Modern Vespa

This morning I discovered my engine-side cowl hanging by the front cowl pin. The rear pin/stud (the curved one that hooks in the hole by the license plate) sheared off somehow and has gone missing. Bike is a Stella 2T.

I have a spare set of cowls, but would like to repair this one.

Does anyone have any advice as to how to go about fixing it? I suppose I have to find someone to weld on a new pin, but where to I get a pin? Or is there an easier bodge-type solution?

Thanks in advance for any advice,

Jason

The Right Way is to tack weld the old pin or a replacement in place.

Or you can do what I did with my Stella, which had the exact same failure. I took an M6 bolt, attached it through the old hole, then bent it until it matched the bend of the original pin.

It's not pretty, but after a year, it still works just fine.

Any thoughts on where to find a replacement pin/peg or whatever it is called? Scooterwest doesn't seem to have anything.

It wouldn't be too hard to just make one then weld it on. Go to the hardware store and buy a length of solid rod. Put a bend in it and your ready to weld it up. If you want to have a little ridge on the tip of it (to keep the rubber tube fixed), tack weld a small washer on the end of it.

Second mock one up and get it welded on.

Take a 6 pack of beer to your local welding shop/ muffler shop and ask if they can weld it on like your spare cowl. Worked for me a few years back!

Hello. I really don't like to contradict You chandlerman but my mate has a Rally 200 which needs the body welding as the bolt trick worked like a file. I Don't know how long it took but once it had burred away the thick metal around the hole it filed a slot in a matter of miles.

What about using a Nail. File the head down a bit. The welder shouldn't have a problem.

It doesn't hurt my feelings to be contradicted. I'm wrong on a regular basis . I bolted it in place with washers on either side, so no play to speak of. Maybe that was the difference?

That's an even better idea than mine! A 40d nail (spike) would be the size you're after. The vespa pin is just under 1/4" in diameter (.233" diameter for the shaft and .30" diameter for the head).

Before welding in a rod, put it in a vise and use a hammer to mushroom the end. This gives it the same shape as the original to hold the rubber sleeve on.

Or put a hose on the bolt.

The 40d nail idea is genius. I will try that, with JB Weld, see what happens (and with the rubber hose over it). Thanks guys!

I'm pretty sure you're gonna have to get it welded or it'll break again. Vibration is a bitch.

Maybe somebody who knows how to protect the paint where it shows & then spray some rustproof primer over the weld?

If you use JB Weld i will come find where you live and give you a face to face toungue lashing!

...and no VoodDoo, not Shoe Goo either!!!

One of my GS160 cowl pins came off once. I had a guy TIG-weld it back. No harm to the paint.

I don't know if the pins are located in the same way on a Stella, on the GS it's on sort-of-a flange some distance from the paint.

OK, I really don't want. tongue-lashing. Plus, my tubes of JB Weld look to be 20 years old. I'll try to find a welder.

JB Weld is great stuff, but it's just not right for this type of repair.

Almost lost the pin on my Rally cowl this past weekend, but caught it on time.

Before having it welded up I took the following measurements off the old pin to use for any future repairs.