Tool Chest

As a kid I was not exposed to working on scooters, motorcycles, or cars.  However I did work on my BMXs, mountain bikes, and skateboards, etc.  I want to make sure that things are different for my son and he grows up with an appreciation for a clean and organized workshop and a love of scooters . . . so I am starting him young and sadly old for myself.

My dad has some basic tools and a decent work bench, but I recognize I need more.  I just bought the Craftsman tool chest (40%+ off) and will slowly fill it with new nice tools to lay along side my current tools.  No more 5 gallon buckets to hold my tools.  And some day, my son will inherit a scoot from mom and dad and workshop tools to boot.

Cracked TV175 S.3 engine case

I must have the worst luck with engine cases. One of the cases on my wife's Vespa VSC was cracked at a critical point -- a seal. It would be very risky to save the case. She now has good cases, but the numbers don't match. I am now have a TV175 s.3 case with a crack in it. I need to figure out what to with this case. Click on any photo to enlarge to zoom in on the crack.I have no idea if this case was cracked in the move. I doubt it as we were so careful with it. And it was stored in a rubbermaid wrapped tightly in old clothes. I will see if I have any close-up photos of this engine from back in PA to determine if I am the one that cracked it or not.
I don't know if the cases for Lambrettas must match in order to secure a seal and correct compression. It's my novice understanding that the Li 125 & 15o share this same case as the TV175 and the difference is the other case which is stamped. If so, maybe for less money that a TIG weld I could purchase a new case.
If not, I will need a weld. I suspect a TIG weld is the best choice. Either way I will research this and report on what I find.
My father-in-law is a professional welder and knows TIG. If that's my best option than I may ask him to do the work for me at a family discount.
I suspect a TIG weld and a proper grind down could be done for under $100.
The final question I have is . . . is the crack at a non-critical point and can this case be saved?
Please post a comment and make recommendations if you can. I will email my mentors on this issue and post their recommended solutions.

Since this post I have learned:

1) I can purchase an NOS case around $100. Or used for less.

2) Mike Analt from LCUSA wrote:
"That's an easy fix and a common problem. What happens is the front sprocket is either not tightend down when the cover is put on or the sprocket bolt comes loose while running. It dosen't look like it was running when it happend.

Any good alloy welded can fix it, usually around 50 bucks.

When you have it welded be sure to check the crack to make sure it dosen't leak. Lay the case cover inside up and fill the repaired area with solvent (carb cleaner works too). If the weld is bad it will leak, if it's good it won't.  the only thing the case cover does is hold the oil in the case and hold the clutch arm (so it works)."

3) My mentor Christopher Markley wrote:

"Yeah, JB Weld would do. Clean her up really well inside, JB it, and presto.
If you have it welded, consider that it will likely warp the part a bit, and it would be wise to lap it on a nice granite kitchen countertop or thick piece of plate glass. Then, just make sure to use something like Yamabond when you put it together, for extra sealing protection. Plus it's nice to see an old part stay on the road."

4) Tom G. wrote:

"Jeremy, Don't sweat this too much. Its just a chaincase cover, so only that has to be replaced (or repaired). The main case component is the rare and expensive one. The chaincase covers are interchangeable between all Li models.  As somone already posted on your blog, all this cover has to do is not leak oil. You can epoxy it, weld it, whatever. Or replace it for about $35."

5) Stu Werner wrote:

"Buy a new one."

I have decided to have mine welded by a local LCUSA member and will post a follow-up after I have it done.

My workspace

Going from a full basement and a garage down to just one small garage really limits the amount of space I have to work, but hey at least my workspace is now set up.Above is my sorry excuse for a workbench, which I found thrown out with someone's trash. I removed the busted wheels and believe it or not this old butcher block is very study. Both my TV175 S.3 engines rest their heads on it.
Seeing as I am completely new to Lammy's I do not know how complete the engine is.  The cases were opened when I got it.  The case that is clean needs a weld job.  I just found that out today and am bummed about it.  A post to follow on this.
This TV175 S.3 engine is quite complete I hope.  The piston is still installed and I have no idea if these cases have ever been split.  I also do not know if these cases are cracked any where, since they are caked in crud.

Above is the original TV175 top-end for the piston pictured above.  The crank belongs with the other engine up top.  I am so hopeful that I have an easy rebuild with these engines.  One will be mod'd and installed in the bike and the other will be rebuilt 100% stock to manufacturer's spec and I hope to find a TV frame or body to install it into some day in the future.

Top end kit selected

I plan to make minimal mods to my TV175. The biggest one will be in the performance and reliability department. I am still researching my options, but I have pretty much settled on this set-up:

Casa Lambretta 186cc Kit
GP Crank
Dellorto 25 PHBL Carb
12V Elec Kit (may use Scooter's O)
Big Bore Exhaust

History on my TV175

Gene Meredith of Scooters Originali filled me on the history of my TV:

"History: the TV was imported directly from Italy, from a frenchman who lived there and would collect scooters and then sell them by the container. We only bought one container from him as his description of "all of them run" was far from the truth and there were issues with many of them. The Vespas were worse than the Lambrettas - it is nice to see that Lambretta finally being put back on the road!"

How to clean engine cases and guts

One important thing I learned when researching "how to's" with scooter restoration is people sometimes accidently mislead you and the affect on their instructions turns out to be negative; therefore I speak with multiple people before doing anything at all and I look for patterns. If 3 of 5 people tell me the same thing, I tend to trust them most and then take action.

From my previous restoration, I have collected a few mentors and I always ask them what their opinions are . . . more times than not they all say the same thing.

I make sure to always post everything that I learned so you guys know the options that are out there or can comment on which method to avoid and which you prefer and why.

I want to know the best way to clean the engine cases and guts of the engine to make it look as close to stock as possible and to be as gentle as possible on the cases. This is the question I sent them: "I wanted to ask you guys if using simple regular gasoline and a copper bristle brush would be the best way to clean the engine cases and the internals? Suggestions for cheap and SAFE way to do this?" Here is what I have learned so far:

Christopher Markley says:
"Get some reduced odor paint thinner. Works nicely. Some swear by orange cleaner or simple green. I've found they can be tough on aluminum. Maybe it's just the brands I've used. You don't want to pit seal surfaces. Try the paint thinner -- low odor variety (low odor is a relative, marketing term!!)."

Stu Werner says:
"I use kerosene and a five gallon bucket a third full. Not gas. I reuse it when it gets real dirty by straining it through a t-shirt. If you have the cases stripped you can get the case, case side glass bead blasted. They clean up real nice that way."

Tom G. says:
"But frankly, the solvent (gas is fine -- I keep a container of used brake cleaner hanging around for this purpose also) is going
to do most of the work, so paintbrushes and toothbrushes are good enough for this."

I posted this question on LCUSA as well and Mike Analt responded. He has given me some great information so far. This is what he recommended.

"I find the best way to clean cases is to have them soda blasted then follow them up with some white vinegar. The wash with hot water. You end up a very factory look about them.

There is a guy local to me that does all my blasting needs (baking soda or glass). I have him blast the cases, cylinders, frames, body work etc. he's really good. Soda for sensitive parts (all alloy) or just paint stripping. Glass for rusty cylinders and frames. For internal parts I use carb cleaner, compressed air and paper towels. I just posted a link to a glass blaster mounted to a pressure washer. When I get through the holidays I'll look in to picking one up. It should give the parts the freshly vapor blasted look."

For a deeper understanding . . . sodablasting is a process where sodium bicarbonate is applied against a surface using compressed air. It was first used to restore the Statue of Liberty. Sodablasting is a non-destructive method for many applications in cleaning, paint stripping, automotive restoration, industrial equipment maintenance, rust removal, graffiti removal, molecular steel passivation against rust, oil removal by saponification and translocation, masonry cleaning and restoration, soot remediation, boat hull cleaning, food processing facilities and equipment.

Another option from LCUSA member Brianxyl:
"After several engine rebuild projects I've kind of got a system now. Groaty engine cases and internals clean up great with purple or orange degreaser. Big positive for using this over gasoline or other solvents is that it doesn't stink, isn't carcinogenic or flammable, and you can use it indoors. Way cheaper than taking parts to any outside blasting service. Yes, it does tend to darken aluminum (only the outsides of cases for some reason) but my next step is to use a soft wire wheel on the cases to make them look just-cast fresh. I made a craptastic parts dryer by cutting two holes in a cardboard box and shoving a hairdryer in one of them. It'll dry the water out of cranks etc before anything can flash rust. Great for when painting small parts as well."

More to follow . . . pictures and my final decision on how to tackle this part of the job.

This official launch of this blog

This the official launch of this blog . . .

Up until now I have put little to no effort into this blog, because of a host of reasons, such as completing my the restoration of my wife's 1967 Vespa SS180 and documenting the whole thing over two years on this blog.

A little over two years ago I began researching how to restore a scooter. I spent hundreds of hours talking with people, using forums, reading books, etc. I was bummed that there was not a blog or website where a meticulous person documented everything s/he learned about restoration and presenting the different options to the readers -- something really in-depth. I could not (and still can not) find this website; therefore I made it. I documented everything I learned and called ATTENTION to all of my mistakes to take the frustration out of restoration for newbies and novices as well as to share technical information on the specific model.

So here I go again, beginning the restoration process of my 1962 TV175 S.3 a little smarter than last time. I will share each step of the way you with guys. As always I welcome/request comments.

First order placed

For my 35th birthday, my wife got me started on my restoration. She started me off with a membership to Lambretta Club USA. She also bought me the Spanner's Manual, which I have heard is a MUST own.




I have never rebuilt an engine before and I asked Stu Werner what he thought of this "how to" DVD. His thought is that all resources will help. This DVD covers the removal, full nuts and bolts engine rebuild, and how to get it running. It covers all three series Lammys, which is nice since I would like to buy my wife a Series I or II. I have two TV engines to rebuild and this will be the first step I take in restoring the scoot.

Seeing as we just bought a house this month, things are going to be tight for us for a while and therefore it will take me quite some time to restore this bike because of budgetary issues. So it goes. Good things come to those who wait. I ordered all my parts from Scooters Originali, NJ, and instead of paying shipping I decided to be smart and order the gasket set for one engine now. I only needed to spend $8.50 more to avoid the shipping fee and why not just get something I know I need anyway.

Here's to the long haul ahead of me.

Total for order: $114.00

Update

The TV175 is in storage in San Francisco --  it's new home.

The Vespa SS180 is 99.9% restored and when I have funds I will begin to purchase parts for the TV175.  First I need to title it and begin researching the particulars for this bike.

Determining if parts are correct

There are a few parts that Stu and I are uncertain about and it's very important to me that I do not restore a hotchpotch Lammy. I want it as stock as possible, minus the motor upgrade.The gas tank came from a 1964 series III.  Stu believes that it is a centimeter or two larger than the one would be for a 1962 tank -- which is the year of my scoot.
Stu got this info from Stickey's book.  I emailed Mike Analt about this, but he thinks the gas tank might actually be the correct size since the 1962 TV he just restored has a gas tank a hair small.
Stu said the headset is correct and he pulled it off and sprayed it blue for race team when he was in a pinch.
So you are looking at the stock headset.
There are spray drips on the bottom/underside of the headset, which suggest to me at some point it may have been rattle canned, but I don't know for sure.
The flywheel cover is incorrect.  This is from a series II, which is close in size for the TV I have, but it requires two stamps of some sort to make it look 100% authentic.
I need to talk with Stu/Mike about that in more detail as well as read up about it in Stickey's book as well.  I need to buy that book sooner than later.
I was really concerned that my floor boards were GP.  They are silver and do not match any color on the the TV, except for the Li steering column I have (with the TV shocks hooks welded on as Stu's machinist destroyed the TV steering column to point of non usable.  People won't be able to tell the difference though).  In speaking with Mike, he thinks that I may have series III Li or TV floor boards.
I need to confirm that before I begin working on the bike.  Again Stickey's book would provide me with the answer.
In any case I did speak with a guy who would trade me TV floorboards for mine if indeed I have GP. My floorboards are in excellent condition.

Reference: TV175

I found this TV175 S.3 posted on lambretta.org by Alex from Casa (I believe) and took the pictures so I can reference them when I begin restoring my TV. The more pictures I can get, especially stock, the better because they really help you be specific about what does and does not go on your bike or what should be painted a certain color or not. It helps keep you period specific or true.

This bike is either a 1962 or 1963. You can tell by the cowls -- no chrome finishers it just reads Lambretta. My TV is a 1962. I personally prefer how the earlier Series III look for the TV. It's cleaner in my opinion. Not too much going on.

You can sort off see the stock switch-side perch in the picture below. Not super easy to find original ones of those, but I was lucky and did find one.

The seat and frame I have are in near mint condition, but in red. My seat frame looks similar to the one below in quality.

Update for March 2008

I've done nothing new on the TV175, but am about $200 from totally completing the restoration of 1967 Vespa SS180.

Since my last post I missed buying a GP crank for $90 from SPD's Lambretta blow-out. That was a big bummer for me because the price was so good. I will use a GP crank, because I will go with either 186 or 190cc top end.

Rear shock spring

Before I can begin my R1/R6 shock conversion I needed to powder coat my spring (dust is on the spring in the photo. The paint is perfect). Powder coat is some tough paint and will handle the small pebbles and such hitting it as I clock 65 mph down the road.

I elected to go with the color black since that is how it would have come out of the factory back in 1962. Looking stock is important, even if you have mild mods, in my opinion.

I paid $12.50 to my mentor and friend Christopher Markley to powder it. He has a business for restoring scoots and small displacement motorcycles, called Moto-Rapido. He does excellent work and has worked a lot on my wife's Vespa VSC, including rebuilding the engine.

Just a reminder . . . there will be little to no work done on this Lambretta until Fall/Winter of 2008 as my priority is to complete my wife's 1967 Vespa SS180's restoration first.

Lesson learned:One side on the shock was NOT powder coated and I asked Christopher why that was the case. Here is the answer I got:

"You beat me to the e-mail. Put those ends facing down. When powder coating, you can suspend the part on wires or let it stand on its own if it has a flat surface. Regardless, wherever it touches, no powder. Seems on the springs that shortly after installation, the powder or paint if you use paint will quickly wear away as the spring seat grinds around against the shock spring support. So I opted to not suspend the parts on wires, since the suspension points would have been on a visible surface of the spring. This way, they look pretty and the part without powder would have lost its coating anyway in use. If you're worried about it, a smear of thick axle grease where the springs meet the shock could postpone corrosion, but it is inevitable at those mating points eventually."

Need a title?

My Lambretta did not come with a title as many barn yard finds don't or maybe you lost your title -- and now you need one. That's an easy fix at $80.

Look into International Title Service. They're the most frequently used service for old motorcycles and cars.

In a nutshell what you do is sell your bike to them and they resell it back to you with a clean title.

Easy as 1-2-3.

Alternative ways can be found on Scoot.net's Wiki.

Of course these approaches are for the USA.

Lesson Learned from Posting on BBS:
*sigh* ITS and Broadway don't provide actual titles. They charge to provide you with paperwork which enables you to title a vehicle in your home state.

You are still responsible for paying your states' fees for tax, tags, and title above and beyond what you pay any titling company for their "service".

Some states don't accept paperwork from out-of-state titling services, so caveat emptor before spending money with ITS or Broadway. Most state have a process for obtaining a title for a vehicle that doesn't otherwise have one, which is usually cheaper and quicker than using an out-of-state titling service, which is why that FAQ is on scoot.net.

Enjoy,
John M. Stafford