Modern Vespa

The filter looks a little screwed up too. If there is something I have learned, (or relearned), on this P200 project is that it's crazy to try to skip over something that should be taken are of immediately. I cleaned my gas tank but figured the fuel tap was "good enough". I ended up having to pull the tank within a month and replacing the tap. Quite a few of the parts on these scooters are fairly cheap and not worth screwing around with. Scooter Mercato can have the parts at your house within three or four days.

A perfectly working needle and float only stops fuel flow when the float bowl is FULL. That is how it is designed to work. The needle is not supposed to be a shut of valve. That is why they put a fuel tap on these bikes, it is not just for decoration. True, a bad float/needle/seat will exacerbate the situation and make flooding occur much more quickly, but if you do not turn off the supply to the carb, flooding (and even a gallon of fuel in your exhaust) WILL occur in time even with a perfectly set up carb.

Finally the parts arrived.
Put in a new tap and lever. And a new fuel line. The previous owner had a fuel filter half way through the line. Not sure if this would cause an issue or not. I 86 it anyway.
Also put back in the old needle in the float bowl.
So far so good. I took it for a toot around the neighborhood and it ran great. THen about 1/4 mile from my house i cut the fuel off and the engine died a little bit later. Success. Also replaced the oil sight lens.

Next project is tires.....waiting for the fedex girl...

I think I said from the beginning of this thread that the tap is more pro active than you may think.





Glad to hear things are good.