Modern Vespa

My 2007 LX 150 is leaking oil quite quickly, it's coming from the gasket between the block and what I believe to be the oil pan. There's 6 8mm bolts to remove that pan, but two of them are positioned such that there's no way to get a tool to them. Picture attached. The Haynes manual I bought for the scooter makes no mention of removing the oil pan (that I've found so far), so before I start guessing, does anyone know how much I'll have to remove to get at those two bolts, and are there any surprises in store for my first attempt at scooter maintenance while I try to get to them?

Thanks,
T.H.

Take the transmission cover off first. Then they're completely accessible!

Thanks, that put me in the right direction.

So to remove oil pan, I have to remove the transmission cover. To remove the transmission cover, I have to remove the air filter box. To remove the air filter box, I would normally have to pull some bodywork, but fortunately? the previous owner neglected to both install the lower trim panels and replace the topmost screw holding the air box in, so that at least came out easily (but it leaves me wondering what else the previous owner neglected to re-install). Now I'm at the nut on the clutch drum. My manual shows a tool to lock the clutch, which of course I've never seen before and don't own. Am I shopping for such a tool now, or is there a wise old mechanic's trick for locking the clutch so that nut can be removed?

It looks similar to removing the front sprocket on my motorcycle, where I use a bar through the rear wheel to hold it in place while I loosen the nut. Does that work here? Or am I going to break something if I don't have the proper tool?

I don't have a picture, but you can buy a U-bolt with the dimensions to fit into the openings around the clutch nut. Bend over the top of the "U" leaving enough of the legs to penetrate far enough (this so a wrench can access the clutch nut) and you're good to go. Almost free. If you go back often, the tool isn't that pricey, but chances are you don't want to sit on your hands waiting for the delivery.

If you haven't checked the wiki, there's a lot of good info, including this. Look under "specialty tools" or to cut to the chase:


Or if that's not in your budget, a hefty friend to sit on the scooter (I don't recommend the "fat chick" solution as previously recommended unless you're courting a metaphorical black eye...) and squeeze the rear brake. If they're going to charge you a 6-pack for the favor, just buy the damned U bolt.

You are correct. Once I've started a job, I'm decidedly impatient about finishing it. I'm off to find a suitable U bolt.

Thanks.

Success, thank-you gentlemen. Didn't even need to bend the U bolt, just put it in and used a ratchet between the arms to loosen the nut. Everything is disassembled, parts are cleaned and drying before I attempt (probably Sunday) to put it all back together.

There was one surprise waiting for me. I started the job by removing the oil drain plug and draining the oil. I still expected a bit to come out when I removed the pan, but there was more oil still in the pan than drained out when I removed the plug. It quickly overflowed the cardboard I'd laid down to catch what I thought would be a few drips, and caused quite the slick on my garage floor. This bike only has a center stand, so I guess I'm going to have to lean it over to drain the oil when I'm doing changes. Clearly draining it on the center stand leaves a lot of old oil behind.

When draining oil, you have to remove the filter as well as the drain plug and screen.