Modern Vespa

So after the really big high this morning of getting the rebuilt engine back in my Allstate and getting it running, I'm on to the front suspension.

I want to replace the front end with a true Vespa fork and found a complete 60's VNB fork on fleaBay for $120. Again....

Lots of corrosion, dirt, grease and grime, so let's disassemble everything and throw it into the parts wash. Everything is coming apart fairly easily except the small axle at the top of the brake shoes. Let's heat it up and push it out with my wheel puller.......mother f@cker!

Ouch. That's a real kick in the dick.

NOOOOOOOOO.

GotDam isay!

Anyone have an extra one for sale?

I think I have a spare, but it's Bajaj, not Vespa. I can look in a couple days when I'm back home.

Greatly appreciated.

Could it be welded?

Ouch!!! stuff like that needs to be completely soaked in penetrating oil over and over and also applying some heat. As far is the bracket, not many around but from being the picture I think that there is plenty of surface flat areas that are good candidate for welding.

If I were you I would consider welding it not just at the cracked are but also adding two side supports on the bracket. Good luck and please let us know what route you go with and please follow up.

you can weld anything but a broken heart and crack in the ass...

but i think the good money would be on a replacement.

oh no!!

Those things are a pain! The exposed part of the pin rusts, and gets too big to tap out.

Might be easier to cut that part out, rather than try to push through.

I have never seen one of those break, though! It might already have been damaged. Better now than on the road.

I'm sure Kristian at Bar Italia has an original one.

Now that I have calmed down, you are probably right.

I'm gonna steal that one...

And offer this...

Will this work? Got to love the $100 stupid tax though!

https://www.scootermercato.com/Scooter-Parts/Forks-and-Races/78724

No. This takes non threaded pins.

Thanks. Any insights into the correct part?

Were you able to have a look? Many thanks!

I'll try to check this evening.

Can you use the one with the other pins, or is the axle/brake different?

Rebuilt the front shock. Two new exterior o-rings and a fiber gasket, new oil seal, 30cc of ATF (equal to 15w fork oil, I am told), and some paint to match the old Allstate.

If only I hadn't broken the swing arm!

great job! top marks!

I cleaned up the new fork and gave it some primer and paint to match the Allstate. I am going for the "If Sears didn't go cheap, what would it look like" look. Still striking out with a replacement front swing arm though. I found a local welder who is going to look at repairing the broken one. "No promises", he said.

Crap...I completely spaced on seeing if I had a swingarm for you with all my own scooter shenanigans.

I'll see what I have tomorrow for reals this time!

You have three to choose from:

Bajaj
F/A Italia
Piaggio

PM me with your address and lemme know which one you want.

I can probably get the Bajaj in the post tomorrow, the others most likely won't happen until the weekend, though.

Chandlerman,

I just sent you a PM. Thanks so much.

Are there dimensional differences between threaded and non-threaded front pivot pins? Are pairs interchangable, just with different fasteners on the ends (clip versus nut)? Thanks.

I got the fork torn down with your swingarm this afternoon, so but it was after the post office closed, so it'll go out on Monday.

Let me know what I owe you. Thanks again.

C-man,

Yep, the blue smallie tank is yours.

So, Chandlerman (a prince among men) donated a front swing arm to my cause and I ordered a few needed goodies from Mercado. Hopefully, by next weekend I'll be able to drop the new front end in.

BTW, I put 100 miles on the engine rebuild so far. Retorqued the head bolts and changed the oil. The plug looks good too. She's still pretty slow, though. I'm thinking about that 20/20 carb that came with her and a SIP road 2.0. This never ends, does it?

Thanks! I like to think of myself as a Chandler among men Nope, never does. And even if it ends in one area, by then you'll have a laundry list of other things you want to learn and do.

That's what I'll tell my wife: "I'm learning stuff honey, it's not just a big hole in the garage where I am throwing money". I had a 1937 Chris-craft barrel back a decade ago that I still hear about.

I have a 1962 runabout that I restored a few years ago. But since that was my wife's idea, she gets no room to complain.

Looks like I am going to need some learning sooner than I thought.

The old swing arm has a felt seal and an axle bearing seat depth of 0.673". The new uses a circlip and a plastic seal and has an axle bearing seat depth of 0.880". As such, the the bearing is seated lower and doesn't mate up properly with the axle. Wrong axle?

If I had another 0.5" of interference bearing surface, this could work. Maybe this:

https://www.sip-scootershop.com/en/product/axle-front-wheel-8-vespa-rim-closed_22942000?q=front%20axle

Or could a spacer (double bearing?) behind the larger bearing work to move the bearing to where the contact surface is on the axle? Grasping at straws.

This would be a great slogan for a T shirt.

OK, back on track after f@cking up the swing arm. Still hopeful to finish by the weekend.

Finished the fork rebuild this morning. Now, I just have to swap it out for the original. Looking forward to having a front end that doesn't try to kill me.

Thanks for everyone's help, especially you, Chandlerman.

What did you have to do for fitting this?