Does anyone know where to acquire a sump extension to suit my recently acquired (like today!) Cali 1100 vintage?
I had these on both my previous Guzzis, a G5 and a Cali III. But that was over 30 years ago! All the shops I used then have disappeared. - Anyone remember Bernie’s Spares’n’Repaire? I’m coming back to the throng after a 25 year absence and need some guidance please.
All engines in the 1100 range already have a sump extension built in and a deeper oil filter to go with it. I measured my Cali 1100ie up for an additional bolt-on sump extension to get the external oil filter again and decided it was low enough to be dangerous. It’s theoretically possible to mount the pre-1100 oil filter externally using flexible pipework, but some (I’d love to insert a string of uncouth words in here) toerag decided they needed my Cali 1100ie more than I did. I got it back but the engine never ran properly again, so I never got as far as working out how to mount an external filter.
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I think you might mean Spares GB. Bernie retired, a long time ago and was bought out by Corsa Italiano who have also since ceased trading
There are a few sources of Classic Guzzi bits around, the main ones I use are
Gutsibits
Nik Wallis (on Ebay Niks-Euro-Bits)
Stein Dinse - German
HMB Moto - German
There are others like TLM in Netherlands which I haven’t used.
Enjoy your Guzzi
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Thanks for the very prompt response.
So, if it already has the extension, perhaps that can be swapped out for the one with the external oil filter?
I found alternative sump pans on Gutsibits that would swap out the whole sump pan for one with an external filter and keep roughly the same ground clearance. But not cheap….
Regards, MAC
Cheers. Gutsibits looks likely my best option.
Regards, MAC
The extension is cast as part of the crankcases.
NB MAC is considering a sump REPLACEMENT from Gutsibits not an extension.
The old big blocks had shallow sumps and it was common to fit the extension between block and sump.
Even the Cali 1100i upto 97 had a shallow sump but came with the sump extension. I believe the deeper sump came with the EV post 97.
So MAC, if you can find older second hand parts ie shallow sump and external filter extension, you may be able to achieve your goal more cheaply.
For what its worth, you don’t change the filter that often and when you do its worth cleaning the gauze filter and the inside of the sump. You can also have a good look up inside the bores etc. So personally I don’t think it’s as useful an upgrade as it may seem.
Greasing the gaskets helps.
Ah. Now that would explain why I had an orphaned sump extension floating around in the heap of Guzzi spares up in the garage roof. Thank you for clearing that up - I was sure that the '94 on Cali 1100ie had the extension cast in. Year change duly noted!
I did 249,000 on my G5 and 150,000 on my Cali III before selling them to go to Canada. Just think how many sump gaskets I saved! Won’t be getting up to anything like that on the new one, I’m sure. But it just seems a silly arrangement to drop the sump every time. That mesh trap is great for trapping bits of rubber timing belt, like with my stupid internal cam belt Citroen C3, But there is nothing like that inside a big Guzzi. If it is catching sludge, it probably comes from excessive gasket goo on the tappet covers etc. If it is catching metal bits, you got a proper problem. A decent sized, car spec oil filter on the outside will catch all that anyway. And the car ones are 1/4 the price. And a strainer on the oil catch can, plus the magnet on the drain plug will tell the story of metal bits.
Looking up the barrels? Never did that in all those miles. That’s what a compression tester and a proper manometer style (mercury) carb balancing kit is for. If it’s loosing compression it will tell the tale.
Not that I’ve had that issue too many times with my Guzzis. Other bikes, yes. Just one broken push-rod on the G5. Broken cup on the top end while in the south of France. Local garage drilled a new cup profile in the remains of the pushrod. I put the locknut from the tappet under the rocker arm to allow the tappet to reach the new ball cup, and I rode it home!
It’s great getting all this response to a simple query about an external filter conversion. Cheers all!
Someone suggested the new deeper sumps, (which my 2008 Cali has) would not have enough ground clearance for the extension insert. If my memory serves correctly, the kit only added less than an inch. There’s loads of room for that under mine.
I’d happily use a kit from a breaker’s yard. There are no moving parts in it. Nothing to fail. So, everyone, keep your eyes and ears open when next visiting the scrappy, or just talking scrap!
Ta, MAC
One is never quite sure what experience forum members have. Clearly it’s not your first rodeo. Respect.
And I thought I was doing well with 205,000 on mine before it was stolen and torched! I still have the second rollover photos somewhere - I planned it, unlike the first time when I was in the middle of a large junction in Belfast and forgot to check when the rollover would occur.
Not that it is what you are after as it doesn’t have an external oil filter, but my Guzzi has a cast aluminium sump extension with slots through front to back that go around the oil filter and the crankshaft as it spins, it helps cool the oil. I have never seen another like it but I guess they must exist.
Best wishes Chris
One of the bikes I had had one of those sump extensions with the cooling slots through it. I think it’s a Raceco item.
You’re right.
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