CrackedEgg wrote:
Robot shows how great the tool is at 37 minutes and 46 seconds in this video.
⚠️ Last edited by JBacklund on UTC; edited 1 time
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Molto Verboso
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fledermaus wrote: Y'all need a big-assed hammer there too..... ![]() |
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Molto Verboso
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FINALLY, some progress!
I used this calamity as my excuse to buy a cheap but usable 3inch bench vice from Harbor Freight so that I could try to get some decent bends on that variator tool arm. It's actually better than I thought it would be for a lousy $29 US, and should be a handy gadget to have around for future catastrophes. I ended up having to make two bends in the tool, one to get it closer to the anchoring bolt hole, and a second bend backwards to get the arm a bit more parallel to the engine case. It was still quite a job to get the anchor bolt and spacer lined up enough to get it to thread into the case while keeping the two ring tabs in their slots, but it all held long enough for me to get the variator shaft nut loose with a breaker bar. Now it's time to clean this mess up and put it back together. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
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Molto Verboso
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There are slight grooves at the outside edges of the variator wheels(?), Is this 'normal' wear and acceptable, or do they need to be replaced?
The one wheel has a strip of crud around it's outer perimeter, I suspect that it may have been deposited there by the failing belt? ![]() ⚠️ Last edited by JBacklund on UTC; edited 1 time
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personality wrote: I bought one of those from scooterwest and used when I was replacing the belt and rollers on my gts and it worked fine. ![]() This cheapie works ok, note angle here
![]() Maybe give yours a whack with a hammer right here
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Some minor grooving is normal. Clean off the melted rubber, polish up the faces with fine (400) wet dry paper or 000 steel wool, clean with brake cleaner, and you should be good to go.
When you reassemble, you have to hold everything together (including the backing/ramp plate) like a sandwich and slide the whole assembly on the shaft, keeping everything tight or the rollers will fall out.
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CaliforniaCruising wrote: I also got a scooterwest cheapie $16.95 GTS tool, it works fine but like the 150cc tool it needs a bit of fiddling to get a secure hold |
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JBacklund wrote: This is the Buzzetti tool, and appears to be a much better tool than the one I bought from Scooterwest. When I ordered the tool that I did, I was not aware of any others of this type that would have been of higher quality, even if more expensive, so I really didn't know any better. Live and learn, I suppose. I think that I can reasonably assume that the tool that I purchased is a very poor quality copy of the Buzzetti tool. It supposedly works in the same manner, just doesn't fit the intended bike parts properly. |
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Quote: Anyway, I still have to figure out how to get that variator nut off. ![]() |
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waspmike wrote: Enlarge the hole a bit ![]() Now it's cleanup and reassembly with new parts. |
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Is the groove right around the bottom of where that ring of black stuff is? That black stuff is melted rubber. It's an indication the belt was overheating. And since it's right around the outside of the front pulley, it shows that the scooter was mostly ridden with the front pulley fully closed, at or near full throttle. Since that's where the belt spent most of its time, that's where it wore the groove. I'd clean it up with a Scotchbrite pad and brake cleaner, then go over it with fine sandpaper. Then it will be easier to tell how bad the groove is.
On my Japanese scooter that shredded a belt, there was melted rubber everywhere, all over both pulleys and all over the inside of the CVT case. It takes heat to melt rubber. On my 2006 GT200 there was no rubber or grooves on either pulley, and the belt looked like new after 10,000 miles. The width was the same as the new Vespa belt. My variator is different from the GTS300. It has a large gear ring around the front pulley that the starter motor engages. The tool to hold the pulley bolts to existing holes in the case, and has teeth that engage the gear teeth on the pulley. It didn't fit right either, and required some cutting, grinding, bending, drilling, and a couple of washers for spacers. Even the tool that fits into the clutch bell through the 2 holes in the CVT cover, while it worked, fit VERY poorly. I wound up fabricating my own when I went to put everything back. |
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JBacklund wrote: My identical tool was $41, not $17, and required some pretty creative bending in a vice to get it to work as it should. |
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CaliforniaCruising wrote: Holder tools are key to regular Vespa maintenance, I'd definitely pay more for a higher quality one if it's out there…..within reason I'm not looking for a bargain-basement price on what turns out to be a substandard tool that requires some rather difficult modifications to make it function as it should. I would pay twice what I did for this tool if it would ensure that it was properly jigged when welded up.
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You guys with technical aptitudes are amazing. I read all the posts - all Greek to me. I expect greasy125 is the go to guy. Check the tire pressure, fill up the gas, and use the key to turn it on - that is all I got. You guys cost a butt-load and worth every penny.
Bob Copeland Hey, I can play the Banjo! |
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CaliforniaCruising wrote: Holder tools are key to regular Vespa maintenance, I'd definitely pay more for a higher quality one if it's out there…..within reason |
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CaliforniaCruising wrote: Holder tools are key to regular Vespa maintenance, I'd definitely pay more for a higher quality one if it's out there…..within reason CrackedEgg wrote: Me too. Any suggestions? [LA, CA] Modern tools F/S |
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Bob Copeland wrote: You guys with technical aptitudes are amazing. I read all the posts - all Greek to me. I expect greasy125 is the go to guy. Check the tire pressure, fill up the gas, and use the key to turn it on - that is all I got. You guys cost a butt-load and worth every penny. Bob Copeland Hey, I can play the Banjo! |
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Molto Verboso
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Bob Copeland wrote: You guys with technical aptitudes are amazing. I read all the posts - all Greek to me. I expect greasy125 is the go to guy. Check the tire pressure, fill up the gas, and use the key to turn it on - that is all I got. You guys cost a butt-load and worth every penny. Bob Copeland Hey, I can play the Banjo! I'm tackling this repair project as a matter of financial necessity, and the complete lack of a Vespa service shop anywhere within two astronomical units of where I live. But, with the help of Robot's YouTube video and a couple of special tools, one of which worked as it was supposed to, while the other.......well...you know, I'm making progress. With a bit of overdue (IMO) good luck, and the creeks don't rise, I should have my GTS back on the road terrorizing the Black Hills backroads in two shakes. I was planning on riding the GTS to St. Paul this month, but I will need several hundred miles on the Vespa to get my confidence in it back to where it was before my belt explosion episode. Right now, I'm a bit wary of riding it across the several hundred miles of mostly rolling nothingness of the western South Dakota prairie for that trip. I may just take my Triumph Rocket instead, or possibly, heaven forbid, the Miata MX-5, though a 'top-down roadster' road trip could be fun too, and I would always have the option of wussing out, put up the one-hand convertible top, throw on the AC, heat, or whatever's appropriate for the situation, eat junk 'road food' while zipping along on cruise-control and congratulating myself for the wisdom of my decision. I could also meet up with you for a nice sit-down coffee someplace when I'm in the twin cities. I have four days off next week if I decide to make the trip, and the weather's looking pretty decent. I had a thought here, Bob...you could load up your banjo, and ride or haul that beautiful red GTS of yours out here next August for the '24 Sturgis Rally, and with our two Vespas, your banjo and my trombone (or cello), we could make quite a splash down on main street Sturgis. |
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And I might suggest that next time you want to bend some metal, use some heat on it - Mapp gas would work well enough to get it nice and hot and put some easy bends in it. Smacking it with a hammer as some suggested could break a lousy weld.
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CrackedEgg wrote: Me too. Any suggestions? I'd try this black one for $40 if I didn't already have one that works ![]() |
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Tierney wrote: Take the Triumph Rocket. That's exactly what kind of trip it was built for. It's fuel range isn't significantly better than the GTS's however, and attention must definitely be paid to it's fuel gauge when traveling out there in those wide open spaces. The Triumph Rocket's fuel mileage can range from a low in the lower 20's, to a maximum of 40-45 mpg if 'babied' and ridden at no more than perhaps 65 mph, and no serious headwinds. As it's configured, my Rocket 3R is simply not set up for distance touring, but neither is my GTS 300, so it's kind of even on that score. With it's underseat storage, the GTS can carry significantly more 'stuff' than my Rocket 3, on which nothing can be carried outside of what I can stuff into my back pack. On the plus side, the Rocket has been absolutely reliable and fuss free for the year-and-a-half and 12,000 miles that I've owned it, and it also has new tires on both ends. ⚠️ Last edited by JBacklund on UTC; edited 1 time
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Bob Copeland wrote: Bob Copeland Hey, I can play the Banjo! (The same is said about bagpipes and accordions.) |
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Tor2ga wrote: The very definition of a gentleman is, "a guy who CAN play a banjo, but DOESN'T." (The same is said about bagpipes and accordions.) ![]() |
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Tor2ga wrote: The very definition of a gentleman is, "a guy who CAN play a banjo, but DOESN'T." (The same is said about bagpipes and accordions.) A: Nobody cares.
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Torzga,
Loved your Gentleman comment - great stuff. When I took up the Banjo several years ago, I actually took lessons. My instructor (Great Guy) asked me if I was sure I wanted to do this. Essentially he said that we are kind of the Black Sheep of the instrument family. Plus, Banjo's are always out of tune. He was also somewhat reluctant because old farts have trouble with their hands plucking and fingering chords. It has been a great activity for me. I am not very good, but, I have the Banjo next to me on the couch every night and pluck away during TV Commercials. This, of course, is in between lighting my cigar and sipping on a Brandy/Seven. Bob Copeland ![]() Kind of like riding a Vespa - unique
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If you look on the floor in front of all the guitars and stuff, you'll see my BIL's old banjo.
I pick it up once in a while to remind me why I don't play banjo. My only banjo goal is to learn the theme from "Land of the Lost" so just maybe at a party someday, somebody will have a banjo and I can amaze them with my mad skillz. Drop the mic. ![]() |
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Molto Verboso
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Joking aside, if I could play the banjo and/or accordion even halfway well, I would be very happy.
I probably own twenty guitars, but my wife let me know decades ago that if I wanted to continue to live with her, that there were two things that I could not have, one was a banjo, and the other was a Harley-Davidson. Well, guess who eventually bought a Harley? SHE did, a 2003 V-Rod no less, then a 2013 Softail Deluxe. |
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JBlacklund,
Thanks for the invite, I am going to pass on Sturgis. Good event, just to much party for this old fart. If you are ever in town, I would love to meet up. Note: If you go online and look up Minn-Max Meetup.com, you can ask to join (No Fees - loose association) my scooter riding group. Then, you will receive regular email updates of our monthly riding activities. We also have a four day extended ride each July. Contact: You can email me at - rorval48@yahoo.com Bob Copeland Eden Prairie Minnesota |
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Molto Verboso
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I must say, my little tool rant thread has become quite fun, with some interesting funny, and unexpected turns...along with a good dose of relative Vespa maintenance and repair experience and input.
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JBacklund wrote: I must say, my little tool rant thread has become quite fun, with some interesting funny, and unexpected turns...along with a good dose of relative Vespa maintenance and repair experience and input. How's the big GTS300 service job going? Your thread got me motivated, did an oil change today with minimal slop🍾 ![]() |
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