Modern Vespa

Yesterday completed first service item: valve clearance check.

Scooter sat over night - engine must be stone cold.
If you waited while dealer did your valves - he didn't do them on a cold engine.

Tools I used:
Torx driver from tool kit > seat bucket & front center panel. removal
8mm T-wrench > 3 valve cover bolt
8mm 1/4" drive socket on small ratchet > the hard to reach 4th valve cover bolt
wire cutters > clip off hose clamp
.10mm feeler blade > check valve clearance
19mm socket > turn the engine to timing mark
flashlight
dab of grease > keep 0-ring in valve cover for re-install

My steps:
Chock front tire & bands on fr. brake lever - secures scooter.
I removed lower shock mount - to slightly raise front of engine. It helped get to that 4th bolt, some.


remove seat bucket and front center panel (panel lifts up and forward - tabs-in-slot) See owner's manual for photos.

cut rear clip off of breather hose from valve cover - valve cover cannot be moved away with this hose still attached back there.


remove black cover over front CVT bolt - turn engine here for timing mark


remove spark plug cap, push hoses out of way, pull off the breather hose from its rear attach point

use 8mm T-wrench to loosen 3 valve cover bolts, and 8mm 1/4" drive socket and shorty ratchet to loosen the lower/right 4th bolt. Patience here! There IS room to do this with that hard-to-reach bolt!


remove valve cover



rotate CVT nut clockwise to bring timing marks together. CHECK that there IS movement of the rocker arms once aligned. If NO movement rotate again until timing marks re-align AND you can feel movement.


check gap with .10mm feeler blade. Large blades will not work due to tight space to work. My 3 valves checked spot-on.


If your valves need adjusting - see the many utube videos on adjusting GY6 scooter valves w/screw & lock nuts.

I added a dab of bearing grease to a few points around the 0-ring grove of valve cover to keep the 0-ring in place while re-installing valve cove. Pay attention to the 0-ring seal on spark plug hole as well - keep it in place when replacing valve cover. Snug the 4 bolts slowly, in lug-nut rotation fashion (clock face - 11 / 5, then 2 / 7, etc.) Use very low torque when tightening these little bolts. I do hand snug and STOP! Personally, do not trust torque wrenches for such small fasteners.
Reattach the breather hose - use a new clip or zip tie it. It is jammed in there so tight on the tube - I didn't mess with a clip.

Replace rear shock bolt, if you undid it.

I ran the engine for a time - then checked under for oil leaks. Let it cool and felt around & under the valve cover for any sign of oil leaks. Nothing - then I replaced the panel, seat bucket.

First time into the valves on this scooter - so took a few hours working slowly and carefully. My Kymco LIKE200i is SO much easier to do the valve check. SO much more room to work than this little Piaggio. Robot does this engine OUT of the scooter ---- not at all a fair representation of the things in your way, and spaces to work.

Manual says valve check due again at 6,200 miles. I will do them every 3,000 miles, now that I'm familiar with this scooter.

O.S.

Nice detailed post. I think I'll probably do my own also. I don't want to haul the bike to the dealer. I only have 300 miles on it right now.

Yep, I just like to do this myself if at all possible.
1,400 miles and running great.
Only issue I have is with the mirrors. Waiting on some mirror extensions to come from Asia....backwards threads are HTF items.
They are great mirrors - But I'm sooo wide with winter gear on!

Pictures of your scooter?
O.S.

That's a sharp bike. I haven't rode since the first cold snap. I don't have any cold weather riding gear and I have gotten bogged down at work and home getting things squared away for the winter. Can't wait for spring now.

Doesn't have to be stone cold, I was told in Susuki training 4 hours from last time it ran.

used your post on adjusting valves for my 650 mile service. great pictures and very helpful. thanks again.

Thanks for this thread. I am fancying a Liberty 150 S.

If you only had bought a Honda PCX--you would have most of the scooter's bodywork laid out in the driveway during the process.

That's what I've been reading for the past couple of years.
Crazy.
It is why i bought the Liberty service manual, $7.99, BEFORE I bought the scooter.
I do pretty much all my own servicing.....save for tire mounting. (especially true -- now that my Piaggio/Vespa dealer folded his tent)
O.S.

File this under WTF?

This is the Honda PCX valve service routine. This should make you feel validated about your purchase. To me, it doesn't appear any more difficult than replacing an entire Vespa or Piaggio engine. The person doing it has decent mechanical ability.

How much to you think a PCX valve service would cost?

Also why PCX owners tell each other that the valves never really need to be checked. If they group together on this ....it magically becomes fact!

Some years ago, I almost bought a Honda PCX : O

Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but, how important are valve checks? I've had motorcycles all my life and only one ever went in for a valve check (81 1000 CSR Kaw). My Liberty 150S is my first scooter so not very familiar with them yet.

Follow you service intervals as described on pg 155 in your owner's manual, and you should be fine.
First valve check is at 600 miles, and then every 6,000 miles after that.
But, certainly do not fail to let the dealer check them at that all important first 600 mile servicing. (do make certain that they are going to do the valve check at 600 mile while they have it in the shop - many shops skip the valve check on many, many scooters) This will not be an inexpensive serviceing, most likely - but, even if you never get them checked again, that first one is necessary for the long term health of your new scooter!

Will your Liberty 150 engine explode if you ignore that first valve check? Probably not. Many people do not check their valves....
But you paid good $ for the scooter - pay the dealer to do it at 600 miles.
BTW - where'd you buy your Liberty in Ohio?
O.S.

Bought from Motohio, Columbus.

Being nosey.
Bought mine from the late Vespa dealer in New Carlisle. (before his Tornado)
What did you pay out the door?
Your dealer is probably my closest now. Fortunately, I buy scooters with the understanding that I'll be doing all my own servicing. Dealer is there for warranty only.
Enjoying my Liberty immensely.
O.S.

Hello!
I'm new here. I live in sweden and i have owned my Liberty 150 s since
April -17. I didn't left my scooter for the first warranty check which includes valve clearance check. Because I have to travel 150 km to nearest piaggio-licenced workshop. So the price for everything would be more then 10% if what I paid for the new scooter. I've been looking for info about how to do it my self. And now, i found your description!!
I would just like to thank you for it!!
One question though, Do you know where to find workshop manual for this scooter. I bought one from AF1, but if you know of any other ones please share with me.
I also would like to apologise for my English, as I said I'm from Sweden.😊
PS. When people in this forum talks about $, is it US-dollar?

Thank you for your kind words.
Your English is just fine!
Yes, U.S.A. $.
Yeah, have not found another good service manual for the LIBERTY - Robot on youtube works on a lot of Piaggio products....some of which I think we Liberty owners can learn from.
If you find another good manual - please pass it along to us!

Photos of your Liberty, please.
Ride safely.....and be well!


will be doing the 10,000Km belt and roller changes soon.
Will post pix here.
O.S.

I'm curious why this trip to the dealer adds so much cost? Isn't that a couple tanks of gas and a fun road trip?

That first service is very important, so good on you for making sure it all gets done one way or another.

If that first service is @ $350 or $400 ....the miles to dealer probably has very little to do with it.
At least in the USA - self servicing does not void a warranty.
Which is why I bought the $8 service manual before I bought the Liberty~!
"Will valves be stupid hard, like a PCX, or...?" because I'm going to be doing them.

O.S.

Oh, OK - I misunderstood. I thought the poster was saying that because the dealer is 150 km away, the overall cost to get this first service done would be much more than otherwise. As I understand you now, it's more that the service is expensive (regardless) and so it's preferred to DIY in this case.

It's correct! The trip was not the expensive part. The service was. The service was 2500 swedish kr (about 260 $ ) the rest was the trip.

I bought my scooter brand new in April -17. I think i paid 30.000 kr then. (About 3200$)

I Will take photos and post them. Is there a special place in the forum for pictures of owners scooters?

/B

Scooter Gallery, and please label them "Liberty", so we rare Liberty owners can see them!
O.S.

I had the dealership do my recent service, it was my reason for needing 2 paid vacation days as right now if I don't have an acceptable reason, my management team just can't let me off. Cost was $157.42, time away, as I booked an Airbnb, enjoyed an escape and a winding, lazy ride both down the west side of the Illinois River and back up the east side.
But now I am stuck with trying to remove that front glovebox panel to install a usb hub. Robot/SccoterWest has not been kind enough to do a video yet for me and I am finding No help on line of how to get that pesky panel off so I can drill a big hole, insert the usb hub, do the wiring work and put my Libby back together correctly again.
Any clues on this project would be greatly appreciated by a frustrated old woman with a scooter addiction.

Not exactly sure which part you're trying to remove.
I like to use an exploded parts diagram to see how things might go together.

Like this one from AF-1 Racing.
https://www.af1racing.com/store/ProdImages/st3/ECLR000US1.pdf

Good luck!
O.S.

I looked, pages 37-41 show that panel with glove box. I want to put the usb hub opposite the ignition/key switch. But Libby won, I did Not get it apart, and finally gave up the battle for now. I can put the hub on the LXV150IE, and maybe later have know how to put 1 on Libby. On longer rides I have a dead phone problem, unless I turn it off or on airplane due t o my choice of roads and a Lot of cell dead zones. Am adding phone mounts on rides to use trip tracking/speedo app and hoped to have an easy way to charge phone as needed. That is Not happening this week.

Time again