For the sake of completeness.
following the helpful suggestions above I was a bit nervous about tackling this, so went to a 'helpful' workshop I have used before with an offer of £££ notes. He removed the silver cover and peered down into the guts of the steering stuff. Much sucking of teeth and intaking of breath. That means,'You got no chance.@
"Can't do it now, long job going to have to take all sorts of bits off, wouldn't ride it far if I were you.'
Faced with a rising tide of poorly paid work, 'go sees' and charity shows; needed that scoot! Went home and re-read Jimc words.
Nothing to lose and some daylight left; to the lock up.
Jacked up the front end, took the front plastic cover off the handlebars - two screws below each of the switches, one under each brake reservoir cover.
'Hang on a minute' I said to my self' having clipped it off, 'that looks like the castellated whatever you call 'ems the helpful (usually) mechanic showed me, and I can get at them with the drift. (old centre punch) without removing anything else.
Knocked them around a bit one way then the other, not a lot seemed to have changed, still a lot of slack.
Had a look at the bottom of the steering column. That end was wobbling about too. Wedged the sharp end of a wrecking bar between the 'L' shaped casting that turns the steering and the subframe underneath. Gentle leverage raised the steering column up inside the surrounding tube. Had another go at drifting the castellated thingys round.
They tightened down nicely, the slackness had gone! Put it all back together. Total job time 45 minutes.
Tea didn't even get cold. I rode round the block with the scooter going where I pointed it instead of wondering around like a lost soul.
Sorry no photographs it was getting late, dark, and I had no time.
Thank you Modern Vespa, and Piaggio Mp3 owners club.
Fay
⚠️ Last edited by Fay Presto on UTC; edited 1 time