Oh Luigi, now WTF?

[rustyrotor]

Sometimes it can seem that owning a Gooz is a bit like having a 19-year old redheaded bisexual girlfriend.
Erratic, and uncertain, too.

Today the bike decided to...run and shift better than ever.
And it developed a nasty metallic clatter from the LH cylinder head.
And an oil leak, from the LH cylinder head.
Bad enough to soil the rear tire/wheel, and to smoke enough at stoplights
that some guy actually put his phone down to ask me what's up.

Any chance any of this is related?
The bike is still too hot to mess with, but what is the A#1 likely culprit for the oil leak?
I'm guessing it's a hose on the inboard side.
If so what's the prob and what's the fix?
What else?

[draidt]

I posted on WG inquiring if it was the Griso so I guess it is, Looks and sounds like you lost the oil supply on the left side from the oil cooler, How long did you run the motor with this condition ? It's going to be either the left side line ,bad gasket or the banjo bolt came loose. Consideration must be given to see if valve train components were damaged from oil starvation.

[pete roper]

Possibly spat out the external welch plug too but the rattling does sound more like the oil feed coming loose and starving the top end. Doesn't sound good.

Pete

[rustyrotor]

just long enough to get home. 15 miles.

[pete roper]

So, 15 miles? 20 minutes @ 3500RPM = 70,000 crank rotations or 35,000 cycles of the motor with little or no oil supply. What do you reckon? Why didn't you park it immediately and get it towed?

Pete

[rustyrotor]

Weeel, Pete, to my little brain oil dripping = oil flowing. A loose connection or crap seal seems vastly more likely than
any drastic interruption in flow. Believe me, if I felt that was the case, it's park and tow, now.

Let's hope that's the case.

And BTW it was only noticeable as it happened in town.
At speed? Which is when it most likely got started?

Impossible to detect.

[pete roper]

Weeel, Pete, to my little brain oil dripping = oil flowing. A loose connection or crap seal seems vastly more likely than any drastic interruption in flow.

Sorry, not meaning to appear critical. It obviously shouldn't of happened. Problem is that that when you are talking about any fluid under pressure it is always going to try and escape through the path of least resistance. If the banjo has come loose while the flow may not be entirely cut off delivery to 'Where its supposed to go' is going to be substantially reduced. Given the high demand for oil at the top end that is never going to be a good thing. In any circumstance like that I'd always park up. apart from the risk of mechanical damage there is te safety issue of oiling the rear tyre and brake. Thassall.

Pete

[rustyrotor]

Hey no need for apologies. I am unashamedly grateful that you take the time to post here and do so much to
help the handicapped like myself.

You do more to make life with Guzzis workable than Guzzi ever does.

Piaggio oughta send you a check every so often.

So let me be clear. It was drip drip, not squirt spew. Of course drip drip onto the manifolds creates gouts of smoke.

I expect something minor. Ever the optimist, which is even dumber than ever the pessimist.

[pete roper]

The leak and the rattle may not be connected then.

First thing to do is lift the tank and see where the leak originates. Second thing is to lifft the rocker cover on the 'Rattley' side and check the valve clearances.

Pete