Modern Vespa

Spot on !!

I feed the inner up from the hole near the bottom.
Then slide the outer down over that from the top.
Then remove the inner from the bottom & feed it back in the top.
Voila !!

I saw a commercially available version of this tool online and figured I could make my own. I had super-heavy gauge piece of wire laying around so with the help of the bench vice and some locking pliers I was able to fashion a reasonable facsimile. Worked like a charm. Total cost $0.


The tool

Wraps around kick starter stud

Locks into flywheel's inspection hole.

Nebulae's way is the way to do it. Getting a wad of tape stuck inside the fork could be a problem.

Seriously?

Dude. Buy the damn $12 tool.

Haha! No need. It's in my tool box and my flywheel is off. Besides, I would have had to wait for it to arrive.

Good one Astromags

I got a $2 bit of 8mm rod and ground a flat on one end, then bent it in the vice. I'd already tried the basin wrench but it didn't fit into the small depression in the bottom of the Super tank. I didn't have access to a welder and this works well.



Last edited by Ginch on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 22:45:56 +0000; edited 1 time

That's the stuff. A fine example of good old ingenuity.

I like 'em. I like it & would make one to save $12 too. If I fixed scoots for a living, then yeah I'd prob get the real tool.

Old trick

BUT... I'd only need it if the head was off. Use a piece of fuel line in the spark plug hole if head is on. Just make sure it's curled up & doesn't go down in the exhaust port, maybe getting sheared off.

The poorly repainted peeling gray Primavera that I am helping a friend with is all taken apart.
Minor weld repairs to floorboard struts are done.
She's ready for blasting or chem stripping, some modest body work and NEW De Luxe PAINT!

He wants to stick to a color 'correct' for his year if possible, likely a bright Skittles orange or green.
I was trying to find him something that referenced by year AND showed colors when I found this Italian paint source with a GREAT Vespa color chart 12 pages long!

looks like this:

And here's the rest of the story to help turn those pages into reality -
Original colour chart / color codes/paint codes reference

I just use an air wrench.

Kobalt makes a nice one in 3/8, less torque but also a lot less air pressure/CFM to run it.

I can even use it to zip off the clutch nut with a home made clutch nut tool while the engine is still in the normal position and just the wheel removed.

I guess I might be screwed if I was on the Cannonball or something, but since I ride close to home I am good with it.

I just saw this posted by Sir Paul and thought it's a useful trick for eliminating a possible problem.

100 percent.
Been saying this forever.
Whenever a "how to clean exhaust" comes up I say don't waste the time, find a good clean used/or new pipe. It is also difficult to tune a carb if your pipe is shot. Also if you have a silencer can and its old, the glass packing and baffle holes are probably sooted and clogged.

Big YES on the Check The Muffler! when trouble shooting. The last time this bit me, all was working fine when all of a sudden my motor didn't want to run(in motor stand). You need spark (at right time), air & gas so I checked and HAD all that, but motor would idle for a minute then die, right away if you tried to open throttle. Finally changed the muffler and it ran fine again.

Unofficial Crude test for plugged muffler:
Take a couple of tight wraps of masking tape around the exit tip. Now you have a 'clean' mouthpiece, pucker up and BLOW as hard as you can thru the muffler. There should be no noticable restriction. Both the clogged ones I've encountered were obvious when tested this way.

Big MAYBE on wasting time with 'plugged' muffs - I've saved a couple this way


FIRE shoots out the tip!
Afterwards rap around edge seam w/ a hammer, shake crap out, then final flush w/ compressed air & shop vac to suit. But no wood stove available, Jimmy's right. I'm no fan of oven cleaners or Drano for this.

I normally use the impact gun for the clutch. if stuck I have used some nylon rope fed down the plug hole. jobs a good un

The wood stove is a beaut Voodoo. My grandma had one, she chopped her own wood as well and I once saw her smoking a pipe.


This is the thing about cooking the exhaust clean.

It can be fun.
We love expeariments
Everybody loves to play with fire.

But......................since our motors are designed to utilize a certain amount of used exhaust it has always been a fear that a large rust flake or two will get sucked back into the topend.

And that would suck(pun intended)

Fresh on the mind since I just did this....

It always sux running the fuel line into the airbox on a large frame. Instead of contorting and cussing just have a pair of curved tip hemotats handy (or ask the doper next door to borrow his "roach holders").

1. Reach through the grommet
2. grab and lock the stats to the fuel line
3. pull
4. drink beer (and/or use roach holders for intended purpose)

i just did this sans holder. i think ill be getting a pair now. cool tip. had to take the wheel off to push it through.

I noticed these in my Vespa reference folder.
Please share any other charts or diagrams you have that you think could be helpful to others.

nice share Voo doo

A trick I use, instead. I just poke a small phillips head screwdriver (about 1/8" diameter) down through the airbox. I thread the fuel line on the end of the screwdriver, then just gently pull it up while pushing on the line. It helps keep it centered in the hole.

Hojo

Great stuff.

Damn... I miss adastra hanging around. He was good people...

Nice.

I noticed today that the threading on the rear shock absorber spacer is the same as the 9mm rear shock engine mount bolt

In a pinch, I guess you could sacrifice the ride height for a replacement nut if had come loose.

Some really good tips in here guys.

Thanks guys! This tip gave me an idea to solve the problem I always have trying to jiggle the fuel tap rod back thru the hole when reinstalling the gas tank. Same idea really, only backwards. I used a length of plastic tubing pushed onto the lever end & put the tubing thru the hole first. Pulling the tube as I lowered the tank brought the handle right out the hole with no cussing.


I heated the tube end to get a snug fit on the lever handle

This one is for Vader, I promised him a solution for this almost a year ago. On your muff w/ 2 tabs(3 port motors only), ever notice you can't get the muffler bolt out without pulling the wheel off or maybe letting the air out? Bummer.

So while sorting out my FIRST big P, I believe I found a simple and effective method. The answer is you DON'T HAVE TO remove the bolt if you slot the rear tab on the muffler. I used a lock washer & large thick flat washer to maintain good clamping pressure and the front tab is unchanged, so I don't think it's gonna fall off on the road.


Hmmm that exit pipe is all mangled.... what to do..

scrap box junk to the rescue! (no round pipe the right size around, have to make do)

Voodoo, you are a star. That bit is definitely my favourite worst job! I normally use a bit of string tied around the rod but the lever handle always gets stuck... this thread should be in the Haynes manual!


And the exhaust! It's so obvious now... I'm ashamed I didn't think of it.

I just let some of the air out of the rear tire to swing the exhaust down because I"m to chicken shit scared to try Voodoos way. I have had too many things fall of my bikes over the years(Harleys)

I don't like to use a rope cuz it seems too easy to have it come out the exhaust port and end up with bits of rope stuck in there.

HA! Love it... especially on those tight fit tanks like the Rally. Good stuff.

http://instagram.com/p/YZCt0ZvYl8/

*picture gone missing

Last edited by Ginch on Sun, 17 May 2015 00:11:40 +0000; edited 1 time

Too much to paste here - Split rim tire remover

Good call, thanks!
I can confirm this shit happens, so add it to your troubleshooting list.

I have a quick coupling on the fuel line, much easyer to take out the tank. When apart they are closed, dual shut-off, so no fuel leaking down your sleeve Find them in motorcycle-stores. +/- 20EUR
Sara
sorry no pics