Modern Vespa

I'm sure I'm not the first person to run into this kinda screw up. A friend got a little too eager tightening his headset retaining bolt.

Then it was too well retained, with the busted bolt half still in there the headset couldn't come off. We can't be the first ones to deal with this particular problem, anybody else seen it? For us it was time for some nut surgery.

Please post up your stories of other bonehead user errors and how they were remedied.

Not a Vespa, but I was building a CPI GTR50 for a friend of mine. It is a horizontal Minarelli case (like a 02-11 Yamaha Zuma 50) but with an extra long CVT to accomodate its 17in wheels.

I dropped the engine and split the case for porting, new bearings, and a new crankshaft. I ended up taking the halves off the stand for cleaning and ease of movement for porting, then I put the large half back on to put everything back together.

Engine re-assembled fully including CVT and top end, I mount it back into the scooter which is hanging from 2 ladders in my garage with a bunch of ratchet straps. I bolt it back up, go to remove the engine stand, and realize I put the front bolt for the stand in the other way at one point, meaning the head of the bolt was hitting the flywheel side of the engine case when I tried to remove it.

Had to break out the dremel and sacrifice the bolt to the gods of speed

^^Ooph!

I have one that appears on page 1 of the Atlas of Stupid. (I am a regular contributor and editor.)

I was removing a piston grudgeon pin from a set of cases up on my mounted piaggio engine stand. Stand is bolted to my work bench…. This becomes important later…

Pin started to move easily. So I continued to move it with my pinky finger. Kinda started to bind so I gave a big push. The grudgeon pin gave way and suddenly I found my pinky well and truly stuck in said piston.

Regrettably, the pin had yet to completely clear the con rod. So really, if we are being honest… I now had and entire motor festooned as one hell of a pinky ring.

Now distance enters the chat:
Pliers to remove the pin completely are a good 4 feet behind me. - not an option

Phone to call the extraction team (read:wife) is inside the house by the coffee pot. I can hear it ringing about 30 seconds after thinking about its location. Thus fulfilling the insult to injury part of this equation.

I finally see a can of PB blaster a few feet away and just out of reach. But luckily after some contortions and a crescent wrench to extend my reach I slide PB blaster over until I can reach it.

The PB blaster worked and my shame was only my own… well, until I was dumb enough to post this recounting. (Also to be included as an addendum to the aforementioned Atlas of Stupid.)

Good times.

I didnt check the rotation on my brand new 24v impact wrench and was excited to use it ...I completly destoyed the clutch castle nut on a P range engine ...was a nightmare to then drill?chisel/cry and shout at before it came out ....never , ever again will I do that ,

Too numerous to mention and many with VW's, but…

Broke a piston ring the first time working on a Vespa engine. Polini cylinder back from the machine shop with a nice fresh hone. I knew piston ring gaps had to be staggered but those indexing pins in the ring lands? Huh?

One stupid mistake and no riding today, tomorrow…maybe next week.

This is basically all of my threads.

Also, this is a dupe of an existing thread.