Modern Vespa

A lesson in patience.

Worst news possible for my Primavera After a clutch rebuild, carb cleaning, etc. etc., and repeated attempts to adjust the idle the scoot still was having some issues. The good folks at Soho in Houston determined that the seals have dry rot. Grrrr. The great deal when I bought the scoot, has just become an OK deal.

Gonna call the shop back and see if I can come ride her around for an hour or two before they commence with the "open heart surgery".

Wow that is one awesome looking scoot. I hope to hear what becomes of all this!

Just back...Crazy ride in her current condition... I tooled around for a couple miles and with the new clutch and the engine now tuned, it seems actually more dangerous to ride than it was when I took it in for repair. 8) The engine revs like crazy when you go to shift gears....I guess with the seals bad it gets extra air and acts like an ill timed turbo. 100% pucker factor the first time I shifted...

Soho Vintage is a good shop though so I know the bike will get good attention... onward to waiting.

You're describing an airleak ...which may or may not be seals based.

You can suck in air around the carb / manifold. That's where i find most smallframe airleaks to happen.

Thanks Eric. The shop seems pretty sure it's due to the seals, but the carb was pulled to clean it, etc... Hmmmm.


Anyway,I am gonna ask the shop (fingers crossed) to come in and watch/help with the seal replacement. Not b/c I know all that much about the process, but I sure would like to learn more, and figure that will be a good way to dive in head first. Now, I just gotta figure what kind of bribe will work with the chief mechanic. 8)

Update: 10/29/08

Scoot N Spook is T - 48 hours. Primavera is awaiting a $2.00 rubber gasket/washer thingy for the kickstart. Suck! I was really hoping to have it for the rally. Guess I should try and figure out how to get my GT to the event...

Grrrr.

they rebuilt the clutch and didn't replace the case seals while they were at it? that is...lazy, and that lack of foresight cost them and you several hours of labor and $$$. THIS is why i don't trust mechanics.

edit: lazy isn't the word. incompetent is more like it. almost unbelievable...are they a classic scoot shop? unless i totally misunderstood the context of the post...did the shop crack the cases to rebuild the clutch?

Yes. They are a classic shop in Houston.

Ah...this is what scares me about taking my scoot somewhere to fix it...

Replacing the clutch get's you no where near the seals. If it was showing no signs of a seal issue then there would be no reason to do that at the same time. Also, shops sometimes feel pressured to keep the repair cost down. doing the clutch side seal is a much bigger job than replacing the clutch.

ah, yes it's been a few years since i dropped a smallframe motor. you are correct. i retract my previous statement.