 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
Recommended
First
Steps
First
Steps
Congratulations! You have joined the elite club of vintage scooter enthusiasts.
You have the good taste to appreciate a pinnacle in style, form and functionality.
If you found this page, you have already looked at my recommended technical
resources. This page will describe the steps I take when trying to re-animate a
vintage scooter in New England barn.
Different scooterist have different philosophies on how to go about this so please
do your research and make your own decision. If I am going to riding this scooter
on a regular basis, there are a few things that will be done to give me some piece of
mind of it's reliability. I also thinks it's easier to trouble shoot any problems with
the scooter if you start off by eliminating common problems.
You have the good taste to appreciate a pinnacle in style, form and functionality.
If you found this page, you have already looked at my recommended technical
resources. This page will describe the steps I take when trying to re-animate a
vintage scooter in New England barn.
Different scooterist have different philosophies on how to go about this so please
do your research and make your own decision. If I am going to riding this scooter
on a regular basis, there are a few things that will be done to give me some piece of
mind of it's reliability. I also thinks it's easier to trouble shoot any problems with
the scooter if you start off by eliminating common problems.
| FUEL, SPARK, AND COMPRESSION : For an engine to turn over and run properly, it has to have an adequate fuel supply, the spark has to be strong, and the mixture of air and fuel must be compressed enough to cause the ignition of the mixture. |
FUEL SUPPLY
Most of the scooters I find have been sitting unused for a long time. Any gasoline
left into the tank, fuel line, or carburetor may have transformed into a shellac like
substance. This will clog very fine holes in your carburetor called jets. Also, over
the last 40 years, the gas tank may have rusted on the inside or accumulated dirt
and scum. Any rust or dirt that breaks off can clog the fuel supply and disrupt the
necessary flow of fuel to the engine. It is for this reason I ALWAYS do the
following:
Most of the time a I also thoroughly clean the gas tank. There have been a few
scooters I have found with clean gas tanks but only a few.
Carburetor rebuild.
I have followed Richard Hoar's instructions on how to rebuild a carburetor which can
be found a Vespa Maintainence-Carburretor Rebuild Follow Richards advice and
stuff a rag into the intake valve so nothing accidentally falls in.
Also, be careful when re-installing the carburetor. The two 11mm sleeve nuts must
be tightened EVENLY and within torque specifications (11.57-14.47 lbf ft for a
P200) I have found a few air boxes warped by over tightening these screws.
I usually buy a complete carburetor rebuild kit which includes a bunch of
gaskets, a new needle and a new float. Tell your scooter shop the exact model of
your carburetor to make sure you are getting all the right bits.
I like to soak all the metal parts in this Gunk Carburettor cleaner. After a few
hours soak, I rinse with hot water then blow dry with compressed air. I bough a
small mini compressor to do this inside during Maine's cold winters.
Most of the scooters I find have been sitting unused for a long time. Any gasoline
left into the tank, fuel line, or carburetor may have transformed into a shellac like
substance. This will clog very fine holes in your carburetor called jets. Also, over
the last 40 years, the gas tank may have rusted on the inside or accumulated dirt
and scum. Any rust or dirt that breaks off can clog the fuel supply and disrupt the
necessary flow of fuel to the engine. It is for this reason I ALWAYS do the
following:
- a complete carburetor rebuild
- replace the fuel line
- rebuild or replace the fuel tap
Most of the time a I also thoroughly clean the gas tank. There have been a few
scooters I have found with clean gas tanks but only a few.
Carburetor rebuild.
I have followed Richard Hoar's instructions on how to rebuild a carburetor which can
be found a Vespa Maintainence-Carburretor Rebuild Follow Richards advice and
stuff a rag into the intake valve so nothing accidentally falls in.
Also, be careful when re-installing the carburetor. The two 11mm sleeve nuts must
be tightened EVENLY and within torque specifications (11.57-14.47 lbf ft for a
P200) I have found a few air boxes warped by over tightening these screws.
I usually buy a complete carburetor rebuild kit which includes a bunch of
gaskets, a new needle and a new float. Tell your scooter shop the exact model of
your carburetor to make sure you are getting all the right bits.
I like to soak all the metal parts in this Gunk Carburettor cleaner. After a few
hours soak, I rinse with hot water then blow dry with compressed air. I bough a
small mini compressor to do this inside during Maine's cold winters.
Fuel tap
You will need a special wrench to remove the
fuel tap. They are under $20 and worth it!!!
Depending on the model scooter you have,
you may have to bend it a little bit to make it
work for you. I have ground off the edges
on the tool to make it easier to slide into the
tank of a couple of my scooters.
You will need a special wrench to remove the
fuel tap. They are under $20 and worth it!!!
Depending on the model scooter you have,
you may have to bend it a little bit to make it
work for you. I have ground off the edges
on the tool to make it easier to slide into the
tank of a couple of my scooters.
| TOO BE CONTINUED.... |
