Modern Vespa

Found a swingarm in Germany. Switched over whatever I needed from my old one.

Still need shock mount location measurements. Of all the walk throughs I've found, none give the actual location measurements. Just say they based it off the factory placement and then go into detail on everything else.

I got you.

The bottom of the shock bracket sits 7 13/16" from the bottom of the fork tube.

Awesome! Thank you!

Just to be safe, what would you say it is to the center of the hole? My mount is aftermarket so don't trust them being the same size.

That's slightly less than 8.5"

I wish I had a metric tape measure

Um.... looks like 8.25" to me. Close enough for a shock.

Thanks! I dunno how I butchered that measurement!

But yeah doesn't need to be exact, there's a little wiggle room available.

Excellent! Thanks a lot!

Anytime!

That's smart thinking about not trusting the lengths of aftermarket shocks. I'd use Friday's measurements at a baseline, cycle the replacement damper extension and compression, then make your tack welds on the bracket, double check once again with the damper installed, then finally weld the bracket in place.

Good advice. Will do.

Well, got the cases all back together, and wouldn't you know it, the clutch cover I got to fix the holey one interferes with the carb box. Now I gotta find another one and cross my fingers it fits. I'm going to look but does anyone have a compatible cover for a 63 Allstate? Engine is stamped VNB4.

ETA: Picked up a new Piaggio 7 spring clutch cover in case I ever upgrade the clutch.

I wish we had metric everything.

152.4 millimeters just doesn't have the same connotation though

Looking for some front axle roller bearings if anyone has some old ones to spare. Part #5021. I need almost enough for one side. I have 5 or so left and need the rest for that side.

There is some kind of shortage right now. Vendors shipped the wrong ones to retailers so they all have the wrong ones as well.

Mine likely fell out when fixing the bent fork.

I probably have your clutch cover and your needle bearings too, but I'll need more specifics. Gimme the bearing diameter and length please. I'll look thru clutch covers and see what's what.

Thanks!

The roller bearing is 2.45 mm x 13.7 mm approximately.

I ended up buying a new 7 spring clutch cover but a period correct one would be nice to have as well.

Sadly from the hundred or so that I've collected over the years, I too could only find 5 of that size so I guess that wouldn't really help.

Oh wow. Well five is still more than zero and will still help. Message me if you still want to sell them.

One thing to note for any future readers is that three speed and four speed kickstart pinion gears are not the same. Had to grab a four speed pinion gear. All the info I found on the swap never mentioned that. Was going to skip the swap but the person I bought the 20/20 from also had everything for the swap so got it all for a really good price. Minus the kick gear obviously.

Switched from cut 57 crank back to stock type Tameni crank that has the roller bearing small end I needed. To use the Mazzy I needed a lightweight flywheel and they seemed to only work with electronic ignitions which also required a full rewire. Was just more than I wanted to do. Maybe later if I find a nice engine to build separately.

Front fork is mostly together. Converted to VBB style with shock. Missing a few washers, nuts and also those roller bearings to finish it. I checked the area where I worked to unbend it and there was no sign of any roller bearings. May have been lost by PO many moons ago. Who knows.

Going to continue with assembling the engine for umpteenth time, put back in frame sans front end and try to see if it'll start. Hopefully sometime this weekend.

Quality thread going here. Dig it.


I may have some of those rollers. Will check this evening after work.

Thanks on both!

Bah.

Mine are not the correct size.

Here's the converted fork. Ain't pretty. Had to modify a universal shock mount. They don't sell the stock type anymore. Needs some paint. Only priming and painting where it got torched to straighten and the bracket welded on. Going to try and find some off the shelf, close enough paint. May not tho. Tells a story.

Found some washers and nuts.

Found some close enough individual roller bearings from McMaster Carr.

Back to assembling the engine for now.

Photo Update

Installed exhaust, made 4% premix, dealt with leaky float needle, double checked points. Won't start for shit.

The 4% premix was made with 2.56 oz x 2 of synthetic 50:1 in a gallon of 93.

Has excellent spark. Set at 18 but can't dynamic test since it won't start and also can't do static test due to not having the right gadgets.

Has fuel but no clue if too much or too little since can't even get it to combust at all.

Quick compression check was at 120 cold obviously.

Have tried 2.5 out idle screw, 1.5 and 2.5 out air/fuel screw, little bit of ether made no difference.

Carb jetting is 55/160 idle jet, be3, Air 160, Main 116 to start at and tune down from based on a suggestion for my setup.

I expected it to do SOMEthing. It kicks over like there's no fuel or spark. Just compression air pump sounds. No catching anything.

It's currently not wired to the rest of the bike so essentially bench setup but in the frame.

Any ideas of things to test?

"The 4% premix was made with 2.56 oz x 2 of synthetic 50:1 in a gallon of 93."

?? x2 of synthetic 50:1
So how much oil is in the fuel? And why 4%?

You need to know if you're starved or flooded. Pull your plug and look to see if it's wet or dry.

2.56 oz x 2 = 5.12 oz of 2 stroke oil premixed in a gallon of gas.

The terminology for 2 stroke oil seems to be all over the place.

4% because that is what Pinasco calls for.

Def not starved and def on the flooded side. Plug is typically wet. Kinda difficult to get a good starting point with all the varied info out there. Tempted to put the stock carb back on but my luck that would seize it.

Some fresh plugs and messing around with the carb got it started. Always a pain getting started on an unfamiliar carb.

55/160 was on the rich side. A/F screw was one turn out and idle screw was also one turn out.

Switched to a 48/160 from the stock carb and A/F screw is at 2 turns out and idle screw is at 2.25 screws out.

Have a 50/160 on the way to try and get it to the neighborhood of 1.5 on the A/F and 2.5 on the idle and also get the plug a tiny bit darker.

Found some paint and primer that got the fork close enough. Will be putting the rollers in and assembling and installing that soon.

Fork painted and final assembly done.

Dynamically set timing. Runs really well right now. Starts up first kick.

Cleaned and prepped bearings for fork install.

Need to figure out what to do with the giant hole in the fender. Likely some sort of temporary solution for now.

Really like how it ended up looking with the original finish. Never planned for patina but ended up liking how it looked after cleaning all the mud and crud off.

That looks really good.

I had the cowlings painted in frame color since they were already like that when I got the scoot. They were just painted shoddily with a brush like the rest of the scooter


All orange and shiny after powder coating


After fitting things together I had a moment of regret to be honest since it just does not look right to me. I prefer that patina look on the engine over the shiny paint. Now this "issue" is resolved though by replacing the whole engine with VR-One based one.

Oh, interesting! Looks good but I can see your point.

I'm not, personally, a fan of powder coating engine parts. I believe it makes it more difficult to dissipate the engine's heat. That's just my opinion tho.

I'm sure the VR-One engine is fun! I'd like to do something similar in the future. I've got my eye out for a P200 of some sort but in no rush currently.

That patina is beautiful. Perfection.

Congrats.

i have an original paint fender in great shape. Reach out to me.

Thanks! Yeah that's just how it was after I cleaned the 50 year old mud off. I saw it and was like oh wow. Had to leave it alone.

Oh cool! Will do!

50/160 Idle Jet

1.25 Turns Out A/F Screw (It bogs a tiny bit at 1.5 Turns Out) (Dellorto Coarse Thread A/F Screw)

2.125 Turns Out Idle Screw

This is the plug just idling on the centerstand since front end is still off.

Idle is snappy and comes fully back to idle within 3 seconds.