Modern Vespa

Greetings,

Recently ordered and received a cylinder kit(Part#876457) from a shop in Italy for a 2012 gts 300. The box is dated 2021 and all the dimensions check out however the cylinder appears to be a bit different from the orig on the outside and it appears that it has one extra coolant passages as shown in the photos below.

The first photo shows extra threaded posts which look similar to what I found online for the HPE Cylinder. Perhaps its just an updated part? Also assuming the gasket will take care of the "extra" coolant passages.

The 3rd photo shows the underside of the piston and I dont see any Piaggo Markings like the original. The raised lettering show JCG and seems perhaps a bit suspect?? Is Piaggio using a third party company JCG and not marking the pistons with Piaggio??

Anyone have recent experience with the same cylinder who could comment? Thanks much in advance.

New cylinders are now made in China that's why their quality is questionable…

That just seems like the wrong part. Can you clarify with the seller?

I'd be a little worried the unused passage might have some weird thermal effects and lead to leaking or premature failure. I don't know that to be the case, but I think you're right to get a definitive answer before installing it.

It's not.
I opened one we've got, and the little stubs are cast into the head, but they are not threaded. Other than that, it's pretty much the same.

Thanks for confirming. The exterior design and passages appear to be the same as the newer HPE cylinders. The pre-HPE model head gaskets blocks the 2 ports as shown in the original post. The cylinder head also has the corresponding ports but since they would be "blocked", coolant would not flow through these passages into the cylinder. I'm sure there was plenty of science that went into this so I wont mess with using different head gasket. The beverly head gasket actually has these passages/ports open. Perhaps different flow rates and thermodynamics involved.

Piaggio might be moving to a more generic cylinder head that can be used across old and new models? That said having extra ports that are only to be blocked by the head gasket seems to create a higher likelihood of failure.

It looks like not a good quality.

If you own a Vespa, it's what's in the bike you're riding.

AFAIK, there isn't a different head gasket or cylinder for the Beverly. There is a new head gasket for the Piaggio 300 that fits every iteration of the engine. Often holes are put into a part to enable or simplify certain aspects of the manufacturing process, so a tool can get down there, or a part can be cast with a space in it, for example.