I have just replaced the old, failed dampers on a 1993 Spada SP3 with FAC Units. At the same time I fitted Wirth progressive springs. As the FAC dampers have 8mm rods compared with 12mm on the originals. The FAC units are also upside down compared with the originals. I have made up a floating sleeve to fit the new damper rod, but the new springs still rattle slightly.
Has anyone any similar experience or can they recommend a remedy?
Update 30 July 2015… had an experiment. Worse with Air in FAC units. Disappears with manual preload. How about oil quantity? I have had varying advice from keeping the manufacturer-specified 70cc per fork leg to an additional 20cc per fork leg. Anyone had any experience with this?
Are you sure it is the springs rattling? Had a problem with a Spada once, turned out the previous owner had not seated one of the little tabs in the base of the slider and it was floating around inside making funny rattly noises.
Interesting about the pre-load. I am using new Wirth progressive springs. When fitted to the FAC damper there is the slightest suggestion of free play, but once fitted inside the fork leg the slack is taken out. The original did not have any pre-loading, only the “adjustable” caps.
The rattle I am experiencing is not end-to-end, but side-to-side. Of course the original springs were two-piece with a collar in between that effectively centered the springs.
The parts diagrams don’t show any pre-load spacer.
Were there additional pre-load spacers on your Cali?
Had exactly the same problem on my le mans 1000:
Fitted new fac dampers and uprated wirth springs from gutsibits.
When fitted the forks sagged about 6cm and rattled going up and down.
Stripped and put together again and it was  the same.
Stripped again, rebuilt using the original 2 spring set up with some additional washers and forks are now fine.
Sent “uprated” springs back to Gutsibits who found nothing wrong with them…
I am convinced the springs are faulty.
Where did you buy your springs from? Could they be the ones I returned?
Have you resolved it?Â
No. Mine came from Deutschland (http://www.pamoto.de/ a.k.a. Peter Andersen.). Checked with Wirth and they are the correct springs.
Now assembled using slim washers and the rattle is gone. If necessary I have some Alu bar and can make up new preload spacers. Bit of a faff taking the dampers out again though
(Buying from Europe is sound at he moment given the low value of the Euro. Delivery is quick and cheap enough as well.)
Did you use the washers as shims? I tried that, it just made the spring distort terribly, not nice and straight as in the picture, and rattled even more when assembled.
Also, did you have much sag when taking bike off stand?
I have rebuilt countless Guzzi forks with never a problem. This is really annoying as I’m out of pocket with no progressive springs
Now sorted:
Bought new progressive springs from wemoto and spacers from HMB in Germany.
Fitted rubber “sleeve” over damper rod all seems good!
Nice firm front end and no rattles
(I forgot I had put air in the forks, undoing the drain plug I thought it strange there was so much resistance then the plug shot out and fork oil sprayed everywhere! I let the air out of the other fork before draining!!!)
