Quota oil spray on the rear wheel; is this an overflow?

[p6x]

Yesterday, May 10th 2025, I was doing some Motorcycle Texas tour stops.

I was already 500 miles into it, and the plan was to overnight in Gladewater;

When I got to the stop in Gladewater, I noticed the back of my Rimowa case was sprayed with oil droplets. When I looked at the final transmission. I could see it was all wet with oil, without any obvious origin. This brought back some memories, when I was looking to purchase a Quota in Boise. He did not have a rubber plug, like mine. He had installed an oil breather, connected to a long hose going through the chassis.

Anybody has any experience of this happening on final transmissions of 25 years old Guzzi? this never happened before, and my last trip was 167 miles last Sunday. However, there was something different yesterday. I rode at higher speeds, since it was the late afternoon, and the road was mostly empty in East Texas. Maybe this was the first time since the oil change that the Quota was put through its pace?

[gstallons]

is this gear oil from the rear , gear oil from the transmission or engine oi from the engine ?

[p6x]

1 hour ago, gstallons said:

is this gear oil from the rear , gear oil from the transmission or engine oi from the engine ?

I figured it had to be the final transmission, and I also found the reason...

The oil drain plug decided to go astray....

[p6x]

I rode 220 miles to home without any oil in the final drive.

Do you think I need to open it to check? or change the final transmission out of precaution?

[audiomick]

17 minutes ago, p6x said:

Do you think I need to open it to check? or change the final transmission out of precaution?

You could do either one, or just fill it back up and see if it developes any nasty noises. I dare say that if there is any serious damage in there, it will become acoustically obvious pretty quickly.

If it's broken, it's already broken, and if it's not, continuing to ride it with fresh oil will not do any damage.

Edited 16 hours ago by audiomick

[docc]

I detect a red tinge to the area. Per chance was the oil in it RedLine ShockProof Heavyweight?

[p6x]

41 minutes ago, docc said:

I detect a red tinge to the area. Per chance was the oil in it RedLine ShockProof Heavyweight?

LU REDLINE Synth Gearoil 75W90 GL5/1 says the invoice....

[p6x]

1 hour ago, audiomick said:

You could do either one, or just fill it back up and see if it developes any nasty noises. I dare say that if there is any serious damage in there, it will become acoustically obvious pretty quickly.

If it's broken, it's already broken, and if it's not, continuing to ride it with fresh oil will not do any damage.

As is, with no oil, no different noise that with oil....

To tell you the truth, the gearbox makes so much noise that it would be hard to detect a whining noise from the final transmission.

But there is a ball bearing inside that final transmission; I lost item 33 and of course 9. 26 is a ball bearing. Since I had the IMS changed on my Porsche, I have learned that some Ball Bearings are sealed, and lubricated for the duration of their lives and the IMS fails because it was not meant to be lubricated by engine oil. It is a bit of the same with the wet timing belt issue. Those belts were never designed to be immersed in engine oil.

I would not think this one is one of them. What really annoys me, is that I can't even check what type it is, because all you get is a Guzzi part number.

As you see in drawing 16, 24, 25, 26 are shims. So there is an adjustment necessary if you take the final drive apart. I would have no idea how to properly set it up.

Edited 15 hours ago by p6x

[gstallons]

Buddy , you need to go over this bike w/a fine tooth comb and tighten EVERYTHING and top off all fluids. 

[p6x]

19 minutes ago, gstallons said:

Buddy , you need to go over this bike w/a fine tooth comb and tighten EVERYTHING and top off all fluids. 

Well, I paid 1,788.18 dollars to MPH to go through the bike after I brought it here in H'town. I guess you just need to do everything yourself, which I would if I was properly equipped.

I just ordered the oil plug; since none of the usual suspects had it in stock, I widened my search and purchased one from an auto part for 30 dollars delivered.... 30 bucks for a less than 1 dollar oil drain plug.... but it is made in the USA...

[audiomick]

48 minutes ago, p6x said:

...

As you see in drawing 16, 24, 25, 26 are shims. So there is an adjustment necessary if you take the final drive apart. I would have no idea how to properly set it up.

Yes. I took the final drive from my V35 Imola to the workshop when I rebuilt it for exactly that reason. I feel it is a job that should probably be done by someone who has a bit of experience, and has a "feel" for it. And a bucket of shims to swap them in and out until it is right.

Having said that, I gather it is not actually all that difficult. The older workshop manuals explain it fairly well. For instance here, on page 93.

https://guzzitek.org/atelier/gb/1000/1000SP_G5_Atelier(F)V3.pdf

PS: I think there are also a couple of "special tools" involved.

Edited 14 hours ago by audiomick

[audiomick]

8 minutes ago, p6x said:

... but it is made in the USA...

Must be good, then, eh.

[p6x]

1 hour ago, audiomick said:

Yes. I took the final drive from my V35 Imola to the workshop when I rebuilt it for exactly that reason. I feel it is a job that should probably be done by someone who has a bit of experience, and has a "feel" for it. And a bucket of shims to swap them in and out until it is right.

Having said that, I gather it is not actually all that difficult. The older workshop manuals explain it fairly well. For instance here, on page 93.

https://guzzitek.org/atelier/gb/1000/1000SP_G5_Atelier(F)V3.pdf

PS: I think there are also a couple of "special tools" involved.

I have actually shimmed things... I have run Electrical Submersible Pumps in oil wells. You do that when the well is not eruptive, and when you want to have a better flow rate than from those horse head pumps that you see in the movies...

You assembled these pumps vertically, when you run them in hole. Since the actual assembly you run in hole is made of various elements, the first element that goes in is the electrical motor. On top of it comes the protector, and on top is the pump itself. Each of these elements have to be shimmed in order for the spline shafts to not bear the weight from the outer housing. I believe the shimming that takes place in the final drive of the Guzzi is based on the same principle.

I went through the workshop manual, and the entire procedure is extremely well explained!

For example, the torque value of the oil plugs are given, using the older metric unit mkg. 3 mkg for filler plugs, and 2.5 mkg for level and drain plugs. 25 Nm and 29 Nm respectively.

The spacing, or shimming, procedure is not described, but the principle is the same as for the ESP above. You don't want the gearing to be compressed when you torque the sides. I guess it is a trial and error job. You torque it, and check the rotation to make sure it is free to turn.

I have downloaded the manual, since it can be used for the V11.

Some of the special tools could probably be built.

[p6x]

1 hour ago, audiomick said:

Must be good, then, eh.

 

 

The Neodymium magnet makes all the difference!!!

Seriously, the Guzzi original one cost about 14 USD from the usual places. Then you need to also add the shipping. Here, they built the shipping into the price, so all in all, it's the same. The main difference, Votex has it in stock, while the others have to order it after you pay. Delivery in June! I want to fix that Quota as fast as possible.

 

Edited 12 hours ago by p6x

[docc]

If you pour something through to rinse the box through the drain hole, does any metal swarf come out that would indicate damage?