I mentioned in the Guzzi Fest thread how my Eldo has been fighting me since the day I bought it, with one thing after another going wrong, well it continues, the day before the Guzzi rally, I had a soft front tyre, so I limped to the local garage and topped it back up, and it has been fine for a week, and then this morning I go to fit the new battery, and the front tyre is flat, so I again go to the local garage and top it up again, and thinking it may be a faulty valve, I head out to my local bike garage and they fit a new valve for me. Hooray everything is now back to normal, and I have a fully functioning guzzi again. WRONG! I go to leave the garage, and my ignition switch has packed up! the key is hard to fit, and even harder to turn on. I finally got the bike going and back at base, now it won’t turn off, even with the key turned? So time for another new ignition switch.
Any tips on drilling the studs out Kev?
I’ve seen it go well and horribly in equal measure in the past.
Steve
Bosch specialists are pretty good on solenoids. Smithsons in Longton usually come up trumps. Sometimes the spade connectors are slightly different.
Marks AutoElectricians in Burslem do starter rebuilds and also stock loads of older/obscure parts.
Good luck
Steve
You don’t have a tyre pump at home?? 
Get access to the company’s tool room milling machine and deploy training received during craftsman apprenticeship 35 years hence.
I have had to do this a couple of times. You have to dot punch the stud as near to the centre as possible then use a small drill for a pilot hole and work up in 0.5 mm steps. If the hole is off centre when you get to the edge of the thread the hollow stud should pull out ok. Don’t drill too larger diameter hole so that the thread in the head is cut into.
Best of luck!
I have one in my lockup, but as that is twenty miles from where I am moored up, it was easier to wobble to the local garage
Cheers Chris.
I have been given a ‘scrap’ cylinder head for the Quota engine.
A previous attempt has caused a bit of damage to the fins but nothing serious.
A job for a winters afternnon!
Steve
Ah you’re a narrow boat owner?
Mine is the opposite. The key fits easy and turns even easier - I’m not even sure you couldn’t do it with a screw driver. And the keys can fall out whilst you are riding along without the bike showing any predilection for stopping. All rather disconcerting but might explain why the PO had the key ring on a coily thing you hook around the choke lever.
Rode Jug out to The Trip Out in the company of my pal with his all original V50 II on Saturday and then back on Sunday. All good. For now - the bulgy battery is still holding up.
Back on Hardley for the station run today.
Nooooooo!
I am a 1902 Dutch barge owner 
Sailing barge or motor?
Mike H is keen as he has a boat tied alongside his Ural 
It was a sailing Skutjse, but the rig disappeared before I bought the old girl, it now has a DAF 6 cylinder truck motor
like this… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZs5XhWaFs0
Sounds interesting Kev, we race 100 year old Thames sailing barges and local fishing smacks down here on the Essex estuaries. Bit slower that the Guzzi but only just
Service frenzy at Tractor Towers. The two Yamahas last week, and the Guzzi today: valve clearances, carbs balanced, new plugs, all oils changed, plus new filter. The folly of reusing old gaskets also revealed as I got an oily left leg from a leaky rocker box cover. Fortunately I had some new gaskets in the garage. Oh, and one side of the bike got a good clean as well…
Eldo ramblings…
Tyres was again soft today, so puncture, not as I thought the valve core.
Then disconnected the new battery, and checked the static voltage, a nice healthy 13v, so no drain down anywhere apparently.
Next I pulled the ignition switch and managed to squeeze some red rubber grease into the mechanics, and got it all freed up again, so pending a new tube in the tyre we are all back up and running.
Did a bit of work on the Stornello the other day. Fitted a new float in the carb and it no longer drips fuel all over the place when left for more than 5 minutes, then I took a sneaky ride up and down the Cul-de-sac at the back of the house. A bit closer to being ready for inspection, registration and hitting the highway, just an annoying oil leak from the primary to fix. The old paper gasket had been folded up in a bag for 50 years and so it weeps from the cover.
Couple of hours off yesterday evening so into the garage to refit the NTX750 carbs.
Hot air gun is invaluable for easing on the carb rubbers and GT85 spray.
Lesson of the day. Carb inlets are sided and marked S and D. The carbs won’t fit if they’re reversed.
Awaiting arrival of fork lowers.
Small steps…
Steve
Stripped spokes from wheels and sent front hub and bearing carriers to powder coaters. rims and rear drum cleaned up and in the process of polishing (outside of rear hub not inside of drum!) Waiting for front hub to send all up to Anglia Wheels (Derek Yorkes’ old company, he has now retired) for re-lacing. Now the temperature has dropped I am now back in the workshop and the rebuild has re-started
As regards carb rubbers or indeed most rubber items that have perhaps become a little less compliant with age (or just plain tight) - boil a kettle and submerse the rubber for a couple of minutes. Quickly dry and fit.
Works well most times.
Nigel
PS be careful not to use kitchen containers for this if you want to avoid your spouse having a hissy fit!!