Norge oil drain tube

[blackbuell]

I posted this on Wild Goose Chase, but thought it might be useful to post here, too.

Just returned from a 1500 mile, 2-up trip on the Norge. Was looking over the bike and noticed that the oil drain tube (the transparent one with the plug) was missing. I'm relatively new to Guzzi, am a real mechanical ignoramus, and could use some help with what is probably a very minor issue.

Does this tube drain oil from the air box? How big of a deal is it that it is missing--what are the consequences of me not replacing it immediately? Is it easily replaced with materials that I could buy at a hardware store? What body work (if any) must I remove for the job?

BTW, the Norge was great on the trip. We did a 500 mile day yesterday with little difficulty or discomfort.

Thanks,

Jon

[blackbuell]

Well, I learned all about this oil-drain tube the hard way---through trial-and-error attempts at replacing it. A member on the Wild Goose Chase site equated it to "having an appendectomy through your asshole", which is a pretty good description. This is something that should take little or no effort or ingenuity, but in reality was a real pain-in-the-ass. There is absolutely no room to work under the air box and to properly thread the tube through its normal channel. Even worse is trying to put the tube onto the fitting at the bottom of the air box and then to clamp it---no room to fit tools or fingers. I had to use very long surgical forceps/clamps to complete the job.

Just in case the open fitting could suck dirty air past the air filter (as one WGC member suggested), I thought it best to replace the damn thing. If it ever happens again, I'll probably just use a wad of already-been-chewed gum to plug up the hole in the fitting.

Jon

[Biking Sailor]

Makes me wonder if I should take a peek and see if mine is still hanging around!