Advice needed, anyone had any problems with 1100 sport i oil pump/sump baffle windage plate ?
Long story, I’ll make it as short as possible,
After a trip back the factory in 2019 got back and the big ends went, we don’t really know why but one theory is going up the mountain passes in Switzerland several times starved the oil pump of oil. Had the crank reground, new shell’s etc, also read up on oil pick up problems, answer seemed to be a Roper plate/engine baffle/windage plate, tried emailing Mr Roper the Australia guy who originally designed the plate for racing back in the day, no reply (not sure l had the right email address) but I also read stopped doing them, so I had a look on gutsibits website and they do a copy Roper plate/sump baffle, but were out of stock so I made one exactly the same out of 2mm aircraft grade alloy, which I fitted making sure all the holes lined up and gasket was not blocking any oil galleries.
When I came to start the engine ( with the rocker cover’s off) I noticed there was on oil coming through to the heads, took the Banjo bolt out from the top of the crankcase, no oil, nobody I asked could figure out why untill I rang Baldrick, I explained the situation and that no one could figure out why, he said " yea I know what that is,dry oil pump, sometimes after a rebuild the oil pump needs priming" the solution, take plugs out, take the oil filter/pressure valve assembly off, pump oil up every gallery whilst turning the engine over to get oil around the pump, put it all back together as quickly as possible to keep some oil in the pump.
Did this fantastic worked a treat, used the bike on a couple of longer trips, did about 1500 miles coming back from the Brighton speed trials the engine seized solid again, this time it appeared the crank had moved slightly destroying the front and back main bearings ( the cam followers were in a pretty bad way as well) again nobody knows why, so my engine builder sourced a good s/hand crank and bearings etc. Fitted them and gave it back to me, fitted the engine back in the bike but had the same trouble with the oil getting around again, had to do the hole procedure three times before it finally it primed the pump, put it all back together, left the rocker cover’s off started it had oil coming up to the heads put the covers on and ran it up the road a few miles, come back checked the oil level etc, all fine ( in fact it had about a pint to much in it)
The next day had a steady run down to Sammy Miller’s Italian day 120 miles there and back, the bike seemed really good no problems at all
Two days later had to take it for the mot, started okay, got a mile down the road and it seized solid again !
Took it apart and the main bearings had gone, so frustrating and expensive, we have checked all the obvious things, oil ways clear, gasket the right way around to stop any thing blocking any of the oil galleries, pressure relief valve etc
Personally I think it’s the oil pump at fault, seems to me that it shouldn’t be so awkward to get the pump primed, when it is primed it runs fine but maybe if it is left a few days the oil drainsback out of the pump, so the next time it’s started the pump isn’t primed ?
The crank is being re ground, new bearings ordered, also ordered a new up rated oil pump from Stein Dinse and a new oil switch because that doesn’t seem to work either.
So any thoughts on the original question, any one had any problems with the oil pump or baffle plate
I could write a thesis on Guzzi oil pressure issues, having spent years and much money to get a reliable solution for my race engines.
It is true that road engines can do huge mileage without issue. However, once they are run at racing revs - say 6k plus, they become very fragile. When I originally bought the race bike, the previous owner an accomplished racer, told me I would need to replace the big end shells every 2 meetings!! I wanted to race not continually fettle engines - so set about trying to solve the problem. I think those who race big block Guzzis would probably agree that fragility increases in line with performance. Anything over 100 bhp per litre at the crank makes them very fragile indeed.
To summarize much work. My race engines are both fitted with a sump spacer, windage plate, high output pump and a bespoke oil separator. Both have the oil intake galleries enlarged to 11mm. I run them with 3.5 litres of Silkolene semi synthetic 20/50. The 950 round barrel has now done serious race milage without problems. The 1100 square barrel seems to be OK so far. The round barrel is making 76 bhp at the wheel and the 1100 probably mid 90s at the wheel.
Both engines self prime from a total oil change. The 950 runs 80 psi from cold, 60 when warm and around 30 at the end of a race at 1500 rpm. The 1100 starts at 75psi, but similar when hot. Once cold again both engines give 80/75 psi. One additional point is that with needle roller valve gear, the pressure was only around 60 psi cold. This is because there is less restriction to the oil flow with the rollers compared to the standard bushes.
So a lot of background. But I think significant is that my engines both self prime. I think a good step alongside the new oil pump (chief suspect) would be to fit an oil pressure gauge and see what is happening as the engine is working.
Hope this gives you something to consider. Happy to chat if you think it might help.
Nigel
Thanks for the input Nigel, I have been thinking about a oil pressure gauge so now you have mentioned it as well I’ll fit one, what windage plate did you fit ?, someone did suggest that by fitting one it might stop the oil draining back down to the sump quickly enough, got the bearings though the post yesterday so hopefully we can get going on it and get it back on the road !
thanks again Chris.
Fitted a gutzibits plate to the centauro, (same sump arrangement) , changed the oil pump and gears for the 1100 chain/sprockets type, it’s been working fine for the last 2 years.
Did prime it, never had a problem with the oil drainage 
Hi Chris,
Pleased the thoughts were of some use.
Demon Tweeks sell a long and short extension T piece that allows you to take a feed for the pressure guage and fit the pressure switch. Demon Tweeks have a big range of oil pressure guages. I just went for a simple mechanical one.
I bent the return spout such that it deposits through and beneath the windage plate (gas gun / vice / gentle bending with tube)
There’s a school of thought that the crankshaft creates a vortices effect with the oil spinning around it. So restricting the oil dropping back into the sump and sapping power. Not sure how true it is. But if the returning oil is deposited below the windage plate it’s not a problem.
Pete Roper gave me an original one years ago for my race bike on the basis that I didn’t copy it. The other came from Bruce Rawsthorne and looks like an exact copy. Bruce is no longer supplying stuff. However I would be reasonably confident that one from Gutsibits would be OK as Guy and Bruce are mates and Bruce built Guy a very trick motor - almost certainly with a windage plate.
Very happy to chat if it helps 07702097613
Hi just a point have fitted HMB pumps to both a T3 and an Eldo 1972 also a filter plate which includes their oil pressure relief valve . They say their pumps n relief valve are cnc precision far better than original. Pump gears are helical didn’t need to prime T3 65psi hot .What I did find on the Eldo was that the pump was very slightly off square a tiny flashing on casting held it off used micrometer blue to find.
just an update, got the engine back new main bearings, crank reground and a new stein dinse uprated oil pump fitted,engine back in the bike, have also fitted a new oil pressure gauge, primed the pump as I usually do, put it all back together, turned the engine over with the plugs out and got oil up to the heads straight away ( before I had to do the hole procedure several times before I could get it to prime the pump and get oil to the heads)
started it up, sounded fine and the oil pressure when cold was about 65psi, left it ticking over for 5 minutes and the oil pressure goes down to about 35psi, when you rev the engine it picks up again to about 60psi, took it out for a 10 mile run, going along at about 2500 revs it showing about 40psi, got back with everything hot at tickover it only showing 25 psi
never had an oil pressure gauge on the bike before, does this sound about right or do I still have problems ?
Hi Chris are you the person who sent the wiring diagrams ? Anyway I have some knowledge about this if you ring I’ll explain
07788510474 regards Rog
The oil pressures sound about right area, I had a gauge on my 1200 sport, hot I got lower than 25psi at tickover
I remember going to a V-twin rally on my 1976 LM 850, on a roasting hot August bank holiday Friday, traffic congestion everywhere, every time it had to idle the oil light came on, the oil was that thin, no pressure to turn the switch off! Only happened that one occasion. Didn’t do it any harm (next owner had it apart for a check over and replace a valve guide, he said it was all fine inside otherwise).