Automatics n' stuff

Anything else ya ride!
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dmw1950
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Re: Automatics n' stuff

Post by dmw1950 » Mon May 03, 2021 7:08 pm

There is an interesting diesel on Ebay, a 250 superdream with a twin cylinder unit.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284281382309 ... Swtnpgj-A6

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Diesel Dave
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Rides:: 1965 Enfield Diesel, 2017 Sterling, Modenas Kriss and CT200 - the only Cub left
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Re: Automatics n' stuff

Post by Diesel Dave » Mon May 03, 2021 7:15 pm

I know the bike (and the builder) quite well.

He’s addicted to silver paint. :D

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bikerbaker
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Re: Automatics n' stuff

Post by bikerbaker » Mon May 03, 2021 7:43 pm

Diesel Dave wrote:
Mon May 03, 2021 2:51 pm
Well I finally may have located a Guzzi Convert (Automatic), only problem is.....it’s in a pile of boxes.
Steve Parker has an old Guzzi outfit (not a Convert) in his place at the moment. Was talking to the owner yesterday, he's on tenterhooks as it's make or break.

125erCrazy
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Re: Automatics n' stuff

Post by 125erCrazy » Mon May 03, 2021 8:05 pm

bikerbaker wrote:
Mon May 03, 2021 7:43 pm
Diesel Dave wrote:
Mon May 03, 2021 2:51 pm
Well I finally may have located a Guzzi Convert (Automatic), only problem is.....it’s in a pile of boxes.
Steve Parker has an old Guzzi outfit (not a Convert) in his place at the moment. Was talking to the owner yesterday, he's on tenterhooks as it's make or break.
Funny you mention Guzzi, only I know somebody selling & offered me his, details below....

Guzzi sidecar? I'm going to sell it after 20 years and move to new things. Its a guzzi Centauro with Hedingham leading links and sidecar fitting and chassis. The sidecar body is a Ural style. The outfit was built by Unit sidecars who were only a few miles from your house ! Mileage is approx 9800. Believe he wants around 7K if anybody interested

I'm sadly not in a position to buy at present (funerals are f**** expensive) but if its still about in August said to let me know

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Diesel Dave
Posts: 11055
Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2009 7:25 pm
Rides:: 1965 Enfield Diesel, 2017 Sterling, Modenas Kriss and CT200 - the only Cub left
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Re: Automatics n' stuff

Post by Diesel Dave » Fri May 07, 2021 7:38 am

125erCrazy wrote:
Mon May 03, 2021 8:05 pm

I'm sadly not in a position to buy at present (funerals are f**** expensive) but if its still about in August said to let me know
Really sorry to hear that.

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Diesel Dave
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Re: Automatics n' stuff

Post by Diesel Dave » Fri May 07, 2021 7:42 am

You know it never rains but it pours...

No sooner had I committed myself to the ‘pile of bits’ Guzzi; someone ups and offers me a complete, on the road V1000i Convert at a really good price.

Now I really do have to start selling stuff off - quickly too.

125erCrazy
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Re: Automatics n' stuff

Post by 125erCrazy » Fri May 07, 2021 9:05 am

Diesel Dave wrote:
Fri May 07, 2021 7:38 am
125erCrazy wrote:
Mon May 03, 2021 8:05 pm

I'm sadly not in a position to buy at present (funerals are f**** expensive) but if its still about in August said to let me know
Really sorry to hear that.
Thanks DD

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Diesel Dave
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Re: Automatics n' stuff

Post by Diesel Dave » Fri May 07, 2021 7:04 pm

I’ve had a bit of time this afternoon so I did a top end service on the 400.

All the tappets were tight so I doubt they have ever been touched, torque wrench clicked without tightening any of the head bolts so that was good.

Camchain was as loose as the knicker elastic on a girl I used to know from Knowsley back in the early 1980’s. The Haynes book of lies has the adjustment method wrong (set at idle), luckily I still have the original handbook that says to set it statically at TDC.

Also swilled out the tank and took the tap off as flow is not as fast as I would like. Turns out the tap is aftermarket and had the sock filter stuck up inside the original Honda filter in the tank - it was pretty rank too.

I still haven’t done the fork oil yet.

Still, it should get me south of the river on Sunday - hopefully back home too.

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Diesel Dave
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Re: Automatics n' stuff

Post by Diesel Dave » Sun May 16, 2021 10:15 am

Well I’ve extricated myself from the ‘Guzzi in bits’ deal, adding up the missing parts that I could see would be required came to over 3 grand so it’s a non-starter.

It would have been a good deal for someone building a ‘special’ and throw a load of cheap eBay ‘custom’ parts at it but as everybody who builds themselves a ‘cafe racer’ has found out - second hand values are half the build cost.

So I do have a line on a complete Guzzi Convert but as it will cost double the Honda 750 auto, that’s going to be sold to finance the buy. Possibly the Sterling too!

Onwards and upwards

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Diesel Dave
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Re: Automatics n' stuff

Post by Diesel Dave » Sat Jul 10, 2021 9:14 am

Well it's been a while......

Anyhoo, Ive found myself a Guzzi Convert and this is what beautiful looked like in 1976.

Image

Well it would have had luggage and a cash bar, but thats on the cards for the future.

So as with any new purchase, its time to find out all the faults and bodges and for a start there are 4 oil changes to do and thats without counting the forks and brake fluid.

Engine, Gearbox, Torque Converter, final drive - adds up to a pretty penny I can tell you.

Then there's the joy of a skew drive distributor (remember those), just like a proper car engine.

Image

No dizzy cap and rotor arm but there are 2 sets of points in there. One set is fixed to the backplate and so can be timed by rotating the distributor - of course you need to modify a spanner to get the job done.

Image

The second set is supposed to move on the backplate - naturally there's not enough movement so I thought the 'heel' on the points had worn away - nope they were all like that from new. See any condensers? No me neither, they are there just bolted to the bottom of the distributor and the only way to get to then is to pull the distributor out and then go to all the trouble of retiming it when refitting - Nope not doing that so I bolted some new ones next to the coils.

Did you know that ethanol fuel causes your tits to swell?

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So thats new carb choke plungers too then.

Image

So with fluids all swapped out, ignition all set up better than new I set aside some time the following day to go for a ride.

The Guzzi had other ideas....

Image

Yes there's some 'green' growing on the electric stuff and thats preventing the spark pixies from travelling around.

Image

I must say I was mighty impressed, the whole electrical system runs from a single 6mm piggyback crimp mounted vertically. If I had tried to make such a system I doubt it would have lasted 45 years.

Ok so NOW we can go for a ride......nope, one cylinder is playing up, plug is covered in soot.

Did you notice the new plungers are slightly longer? No, neither had I. Shorten the cable outer by 4mm and perhaps now we can go for a ride.

Fingers crossed.

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