacuum is a retard system rather than an advance system to prevent pre-ignition with the lean fuel mixtures needed to comply with emission standards. There was an alternate connection in the unit that when activated retarded the timing by 2 degrees to allow for poor fuel. Again, I emphasise I haven't physically dealt with one of these so all this information is second hand.

Starter motor

There are a number of different brands available but basically they do the same job and look similar. Like any electrical motor it can have issues, brushes can wear and carbon can build up causing a short. Normal maintenance should prevent this but it is often forgotten until the starter complains. It is easy to diagnose due to the exterior location of the starter. Short out between the terminal for the positive feed terminal to the positive control terminal. If the starter fires its in the control circuit or relay. If not its internal, then often a firm tap on the starter helps the brushes to contact and it will work.

Some motors have the magnets glued in rather than attached by fasteners. I have known a few of these to fail due to the magnets coming loose.

After a while the starter may not get enough voltage through the control circuit into the starter relay. There is a common re-wiring of the relay to prevent this but generally if all connections and the terminals are cleaned this will also rectify the problem. I have one bike that has had the relay modification. It came to me like that. The other is standard. If the standard bike doesn't want to start I just jiggle the relay and away it goes. I clean the terminals and it is fine for another few years.

Clutch

There are 2 different clutch systems in the small blocks. I've only ever dealt with the Pittery & Violini version but both use the same style friction plate. This plate is a pressed steel affair with 2 thin sheets riveted together. There are slots in both where the cush springs are trapped. The plate is similar to that from small Fiats, a 124 to name one model. It evidently stands up to the 4 cylinder vibration fine but with the Guzzi V-twin it has a tendency to fracture the thin plates over time. This can allow the cush springs to escape. They happily fling around in there with the rider usually completely unaware of the free ride they are getting. If the bike will not start and the starter motor will not turn over then this may be the reason. If jump or push starting simply locks up the rear wheel then a part of one of these nomadic springs may have jammed the starter bendix and ring gear. Removing the starter motor will clear out the debris and allow the bike to be ridden again. Look inside and you should be able to see little specks on the inside where the spring has hit the housing. This is inconsequential but a sign that there is a spring loose. I've read that the friction plate from a Renault 4/5 will fit and is a solid affair so it should alleviate this issue. I've also read that the standard clutch for a V50III or Monza is the same as a Renault 10. I intend to try the solid option next time, depending on input spline compatibility. So if purchasing a friction plate from an automotive source I strongly suggest that the input hub is checked for compatibility to the gearbox input shaft before purchase as even V50's and V65's differ. The fracturing isn't a chronic issue in normal service though and the standard clutch should last a long time. Dave Richardson in Guzziology states that the small block clutch is simply better than the big blocks.

As an addendum to the Renault solid clutch option: I was speaking to an ex V65TT owner. He told me he had done this but the centre spline has a different longitudinal offset so some filing or grinding is needed for it to fit. He also mentioned that he had difficulty in removing any clutch lag from the system by the normal adjustments. He thought it had something to do with something springy in the centre of the clutch. With no direct experience myself I have tried to copy his comments here as closely as my memory allows.

The clutch cable has only 2 adjustments unlike the big blocks due to the routing down through the vee of the engine rather than down the outside on the RH side. A mid cable adjuster would be very difficult to access because of this. The easily accessible adjustment is at the hand lever but if it doesn't provide enough there is a grub screw and lock nut that can be adjusted in and out on the actuating lever at the rear of the box. There is very little room there to adjust so, depending on what type of grub screw has been used, a measurement may need to be taken of how much the grub screw needs to move, then if it can't be done in situ the easiest remedy is to remove the actuating lever by first unhooking the clutch cable then taking out the split and then the pivot pin.

For operation there should be a few millimeters of slack in the cable to ensure the clutch rod isn't firm up against the spring plate during normal running. If it doesn't want to shift into neutral when stationary then it is probably due to the clutch binding so the slack needs to be decreased for more deflection on the spring plate.

Gearbox noise

The small block 5-speed gearbox is a joy to use in comparison to its big block counterpart. One of its strengths is that it is comprised of straight cut gears but the disadvantage of this is that straight cut gears tend to whine. After a while, when the hardening is a bit worn the box can develop a whine at around 4-5000 RPM. I was told by a very experienced, small block mechanic that some bikes whine and others don't. He has pulled noisy gearboxes apart at the insistence of their owners only to re-assemble them again with no changes.

The main issue with the noise is that it can mask other noises that may indicate a faulty bearing or other potential problem. I have one bike that whines and another that doesn't. I find that about 30% oil stabiliser helps to quieten the whine down considerably. Later bikes were fitted with a wider 5th gear to help spread the load but from the number of reports I've read this really hasn't solved the noise issue. Straight cut gears are straight cut gears. Strong but noisy.

Some riders with some bikes have trouble getting into 1st gear especially when the bike is cold. It is just an internal alignment issue due to the bike being stationary. A little bit of motion normally helps or the following will normally solve the issue. Place some preload on the gear lever with the clutch lever pulled in, ease the clutch lever out slowly and you will feel it slip into 1st. Pull the lever in until you are ready to move off.

Oil through gearbox breather

Initially 1 litre of 80W90 was recommended for the gearbox but it was found that the oil would escape through the breather at high speeds. To remedy this Guzzi reduced the volume of oil recommended to 0.9 litres. The perceived problem with this is that the box needs a full litre to help lubricate the higher gears and it is thought that this issue may contribute to the gear whine. Evidently later gearboxes had a deflector plate to assist in oil reaching the higher working surfaces but I have never dealt with one of these. I can't see it being a great advantage though, from the number of later fuel injected small block owners also reporting the gear whine.

There is a simple fix to the oil escaping by extending the breather so that there is a hose that is run higher. Any oil then returns via gravity. The only catch is that the original breather valve holds the selector detent spring so any modification needs to be the same depth in the threaded hole. A breather can easily be made by drilling a suitable bolt and lock nut or one can be sourced by using the breather from a big block and adding the hose.

Universal joint

The small block u-joint is a single cross affair but it is integrated with the drive shaft. Because of this it is expensive to replace as a whole. Replacement crosses are available as long as the splines are in good order. Regular greasing of the splines assists in a long service life.

The U-joint rotates enclosed by the gearbox casting around the output shaft. If a U-joint ever fails it can cause carnage in the cast alloy. These can be repaired by a good alloy welder but look for damage in this area. There is a mild steel bush that can be obtained that is inserted there to help protect the casting.

The swing arm alignment is via a spacer washer on the RH side between the inside of the swing arm and the casing. The LH pin should be adjusted in until the swing arm is just firm against the casing before the RH pin is screwed in just firm. So don't get too worried if you see a slightly larger gap on the LH side to the RH but correct alignment is important to minimise stress and wear on the joint.

Rear drive

I've added this issue in as an addition to the original article as it seems to have become a subject of interest every so often. It is well covered by Dave Richardson in Guzziology with the modification described and illustrated. Basically, from about 1987 Guzzi modified the rear drive on these models to improve oil supply to the pinion bearings. An additional oilway was drilled and the shim rotated to assist oil being fed to the bearings.

There is no visual way of telling if the drive has been modified so questions will need to be asked if you are concerned.

I have one V65 that is pre 87 and one that is post. I have never needed to strip the rear drive on either, so I haven't but I have stripped rear drives for others. I have no intention of stripping the drive in the 81 model, just to drill a hole, until an obvious need arises. When this occurs, then I'll consider it. It has lasted over 30 years with its original design and I wouldn't begrudge it new bearings.