2012 Vespa S50 its Back!!

[pinkscoot]

I need to stay away from CL. I found another 50cc Vespa that's had a hard life. Those metal bodies are not forgiving. This one was owned by a pregnant woman that can't scoot anymore and needs a car. She said some of the damage was there when she got it. It fell over this winter in an Ice storm and got more damage. Its not as bad as the ET2 or LX 50 but it has its share of dents and dings. Here is a picture of it:

She wanted $600 and I got her down to $450, I know I'm cold but $450 was about $100 more than its worth. Its got 4000+ miles on it. It wouldn't start but the engine felt like it had good compression. The lights worked and the starter. The starter button was gone and an on off switch in its place. You turned the key on and then the starter switch and pulled back on the brake handle to get the starter to go. I've started watching Youtube videos on doing body work so I can get some of these dents gone.

What this scoot has that I wanted was the 4 valve engine. In strokes 2 is better than 4 but in valves 4 is definitely better. I have to get the LX running before I move on to this one. I'm getting tags for the LX tomorrow so I'll be able to take it on the road legally.

[pinkscoot]

I got this one up on the lift and with the help of starter fluid got it running. the engine would race then die, hmmm I looked under the pet carrier and didn't see anything at first. I checked the vacuum line and it was yelled so I pulled on it and discovered that it had broken or been cut and someone used rubber fuel line sleeved over to connect it why do people think that is okay, Sorry no pictures. I replace the fuel line and the engine purred. I discovered the back brake was non existing so I went to adjust it and it was all the way in. Its probably in the drum. When I roll it I hear noise back there. I'm pulling the wheels to put new tires on so I'll look then. I did ride it up and down the street and it is respectable, no 2T but okay. I forgot to turn off the starter switch and every time I put the brakes on there was a grinding. I have the replacement showing up next week. I'm working crazy hours for a week so I'll see when I get back.

[oldgeek]

Someone needs a scooter addiction intervention!Lol

[pinkscoot]

I finally let one go today with plans of selling another. I'm getting better.

[milly]

Mar 3, 2018 19:13:12 GMT -5 pinkscoot said:

I finally let one go today with plans of selling another. I'm getting better.

You will have to send a Vespa across the pond to me, then go for therapy 😊

[pinkscoot]

Cheap ones come up so rarely I couldn't let it go.

[milly]

You are right there, there are no cheap Vespa's over here even totally crashed and bashed ones go for silly money. I think I was lucky getting my 125 2t 4 speed lml star for the equivalent of $550 for a 2010 model put Vespa and px125 badges on it and be very hard to tell the difference.

[pinkscoot]

I didn't pay more than $450 for any of them. The first one was such wreck I will be learning body work to get it looking acceptable. Once I have it running I'll keep it the way it is for a while.

[pinkscoot]

I got this scoot on the lift today. I wanted to pull the wheels so I could get the n ew tires on. I pulled the exhaust, one nut was tight but the other was a little better than finger tight. The bolts mounting it to the case were also not very tight. I pulled the pin and the locking nut and got ready for my impact gun, I put the socket on the nut and low and behold the wheel nut was also finger tight. I have no idea who worked on this for the PO's but they were not a Vespa shop. When I pulled the wheel I discovered that the brake was covered with black nasty oil.



It was everywhere. I then remembered that she said it fell on that side and oil got in e exhaust. I'm assuming it leaked out of the gear box as well. It probably explains why someone had adjusted the brakes all the way out. I decided I should drain the gearbox while the wheel was off and out came some mystery oil.


My guess is transmission oil. I pulled the CVT to be sure there was no oil there. It was dry. My guess is that after the scoot fell over they checked the level and decided it needed mor transmission fluid. The then topped it off I hope it didn't run long that way. 

In theCVT I found a rusty clutch. 



The pads looked good, just dirty as hell inside. I'll open it up later when I swap in the white spring from the multiverse I'm adding.

i found the problem with non working speedo, the cable snapped in the puck, I have a new one on order. Tomorrow I should get the new tires on and maybe be able to go for a ride.

[hellish100]

It's only a problem when you run out of space or money! Keep going!

[pinkscoot]

I got the rear brakes and drum cleaned up. I changed the tires. Breaking the bead on both was a bitch. I tried Brents vice method but I was too cheap when I bought the vice to get a big one. I got them broken and it was a little easier to get the new tires on. I guess after another 10 I'll get better. I refilled the gear box. It only takes 85cc and I put 75 in and it was at the second notch on the stick where it belongs. I turned the clutch shaft and it was much quieter. I hope there isn't any damage from the transmission fluid. I got the brake pads cleaned and they looked like they have never been used. I backed the nut off all of the way to install them and when the wheel went on they were still rubbing a little. I backed it off more and all was good. Spun the wheel and much quitter in there. Next I drained the oil and once again the drain plug was finger tight, I was surprised no leak. Out came black thin oil, these take 5w/30 full synth, I used Royal Purple. I'll probably run it a few 100 miles and change both again hoping to clean it out. Front tire went right on. That's when I realized I didn't balance them. I'll run it for a little and see if its an issue. It will be a few days before work gives me time to get anything done.

[pinkscoot]

I managed to get the clutch and variator cleaned up and back together. The grease in the clutch was very black and thin. It looks like it has a nice ramps on the torque driver. Put a multivar on for a variator and it came with a white contra spring. Put that in, I'm sure Malossi thinks the white spring is good so I'll start there. I got the CVT buttoned up and moved to the front where I needed a new rear brake handle. That went on easily. Then I went to put the new starter switch in and as I thought the mechanic that installed it hacked the connector off. Instaed of spending hours looking for a connector I took it to work and soldered 2 wires to the pins. If that doesn't hold I'll find a connector and get a new switch. I went to put the new exhaust on and discovered Scoottuning sent me the wrong header piece, the flange is way to narrow and won't fit. I thought about slotting it but there isn't enough meat on the piece to do that. It's a separate piece they send and they just grabbed the wrong one. I have no fear that I'll see the right one soon.

[pinkscoot]

The past few days I was able to do some more work. I replaced the Speedo cable, It is a tight fit to get it through the fender hole. I yanked the old out but the new wasn't going back in. I ended up loosening the fender to shift the hole a little and it popped back in. Fortunatly David came over when it was time to put the fender back on, it takes 3 hands and I only brought 2. I put a new gear in and buttoned it up. I spun the wheel and all was good. I got the exhaust back on. it was a piece of cake on the S compared to the LX, or maybe I remembered the trick. I was able to start it and it really runs smooth, 4 valves are better than 2. David noticed a front light out so it was an excuse to go to the Auto parts store and make a liquor run to the ABC store.

Yesterday I put the new taillight on. I drilled out and pulled the broken mirror threads from the right brake handle, PB blaster made it very easy. I had noticed earlier that the front brake pads were worn so I had ordered new Malossi sintered pads I read that you can replace them without pulling the front wheel but I sure didn't see that. They were an easy install after I cleaned the caliper. I then bled replaced the brake fluid and bled the brakes. I have a HF pneumatic bleeder that makes short work of it. Here is a picture of old pads and new:

I then playrd with the plug boot and discovered The new one wasn't long enough so I cut back the cable and screwed the old one on. These scoots use a tiny plug that run $17 each, they have an 8mm thread, I'll try and get a picture up.

[pinkscoot]

I'm a little behind on this build because I've actually had to work at work and not sit around on my computer and update this. So Sunday before work I got the plastics back on and the new plate holder on. Its been hard starting but I get it to with a little starter fluid. I wanted to run it to get it warm before adjusting the A/F. I was able to take it up the street but it wouldn't go much over 1/4 throttle with out sputtering and spitting. I brought it back to the lift and tuned in the A/f and it revved fine on the lift unfortunately it was time for work.

At work I realized I never did the things I always do with these finds. The PO said it had just been running so I figured all was good. I decided I needed to drain the tank and clean the carb. I know it was a nobie mistake to trust the PO. On Tuesday I drained the tank. This is how I do that with a vacuum petcock:

I use a Harbor Freight bottle for vacuum and just let it drain. No gasoline lips for me.

The carb is a Kiehin 20mm NCV, the other Vespas were CVK so this was new to me. I took the carb apart and gave it a thorough cleaning. The pilot jet seemed to be clogged and I worked it out with a small wire, carb cleaner and compressed air. In the end I won and the clog lost. The carb looked pretty clean but is cleaner now.  The accelerator pump was a piston with no rubber involved. The nozzle in the carb was sealed though:

 

Not sure if the output is somewhere else or what, time for research. I put it back together and started it up and it sputtered and I had to open the throttle and all sorts of fun when I noticed I forgot the drain screw, duhh. I fixed that and it started and revved. I was about to do a ride when I got a text message that the person I was meeting at work got there early. Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

Edit: I forgot to mention, I did the vacuum test on the diaphragm and it was slow to rise the first time but got moving really well after that.

[pinkscoot]

Today before work and after a van ride for my dog I was able to get to it. It was hard to start again but woke up with a quick shot of starter fluid. I took it down the street and it was still a dog. Brought it back and played with the A/F mixture some more and still dead. I was starting to think that maybe it needs a little up jetting. Stock these come with a snorke in the air box, Vespa calls it an Air calibration tube. Mine is missing it but has the stock jets. I decided since I had a new plug and plug cap to do that first, it had run fine with the old jets. I pulled the cap and compared to the new size and they matched, its a really long cap to get down to the plug. I got the new plug out and my god they are tiny. I ended up getting a Denso plug fro Scooterpartsco because the stock NGY wasn't available anywhere. hers a pic comparing to a regular plug:

I got the old one out with a deep well socket and a magnet. Even loose I couldn't see it so I stuck the magnet in and fished. the old one was fouled and looking well used.  Gapping the new was a delicate procedure. To get the new one in I made myself a tool from a piece of 5/16" fuel line:

It went in fine, no stripping. here is a shot of the tube in the hole, I did shorten it from the other picture:

While I was doing this I saw the sensor for the CDI:

These have a sensor that connects to a hose on the carb and sends information to the CDI so it can make adjustments. I then was thinking I never reconnected a hose from there, I don't remember taking it off. Duhhh, it was laying on the case under the carb, it hooks up to a nipple that looked like an overflow tube. I reconnected it and clamped it. Started it up and went for a ride. Ahhah that was the problem. I'll tell you this scoot stock with just the variator untuned has some great pick up, I climbed the hill to work very well, no slowing just pulling the whole way.

I'm looking forward to getting the BBK and really getting this thing to move. I know it won't ever be a 2 stroke but that's why I have the ET2.