The Vespa

Here is the engine removed from the frame. Not much to it. Still locked up. I was hoping to find a stuck clutch, but no such luck.  It's an internal issue.

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The Disassembly 

1 Crankcase  / 2 Crankcase Cover / 3 Flywheel / 4 Condenser / 5 Points  / 6 Cam  /  7 Lighting Coils / 8 Cylinder / 9 Crankshaft Assembly / 10 Crankshaft Bearings / 11 Carburetor / 12 Cylinder Head

 As I said, not much to it.  The rule on the table in front of the parts is a 6 inch scale to give an idea of actual size.    One of the crank bearings is locked up causing the engine to be locked.  I'll replace both bearings to be safe.  Both piston rings are also missing sections, so I'll also be looking for a new set.

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The Repairs

First the bearings were replaced on the crank assembly.

Next the crankcase cover was warmed up to allow the bearing to be pressed into the housing.  The crankcase went through the same procedure.  The middle picture above shows the assembled crankcase with the ignition parts and lighting coils reattached.  The picture on the right is of the reassembled engine. Only thing missing is the carburetor, which will be overhauled in the next step of this restoration.

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The Carburetor

1 Carb Body / 2 Float and pin / 3 Float Bowl / 4 Fuel Inlet / 5 Inlet Needle / 6 Idle Speed Adjustment  / 7 Throttle Slide / 8 Choke

Here is the disassembled carburetor. It was gummed up bad, which is pretty normal for an old 2 stroke that has set as long as this one has.  The gasoline will evaporate away leaving behind a combo of varnish and oil.  At any rate it cleaned up nicely and is ready to go back on the engine.

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The (almost) Finished Engine

The engine is almost finished.  In these pictures the carb and clutches are attached.  The wire coming from the engine is the primary ignition wire. This engine has an external ignition coil attached to the frame. It still needs new rings, but in this design that doesn't require much tear down.  You just take the head off and slide the cylinder off the piston, so it won't take much to change them once I locate a set.

I did have some trouble getting spark.  You know how something simple can have you running in circles?   I have a service manual for this engine, but it was printed in Italy and doesn't translate well into English.  I tested, torn down and reassembled for two days. Finally with the help of a wiring diagram I found a  broken ground wire under the magneto coil. 

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On To The Bike

The red paint is slowly coming off.  The first picture is of the rims and drive unit cleaned up and ready to go.  The fenders were a little easier to clean up.  The seat bars and headlight were next.  The speedometer in the top of the headlight is broken and will be replaced with an aftermarket unit.

Here is the back side of the drive unit.  I'm not too sure just how much stopping power that single shoe brake has.  We will find out some day.

Much more to do yet...