Hi, I have an '80 T3850. Despite measuring and checking the clearances of the tappets, the left exhaust still sounds loose. Just wondering if the cam follower might be the problem. I’m pretty new to the bike so I don’t know what a typical amount of noise is but the left exhaust is definitely louder than the right. Anyone come across this problem?
Cheers. Paul.
They are generally noisy engines from the tappets. Make sure you have it set up right. Try rotating the engine (put it in second gear with the plugs out and push it along) whilst rattling the rocker arm up and down to make sure you have set it up on the correct TDC. If wrong, you will find a clearance of around an eighth of an inch at one point on the rotation.
Thanks for the reply. Method I use, find TDC with both pushrods spinnable, so both valves closed and set from there. Set to correct clearances both sides. Problem started after I’d retourqued the heads and adjusted tappets to suit. Am about to check again to see if that one’s come loose but the bike is going really well. It’s making enough noise to attract attention from people I pass!
Cheers. Paul.
Think I’ve sussed it now. I’m more used to 360 vertical twins, so failed to realise that the 2 marks painted on the alternator surround weren’t TDC and full advance marks and had set them both to only one of them, one therefore 45 deg out. I then set them to he other mark, tried it and, guess what? the problem went to the right cylinder. Just waiting or the engine to cool again and I’ll reset them then. Hopefully that will then be right and I won’t have done any damage. Doubt it though, looks really strong in there!
Cheers for your help. Paul.
I’m new to all this Guzzi stuff, but the following worked for me and my 1979 Le Mans MK II
Plugs out, crankcase flywheel bung out ( RHS) and small jack under frame member below swingarm member. This will keep the rear wheel off the ground. Bike into top gear. The flywheel is stamped D ( Right hand Cyld) and S ( Left hand Cyld ) These take some seeing but you will soon get your eye in. Grab rear tyre and “knock” the engine round and then adjust to suit. Some folk say the 8.5 thou is too much, and I have reset mine to 5 and 7.
Hi. All sorted now. You live, you learn!
Thanks for the helpful replies chaps.
Cheers. Paul.
Glad you got it sorted. Yes, you need to do one side, then move it round 90 degrees (or 270 degrees) to do the other side.
I turn the engine over with a key in the bolt on the end of the crank shaft. Make the adjustments with the piston at TDC (checked by a screwdriver down the plug hole) on the firing stroke. On all my bikes.
Advance timing, turning bike over ( Allen key Rota) compression can be felt with thumb over plug hole I then use 8mm curved air pipe to “feel” piston reach TDC. Look through flywheel inspection hole should see mark. Mine has red line PRIOR to this ie 2 degrees BFTDC the firing point. My point how much further advance is needed for modern fuel as is slower burning? Some say it’s not but most agree. Set mine about 4 degrees BFTDC however may need to be as much as 8 ?
If you have ditched the air box with ignition on you can turn distributor till master cylinder sparks then slave cylinder by point plate adjustment. Did this and checked with strobe spot on
Hope this helps regards Ratt
Has anybody found, as I have, that having set a noisy tappet (Exhaust, LH head) to the correct clearance at TDC the clearance is actually greater when checked with the inlet valve fully open? This on a V7 Special from 1971.
Yes I have noticed that. I assume the cam must be starting to come into effect at TDC. You can get a greater gap if you rotate the engine back and forth a bit.
There was a method d escribed in Gambalunga many many years ago, ICEO Inlet closing exhaust opening…
Remove the rocker covers and plugs and put the bike in top gear. Roll the bike forwards until an exhaust valve just starts to open. Without moving the bike, set the inlet tappet on the same side. Next roll the bike back till the inlet valve just starts to open. Now set the exhaust tappet for that same cylinder
Then repeat for the other side.
I use this method, leaving them slightly loose, then check again at TDC.
Hmm, I sort of get that Don, but if I do that then the clearance will be tight at TDC. Or am I miss understanding something?
Using the ICEO method seems to check the clearance at the point of maximum clearance and results in a slightly tighter gap than the book suggests when you recheck it at TDC, hence I set them a gnats whisker loose using this method. That gives the correct clearance at TDC.
The back face of the cam must be slightly eliptical and not perfectly circular.
Doing some work on a friend’s 1969 V7 Special.
Checked the Clearances today, sure enough, as expected, tighter at TDC than further round on the Cam.
Set them at the loosest point.
Never touched one before, lovely old thing!
Just out of interest, how many Steroids do you need to take to be able to get one of these onto the Centre-Stand? 
I know it sort of rolls onto it, rather than the slight lift you do on later Bikes.
Maybe there’s a ‘knack’ to it?
I don’t know if they are all the same but my 850GT loop is very easy to put onto the stand.
The little spur is only used to deploy it. Once the stand is down you need to put your foot on the end of the curved piece that touches the ground. I pull on the little loop by the swingarm pivot to lift it.
Ian
My Eldo is the same. But on the T3 I can push the stand down and it stays there whilst I get my foot on to the curved foot. On the Eldo it just springs straight back. Should have paid more attention in my ballet classes I guess.
My last T3 was a huge lift to get it up on the main stand. The bike had been lowered so it had to be lifted a lot higher. Easiest approach was to run the front wheel up onto a kerb and then try from there.
Thanks, I’ll try it when I get the Front Wheel Assembly back from the Shoe Re-liners.