Modern Vespa

Today I rode my new P125 to work for the first time. 30 miles round trip, it was a blast.
I stopped to get gas, and when I lifted the seat, that spike that looks like the finial atop a pickelhaube fell onto the ground. Naturally I assumed that the backing nut was welded to the frame, but I was mistaken.
It looks like I might have to pull the back wheel to re-attach this thing. Is that the case? Or, is it more severe than that?

You'll have to remove the fuel tank to get to it. Take off the seat, disconnect fuel and oil lines, remove rubber grommets around fuel tap lever and oil sight glass and you're there. Get used to it as pulling the tank is a pretty common thing.

Thanks bobo. Is the nut still inside there, or did it fall out on the rode?

Sorry mate I've given you a bum steer. Just checked on mine and it screws straight into the frame. Yours must be stripped. Don't know if they make one with a longer thread you could fit a nut to inside the frame.

Here's one

https://www.beedspeed.com/vespa-seat-fixing-pillar-extra-long-pxpet5-p-1397.html?osCsid=2d0ppa3p7hnp8pb8h46a752ud0

My P200 needs the tank pulled to get at that bolt. What year is your 125

Older P must be different to newer PX. Mine def. screws into the frame.

Yeah. Your setup is better. My bolt is not connected to the nut either and I need to change the rack so just putting off the tank pulling.

Will be jb welding the nut to frame when tank is out. Moving soon and have a garage so workshop setup is being planned.

Modkuo let me know if that works. My p200 nut is loose too. Take a bitch to put back together, I use some seam filler (dum dum) to hold the nut in place until I get it tight. I hate that. My primi is the same way but at least in there you can reach through the bottom to hold the nut.

Mine is a 1980, I just bought it last week.
There is definitely no bolt welded to the frame, so I guess I'm pulling the tank.
Is there any maintenance that could be down while the tank is out?

Rivnut. Might be worth a try rather than JB'ing one in place.

That looks promising.

If only we lived in the first world were you could buy metric rivnuts in anything smaller than a $250 set.

Edit: McMaster-Carr has them in reasonable quantities.

charles.....it's a good time to look around when tank is out, sort cables and make sure stuff is routed correctly I installed a temp Gauge while tank was out and ran wire thru frame to headset, as an example. But if you just gotta ride....get er done.....

sdjohn.....I should have secured it last time the tank was out but didnt....now might as well since I will have a workspace and a 2nd scoot. Will report out in a couple weeks. I'm moving to a place between SoCalGuy and Mr J.s pads. Nice so when I eff up stuff....Help will be a bit closer.

Also we can wrench there since SoCalWife's new car moved Into their garage.....

Will check out rivnuts

It's a good idea to replace the fuel and oil lines (is yours autolube?) while you're in there if they look ratty. Use a proper black rubber fuel line instead of the clear one that is probably in there. The clear ones become brittle and split.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/M8-Flat-Head-Rivet-Nut-Rivnut-Insert-Nutsert-Bronze-Tone-20pcs-/391473677933?hash=item5b25a6466d:g:3tAAAOSwnNBXUYBs

$8.16 for 20 x M8 with free shipping... don't think you can go too far wrong there!

I like the rivnut thing. will look for some at home deeps.

off topic, on-subject.....here is my ancestor in his Pickelhaube.

If I had a welder I would zap the nut in place while the tank is out.

if I had the winning lottery numbers id be a millionaire .....
ive used rivnuts n thems good

Have a number of rivnuts in my racecar holding ignition and fuel items in the engine bay. Been there for years and never come loose. Almost as good as zip ties.
Devils post for me I see.

mines holdin me spare holder on

I had the same problem just after I purchased my current 1980 P200. From MV Forum readers I learned the following:

1. The retaining nut for the seat post was originally welded to the body but over the years many of them have broken loose.

2. The nut often falls onto the shelf just below the seat post and can often be found resting there.

3. To reach the shelf, just take out the gas tank. It is made easier if you rotate the rack 90 degrees.

4. You can reuse the nut and hold it in place by welding it back to the frame or securing it with a lock washer. Some guys use a weld nut or a rivet nut.

I used JB weld to attach the nut to a scrap of sheet metal and then I held the assembly in place over the hole with neodymium magnets. From there it was easy to screw the seat post back in place. Don't know how well it will hold up but it made reassembly easy.

Glad to hear that other than the seat post problem, your inaugural run was as blast!

Since you mentioned pickelhaubes, back when I was in college dorm in the 70s there was this guy in the room next to me in Army ROTC who I kid you not, had a dozen or more of those in a locked display cabinet which he'd brought with him. Once he took them out and let me gently examine them - they're made of leather and were about 5 1/2 hatsize due to shrinkage - and that was cool, but honestly I thought he was kinda nuts.

Removing the tank seems to be an easy chore, I'm going to attack it after work.
If all I need to do is get to that back bolt, do I have to disconnect the fuel and oil lines, or is there enough slack in them to get to the bolt?

I was able to just get tank up, turn it sideways so it was supported by the frame...and get my hand in there.

however. If you need to find that nut....might as well pull the whole thing and note some of the advice above. Disconnect and plug up all lines at the carb. note how and where they connect before removing. take pics.

The tunnel is an interesting place for sure...

post a pic of your scoot.

Simple & easier to remove the tank

whoa, how did you secure them? interesting idea. And how do you reverse the seat post - if you can't then you haven't solved the initial problem.

@SD. remember those guys are down-under so everything is bass-ackwards.

You guys have NO idea!! With the bolts upside down you can put the tank on top. No more fuel flow problems.

I finally got her done.

The fuel line is on with a twisted wire, instead of a clamp, so I didn't want to tackle that. The rear rack was attached to the gas tank bolts, so that needed removing. The rear rack was also attached to the bolts that held on the taillight, so that had to come off. The wiring for the taillights went through a hole in the rack, so that all had to come undone.
Once that was all done, and the seat was all off, I was able to pull up the tank.
I didn't find the nut, but I bought a new one and a lock washer. Now my pickelhaube is back in place and the seat locks again.

The taillight has three mounting bolts, and each one had different hardware - one was even standard, so while I had it all apart I replaced all the hardware there.

All in all it went easy. I don't have much in the way of mechanical experience, but each of these little projects provides me with an increasing skill set. Once I have a good base of experience I hope to completely disassemble and paint the thing.

Finally ordered a rivnut kit. Will report how it goes soon!

What size is the p200 seat post? My smallie that I also wanted to do is m7 and the kit didn't include m7. Bollocks!

And done on the P. Too bad no m7 for the smallie.