I wish this forum allowed insertion of pictures "inline", but I'll do my best...
Follow the story with the pics below.
"Punkin" was a neighborhood Craigslist find - literally a 7 minute walk from home - in the garage of a neighbor with a whopping 256 miles on its odometer. A few paint chips, a poorly-repaired headlamp bezel with broken lower tabs, and a non-functioning clock concluded its defects. A sale price of roughly half of retail and I rode it home.
I quickly discovered that for my intentions, it was woefully underpowered. With some reading here - thanks dawgs! - a little help from the Scooters West videos, and a couple of calls to the Performance Peddlers, the go-slightly-faster parts began arriving. A simple Malossi variator swap with white contra spring brought the speed up a whopping 6.4 mph. I wouldn't have believed it without seeing it for myself.
Next up is the Malossi Slightly-Bigger Bore kit, a considerable 56% displacement increase should help the cause, along with the fatter camshaft. Engine photos taken before dismantling facilitate routing the numerous hoses, lines and wires on reassembly. It's particularly helpful with the valve shim puck sizes for later if a clack develops. Cellphones! Who knew Mr. Bell's invention wouldn't always involve a wooden box screwed to the wall. With a hand crank.
I'm used to dropping my Honda Elite 50 block - done it dozens of times, and can drop it in about 40 minutes, but first time and all plus the numerous plumbing fittings added up to a 3-hour dismount. Once off, the engine fell apart easily.
New piston installed without one of the C-Clips rolling under the water-heater for a change. Cylinder glided back on and torqued to 14NM per Signore Malossi's prescription. Old cam retainer screw - a Phillips head of all things! - came off without a trace of mangling despite copious LocTite. This was accomplished with a wrench applied to a fresh bit on a screwdriver and LOADS of axial pressure with jerky quick flicks in rotation.
Thankfully the cam bearing was nice and snug but no puller required to remove it from its perch. Amazingly, the valve clearance, while not perfect, was within acceptable limits with the new cam installed.
Startup thankfully resulted in no sickening clank-stall. It is possible to muck up the cam chain timing enough to result in piston-valve contact, but so far so good. Yes, it now has enough power to get briskly out of its own way. Next up will be a transmission upgear, to be combined with a belt, air filter and exhaust upgrade - all thankfully doable with the engine in situ.




