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Aldo: How many miles on your Convert when the flywheel failed? What is your best guess on the speed (or RPM) when the failure occurred?
Mine has just over 17300 miles...I bought it with just over 17000 last month.
I'm by no means an expert on the convert, but I've been researching them as I'm considering buying one. Seems that some of them came with a pressed steel flywheel. they are known to fail in the exact manner you're describing, and the recommendation is to swap out to a cast-iron one. From what I understand, they are hard to come by but not unobtainable.Not for nothing, but taking a 40-year museum piece and beating on it might not be the best course of action. Beautiful Bike by the way.
Happened to me last week, this is probably what it will look like once you open it up. I have a spare stamped one in good shape that I am going to have reinforced on both sides by a good welder. My torque converter has a little nub at the end; seems as though a small tip of that nub broke off in the end of the crank. Don't think its a big issue and it doesn't look like there is any other damage, so I plan to button it back up once I get my flywheel done up....
Good day, 1st post here and thanks for the venue!A week ago I was doing some at speed panic stops on my 76 Convert after the rebuild in my rear brake master brake cylinder. All went well with the great brake performance, but on the return trip I was feeling like a more spirited ride and accelerated to a little over 90mph. At that pint I lost all forward power and did a very long coast to a stop, engine idling, running well. A friend rescued the Guzzi and me on his trailer and brought us home. I had originally assumed the hex shaft/atf pump had failed and in the next day or so pulled the front timing cover to find all was well. Oh well, I thought, I cleaned all of it and buttoned it back up. New gaskets on the cover & sumptuously , oil filter as well. So yesterday I turned the gas back on...hit the starter, and the starter spun, freely without turning the crankshaft to start it. I hadn’t tried to start the Guzzi previously after being hauled home as I had the thought of the hex shaft issue on my mind as the problem. Anyway now it looks like I am pulling the trans/bell housing/motor from the frame to find a failed early stamped flywheel! Also when the Convert lost power, no racket/bad noises of any kind were heard. I can freely /smoothly turn the flywheel thru the timing inspection hole with a screwdriver, so am assuming the flywheel inner mounting flange has separated with a clean break???Any input would be helpful and thanks again for the forum!jjoking
P.S. they will run 90 as long as your butt can take it! Low range tops out at 80 and it’s still not at a redline. They are quite happy at 40-65 with that higher rpm. I loved lo range for everything but interstate and drove two of them for 135,000 miles. You could keep a bit of throttle on while foot linked braking and when you wanted to accelerate release the foot brake. Made for a really smooth transition, less diving front end hobby horse style and more squatting evenly front and rear. Mine had two different frictions for the pads, while some had a proportioning valve. Fantastic set up.Pretty easy to crab the frame and yank the transmission…altho having the motor out and pointing nose down does make it easier to adjust the run out when reseating the torque converter Patience and as little runout as possible makes them really smooth At this point a non running convert with the right flywheel, and likely a working torque converter, might be the way to go. Instant spare parts that you might find for cheap.
I’d guess redline would be the same as an G5, maybe SP. Same motor.With the vert “gearing”, it’s as if you’ve mounted a really large rear sprocket to accommodate the fluid drive. Quick off the line, but it doesn’t tap into the full potential of top speed of the motor. It does leave it spinning just a notch or two below redline, right where the power is. For comparison i believe the top speeds are the same for a Vert as a G5.You can hold the throttle wide open, but it doesn’t get to redline while pushing the beast down the road against friction and wind. I suppose you could change the rear drive gears but then your into the 20 spline vs 10 spline driveshaft issue A low range vert on full throttle above 60 will surprise you getting to 80, (then stops accelerating) if you can bear the sounds like it’s about to blow up…nah, there’s probably another 1500-2000 rpm left unused. If there’s any motor that can take the abuse it’s those
@Bulldog.I had the first G5 that was inported into the U.S. that i purchased from Charlie Pinheiro.Red line was about 6400 RPM in 5th gear indicating 105-TO 110 MPH.Because of the torque converter this is how i would compare the RPM.The Convert is assumed to operate 500-750 rpm lower at any speed soooooooo, FYI I have the heavier flywheel, Starter teeth are machined directly into the flywheelMy convert at 65 MPH on the Convert in high range would be 2800 rpm to 3200 rpm G5 (same bike) with a 5 speed 3200rpm 3400 rpm Those numbers are subjective.I rarely use low range for my riding, BUT consider this Since the engine operates at lower RPM's so does the charging system so depending what you have on lights radio in high range (in Town) you would not have much output from the alternator riding around in town in HighRidge SO LOW RANGE IS PERFERRED.I overcame that problem by installing an adjustable voltage regulator PROBLEM SOLVED and ride in Hi range 99% of the time.Limit shifting on the go as the transmission is really not designed for that.Others may chime in TOMB