Vespatude - A Vespa Blog: Vrrrrrrruuuuuuummmmmmhhhhhhh!

I'm almost afraid to post this. It could possibly jinx momentum that I've managed to pick up today. At least I left the Vespa in working condition.

Here it is. The rebuilt 177cc engine with a Sito plus exhaust is in the frame and is starting up on the first kick. It is loud! But, hey, it will get up and move. I was passing cars going up hill on East North Street.

The flywheel you see is the one off of the old 150 engine case. The flywheel cover is also off of the old case. The one that came with this SCOMO engine was pitted with rust. I mentioned this to Chelsea at SCOMO and she said that the reason was because she was trying to keep the price down on the engine.

I would have liked to have used the older kick start lever. However, you have to crack the case to pull that one off. I wasn't about to do that. I'll just hang onto the parts that I would need and I know the day will come when I'll have to go inside. I'll make the alterations then. As it is, I at least have a nice shiney new P series style lever. The one that came on it was also pitted with rust and had some worn teeth.

The new stator and flywheel fixed the electrical issues I was having. You can see the setup in this picture. The harness comes to the junction box. The junction box connects the frame power and ground to the wiring from the stator. The junction box also directs the timing wiring from the stator to the CDI.

The last issue I had to get the bike riding properly was the gearing. I get the impression that the headset is not a standard type. I can't find the parts I need to get it working anywhere online. All of the gear cables I order have ends that are too large to fit in the sockets of the control arm.

I ended up running the cables through the holes without open ends. It ain't right, but it works. I think I am going to have to order new cables with the protective lining. The ones I have are starting to come apart and are beginning to bind the cables. It keeps the shifting from being as smooth as it could be. I'll probably collect the cables and things I need over time and then remove the gas tank to get it blasted and repainted. When I do that, I'll go ahead and replace the all of the cables with new.

At least now I am just working on the "little things." Maybe I'll actually get to post something other than just problems for a few days.