Fri., 15 July, 2011 I finally got the flywheel off the crankshaft of my Dondolino. My friend Erik Green, proprietor of Works Engineering in Brooklyn, had a proper hardened 5/8 X 18 bolt from a puller that we used in the tool Jerry Kimberlin had made to thread into the flywheel hub. We hit it with two different pneumatic impact guns he had and it didn't budge. We heated it with the oxy-acetalyne torch: nothing. While periodically shocking the flywheel with a hammer, we used a 1/2" breaker bar and a 36mm box wrench with long pipes over each and pulled on them until we broke off the bolt. So, we removed the puller tool and set the whole driveside crankcase half, flywheel and crankshaft up in a 150 ton press. This involved stacking up a bunch of spacers under the flywheel, which touched the flywheel on it's perimeter at not quite 180 degrees. Definitely not the ideal setup. We pressed on the end of the crank and, I swear, one could see the flywheel flex. Finally, when I was sure the flywheel was going to break, it let go with a tremendous bang and the crankshaft ejected downward. Amazingly, nothing seemed to be damaged any more. The tapers of the crank and flywheel aren't that bad and I'm sure can be lapped. It looks like it's going to be a bit of a challenge to get the sheared key out of the crank and I'll have to check that the crank's not twisted, but I think it all can be used again. I'm really impressed with the strength of the flywheel. I can't say I recommend this method, but it did work and nothing (and no one) was hurt, proving once again that brute force and ignorance made this country great.

10 July, 2011 While I still haven't got the flywheel off the crankshaft even with an improved puller, I decided to pull the motor out of the frame and split the cases. I thought this would make it more portable and give me access to the crank to maybe try to cool it while I heated the flywheel. It appears that the gearbox is fine and I can't see anything wrong with the crankshaft other than it's welded to the flywheel. The crankcases don't look too bad and I think they're worth trying to weld and re-machine. In the photo of the drive side crankcase with the broken rod, you can see the big aluminum ring and the extended cyl. studs that thread into it. This was done sometime in the distant past to repair a crack in the case. In the photo of the timing side case, you can see the front, upper case bolt that took a direct hit from the broken rod. I've since cut, ground, and drilled this out of the case.

6/26/2011 I finally started taking the Dondolino apart after blowing it up at Grattan last Sunday. I firmly adhere to the school that believes things alway could be worse and this blowup confirms this. The cyl. head looks fine. The crankshaft maybe OK. I couldn't get the flywheel off using the same technique I've used several times before, both on this motor and my Airone. That make me think the flywheel spun on the crank and sheared the key when the motor stopped spinning suddenly. I suspect the gearbox is OK, but I won't know for sure until I get the flywheel off. At minimum, I need a piston, rod, cyl. liner, a new magneto armature, and lots of welding on the crankcases. This is the risk we take when we put them on the race track.

6/21/11 the Summer Solstice The AHRMA event at Grattan, Mi., near Grand Rapids, on 18-19 June, had markedly mixed results for me. I started practice on the '46 Moto GuzziDondolino and it seemed good right off the bat, although I made a mental note to try reducing the rear tire pressure to reduce the rear end hop, which I promptly forgot. My '70ERTT H-D Sprint wouldn't start. The last time the motor had run was sliding on it's side down a very wet Summit Point in April. Now it had no spark. I removed the points and cleaned them and it was better than new. Points maybe crude, but perhaps easier to diagnose and fix than a mysterious black box.

In the Class 'C' race on the Dondo, I got the hole shot and led the first lap, then Alex Mclean came by on the front straight and pulled steadily ahead. I finished 2nd with Dave Dunfey on his beautiful '50 Vincent 3rd.

In the 350 GP race, Bruce Yoximer, on his Seeley AJS 7R got the hole shot and I tucked into his draft, pulling out just before turn #1 and out braking him. I led the rest of the race to the checkered flag, but Bruce was right there the whole race and, in fact, turned the fastest lap of the race.

For Sunday's practice, I did remember to reduce the rear tire pressure on the Dondo and it did feel better. When the green flag dropped for the Class 'C' race the Dondo stalled and KenMertz, the starter, saw that the plug lead had fallen off. We shoved it back on and I took off well behind the pack. Coming out of turn #2, the lead fell off again and I stopped and put it back on and bumped it down the hill. Then, coming out of turn #5, it fell off again and I routed it through the frame before putting it back on this time. I bumped it off again and took off. When I finished the 2nd lap, I got the 'meatball' flag and pulled into the hot pit lane at the end of the 3rd lap where I was informed I was disqualified for starting a dead engine on the track. I said I started it on the grass, not the track, and the referee told me he'd let me go, then review it with the corner workers. So I took off again, but as I finished the 4th lap accelerating out of the last corner in 3rd gear, I had 'magneto failure' as when the broken connecting rod punches through the crankcases and knocks the magneto off. The rear wheel locked instantly while I was well leaned over, and the Dondo and I went sliding down the track. The cycle parts aren't too bad: bent handlebars, small ding in the fuel tank, bent footrest and left rear shock, and the seat is well torn up. I haven't taken the motor apart yet, so I don't know how bad it is yet but, potentially, it could all be scrap. At minimum, I need a rod, a cyl. liner, an armature for the mag, and lots of welding on the cases. I'm hoping the gearbox and head are OK.

The pain of this disaster was tempered somewhat by the 350gp race that followed after one race in between. Again Yoximer got the hole shot and again I outbraked him into turn #1 and led the first lap. But, Bruce passed me down the straight starting the second lap and a scrap ensued. He had a little motor on me and I had the advantage on the brakes. We swapped the lead many times. While he was leading, he missed a shift and I was able to get ahead. Then, a lap later, I overshifted from 2nd to 4th, but he wasn't able to capitalize on that because he almost ran in the back of me and had to check up. I may have had an advantage in traffic and I held him off for the win but, again, Bruce had the fastest lap of the race. It was the best race I've had in a couple of years.

Photo by Kenny Cummings, NYC Norton.

The Dondolino on the bench 5/21/11. Photo by Todd Pucket

photos by Jim Jowers (250GP winner!)

21,22 May, 2011 Vintage Celebration, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, N.H. I just took my '46 Moto Guzzi Dondolino and just raced it in one event at this vintage car and bike event. Sat. morning I waited on the pre-grid waiting to go out for practice several minutes, but when we were finally told to go, my motor died. I tried push starting the bike but it didn't pop. I found some rollers, but it still wouldn't fire at all. My first thought was that the magneto has finally died. I rolled it back to my pit and whipped out the spark plug to find plenty of spark. Then I noticed the intake valve wasn't moving, easy to see with exposed valve gear. Pete Talabachhappened by and we dove into the rocker box and found the intake pushrod had come out of the socket on the end of the rocker arm. I had had the head off prior to this event cutting and lapping the exhaust valve seat and evidently didn't get the pushrod properly seated when I replaced the head. There was no damage done and we got it back together and I got three laps in the 2nd round of 'fast' practice. I came in and re-adjusted the valves, then went back out and did three more laps in the 'medium' practice. The bike ran strong though I felt the seat give way and when I came in, found the seat frame had broken. This is aluminum, but I was able to weld it there as Erik Green had brought a neat little air cooled tig welder that work great. I was entered in the Pre-65/Pre-50 combined race on Sun. When I went to check the grids shortly before the race, I found there were no Pre-65 entries and only one other Pre-50 entry: Randy Hoffman on a '49 Norton 'Garden Gate' Manx. I lobbied to combine our race with another class, but it was too late at that point. So, Randy and I lined up in very light mist and did our 6 lap race. The Guzzi worked great and I enjoyed my romp, though it was hardly an exciting race. The grids have been thin at most of the races I've been to this year. Is it the economy and gas prices, or are people just loosing interest? Don't know, but I'm still having a ball and expect to keep doing it as long as I can.