Modern Vespa

I need some help! Riding home this afternoon my LX150 started losing power, like a slipping belt and making a sound from the transmission area like a playing card stuck in the spokes. I nursed it home, thinking the belt must be shredded but when I removed the cover there was apparently nothing wrong with the belt, however there was grease sprayed around the inside of the cover and on the pads in the clutch. Also some obvious scraping had worn away areas inside the cover.

I remember reading something a few months ago from someone at MV having a similar problem but can't locate that post now. Any thoughts on what the problem may be? Where might the grease be coming from? I understand that there is grease in the driven pulley, would a failure there cause it to spray about? What to look for?

I plan to clean away the grease as best I can and reassemble tomorrow but I'm guessing that there is a bigger problem.

I will try and attach some pics.

Thanks in advance for you help with this!!

You may have stripped your clutch bell there due to that oil & grit. it happened to me

Wow, thanks for your fast response! What part of the clutch bell would be stripped?

BTW for what it's worth, I only have 2500 miles on my scooter. We have such a short season here in upstate NY, I need to ride every summer day that I can!

The clutch bell is on the right hand side of your bottom photo. The inside is where the clutch pads grab. It is hard to tell from your photo, but it looks kind of shiny as if grit & oil from your pads has polished it for you which would lead to the pads not gripping. I'm no expert, but I had a similar problem. A new clutch or clutch rebuild may be in the cards for you. More knowledgeable grease monkeys will be along to chime in soon I'm sure.

If that is indeed oil or grease instead of the usual black dust from clutch wear, then the likely candidates are the oil seals on the clutch shaft bearings or the gasket on the oil sump (farther forward under the variator).

Are you sure its oil or grease? A lot of dust combined with severe glazing of the clutch pads and bell can cause slipping and/or shuddering problems.

Streak, hi

Definitely grease. How can I check the clutch shaft bearings? What to look for?

The closest dealership to me is several hours away, I am mostly on my own here. I REALLY appreciate all advice offered!!

Well, if the source of the leak isn't obvious (like a drip from the seal or an obviously torn gasket) I'm thinking the only way to be sure is to clean everything up really well, put it back together, and ride it for a little while (after deglazing the clutch pads and bell with some 220-grit sandpaper)... then tear it back down again.

A lot of work, I know, but I can't think of any way you could pinpoint the source with all that mess in there.

EDIT -- BTW, do you know what gear oil smells like? It's a very distinctive smell. If it is the clutch shaft seal into the gearbox, you should be able to smell gear oil.

Good to know... Tomorrow morning I will clean and roughen w/220 & reassemble and wait to see if the noise continues (or returns).

I am concerned about the scraping marks in the cover, obviously the pulley has been moving enough to make contact. Sounds like the shaft bearings have too much play in them...Do I need to remove the variator to remove the clutch?

Already I miss my scooter....

You need to at least loosen the outer variator pulley half to get the clutch pulley/shoe assembly off. If the pulley is moving enough to scrape the cover, then you definitely have bearing and seal problems.

I reassembled the transmission and it is still making the same noise. After reviewing the workshop manual it seems a gearbox rebuild (to replace the bearings and seals) was WAY past my level of expertise...

My nearest Vespa dealer in Syracuse said they are discontinuing their relationship w/Vespa (HD only). I did find a place in town willing to work on it, like many places this time of year they have a 2 week backlog...It is a Honda dealership, I'm hoping for the best.

This may be how I get my second Vespa??? I would love a shifty!!

I really miss my scooter!!

Thanks to all for your help!!

From your pics it just looks like normal dirt , grit and bits of used rubber from the belt. I don't really see a major problem from the pics you provided.

Is anyone else with me on this?

The second picture shows metal worn away on the top of the cover.

We'd be able to help a lot more if he'd establish whether or not he has gear oil inside his tranny case. If that wear on the cover is indeed caused by the driven pulley, he has major shaft bearing and seal failure.

A bearing failure on a 3-4 year old scooter with only 2500 miles is really almost unheard of. I also own a 2007 LX150 and I am a bit unnerved about this.

I am curious if his case has ever been opened up before.

Take a look at the drive shaft/front variator. If the bolt on the variator spins loose you can actually spin the variator on the drive shaft. Been there...done that....twice with 2 different leader engines. The splined drive shaft should have no groove in the circumference. Only splines running longitudinally down the shaft.

Best of luck

I purchased my scooter new, about two years ago. The case had never been opened. It had been running smoothly up to that point.

I do live in a very hilly area, I am almost always going up & down. Could using the engine braking while going downhill cause undue wear on the bearings or seals?

And the grease inside the case does not appear to be gear oil, it is thicker and green in color. The grease was mostly in a thick line, in line with the rear pulley.

Well, it seems logical to me that -- if the clutch shaft bearings have failed to the extent that the driven pulley can touch the housing -- then the seals would surely be destroyed, and you'd have gear oil from the final drive gearcase inside the tranny housing.

Something doesn't add up.

I agree with Nightwing that a bearing failure on a Leader with that few miles would be rare indeed.

Well, its at the shop now. I will let you know what they say in a week or so.

Thanks again for all of your suggestions!