Fuel rod install

Before I could install the new fuel rod I needed to pinch the connection tabs.

You can see the gap here.  There is plenty of metal, and Gene M of Scooters O believed it would be safe enough to bend the metal.
I put the pin in place and cushioned the metal tabs with an old sock.
And pinched away.  I was able to fairly easily and with good control.
Unfortunately, both tabs did not bend.  Only one did.  I decided not to fuss with it, because the gap is closed and now locked around the clip and it will function correctly.
Since the bike has been stored I had a bit of oil in there to protect the tank from rust.  I used a little gasoline and flushed it all out.  When I turned the fuel rod lever nothing happened.  I removed the switch on the fuel valve and all look good.  I put it back together and turned it with a screw driver an off an on the fuel work.  The problem was the lever on the fuel rod.  It is held on by tension and spins around the rod.  I will use blue Locktite or JB Weld or Epoxy to lock it in place.  I just need to determine what product is best.

Fill the tank up with a little gas and tighten/loosen the two small screws on the petcock until the on/off lever can turn easily and gas does not leak.  You will need to find this perfect balance before putting the gas tank back in your bike.
The hardware for the gas tank and seat were pretty rusty.  I could easily replace it, but I like the idea of a few hidden parts to show the past and soul of the bike.  So I used some WD-40 and a wire brush and cleaned up the threads.  I used gasoline on the tougher spots.

Note the black tape holding that screw in place.  The nut on the underside came loose.  It's hard to work in there.  I may Locktite the nut in place or replace it.
To guide the fuel rod I use a long strand of black tape since the lever was off.  Easy install.  I still need to glue the lever on to the rod in the OFF POSITION and I will be good.

Paul B. left a great note in the comment field.  It is a good idea to install the fuel rod to frame cover (grommet) before sealing up the gas tank area as having access to both inside and outside the frame makes the job much much easier.  I had to cut my circle back to get it to fit and at the last pinch to install the grommet cover it fell inside my frame.  Of course!  Murphy's Law.  So I had to remove the seat and the gas tank to access it.  Every time I move a painted item,  no matter how careful I am, I run a high chance of a chip or a scratch.  I believe that is also Murphy's Law.

Once I have the lever glued on I can fire her up.

Progress is being made.  

Final Parts List & More

If there is such thing as a "restoration diary" you're looking at it. The pages below are from my personal notes and communication with my bud Ted, who will be helping me in the final assembly of the VSC.

It is my goal to scan in PDFs of all parts I ordered and convert to JPEGs so you guys can see all that I ordered. Unfortunately, I can not post it as a MS Excel or Word doc so you guys could just download and revamp per your needs . . . but feel free to email me if you want what I have.

I wish I had time to write up one long well organized parts list for the VSC (I will do this for the 62 TV175, which I will restore after this bike is complete).

The list below should prove helpful for all newbie and SS restorers as a good starting point.

Click on the images below to make larger. There are six pages total.











The more detail oriented you can be the better. I have a binder at home that is extremely detailed with prints of email discussions on how to best achieve results for many steps along the way to a full restoration. This Blog is also pretty detailed and I have careful to point my mistakes and process (i.e. this entry is all about my process and showing you what and how I chose to document) to help you have a smoother experience than me.

I am taking a 2 month vacation back home . . . Portland, OR (my wife is native) and S.F., CA (where I grew up) and my bud Ted is double checking my parts list when ever he gets a free moment. Once done and when I have cash, we place the final order and then reassemble the bike.

Register your SS180 here!

Name: Ole Worren
Serial: VSC1T0023942
Year: 1966
Model: SS180

* Location: Bergen, Norway



Name: Jenny Markley
Serial:
Year: 1966
Model: SS180







Name: Collin
Serial:
Year:
Model: Grimstead
















* Before picture

Name: Trace
Serial:
Year: 1966
Model: SS180







* Mid-way done











* Complete









Please email me your (1) full name (2) serial number and year (3) picture of your SS180 and I will post it. Piston Ported is no longer taking registrations and Scott will have all new comers sent to me to register their SS180s.

Fork & Shock Disassembly

It's my intention to rebuild the front fork according to the "how to" link in my "Resources" list in the Blog navigation bar. I also plan thoroughly clean and baum spray my forks. I will Zinc plate my shock housing, according to Tecnica this is how the original shock was done.

When rebuilding the shock use the parts book for GS/SS from www.scooterhelp.com and the diagram is far more detailed than the SS one is.

First, I ordered a replacement dampner seal for the front shock for $10 (very hard to find) from Motor Sport Scooters and I purchased the second to last one in existence & from what I later learned the last one was also purchased. Suggestion -- you'd be surprised with what seals and rings your local vintage motorcycle shop has in stock. I know that a local vintage motorcycle shop my buddy, Ted Witmer, frequents specializes in "suspension" and he has found a hard-t0-find piece of rubber for my shock there as well when every single scoot shop I called did not have the part. Next I need to replace the pivot pin (pictured to the left) -- part #47 in part book drawing below. From what I understand it is not the easiest part to find; therefore be careful when removing in case you need to reuse. I will follow-up to this post and report on my search for this part #55271.

To disasemble the fork from the shock, you need to remove the cotter pin "screw" (#47 in the part book drawing) located near the grease nipple, then just push the pivot pin sideways. You can loosen the nut and put a socket behind the pin and pressed it out with a vise. Once the tapered pin is out, the pivot pin should just push out with your fingers. Try not to damage the tapered pin -- as stated it may be difficult to find a replacement, but if you can throw the old pivot pin and bearings away and get a rebuild kit.

A BIG thank you to Flaco, Trace, The Self Presevation Society, and all others from Scoot BBS for the help.

Note: more information to follow as it is completed.

Body work 30% done

I took these pictures two or three weeks ago when I posted the engine-side cowl restoration post. The body required mild to moderate work. Since these photos I am sure it looks a lot different.

There are a few "dents." Note the dent beneath the tail loght area and the two dents on the front of the scooter on the pictured above.

The streaking color you see here is a normal by-product of the PPG cleaner and conditioner I used on it.






The front fender had a slight tilt to it and some nicks and nacks. If you look at the "history" post you can see what it looked like before -- when it was still complete. I suspect the bike had been laid down once or more.


The glove box metal was thin on the underside in a few spots, but all in all in good shape.




As you can see this cowl is in MUCH better shape than the engine-side cowl was. My only concern is with the wider (incorrect) louvres I used on the engine cowl is the inconsistency with the manufacture's ribs on the picture cowl here. On the flip side, it's not possible for a person to look at both sides of the scooter at the same time without a mirror - ha.

You can see pictures of the engine-side cowl in the "engine-side cowl restoration" post on this blog.

Lessons Learned

Attention newbie restorers!

These are the most important lesson I can offer you at my own personal expense.

1) Double your budget
2) Triple your timeline
3) Relax, make this fun (the two items above will help you achieve this)
4) Research every little step. Make sure that each part you replace or add to your bike is original to your scooter. If cost a little more, but is closer to original. Go that route. This may slow down the restoration, but it's okay. I learned a tough lesson when restoring the engine-side cowl louvres. My louvres are incorrect. I could see that when they arrive and did NOT ask my weld/body/paint guys what it would cost to fabricate some that are correct. I did not email Scoot BBS and ask for advice. I just moved forward.

AND most importantly

5) I did not start off this restoration with the mind-set to keep this bike as "pure" as possible. I adopted this approach half way through my restoration as I learned more and more. My suggestion is: START OFF WITH A PURIST APPROACH and you can always back off as you see fit. It's like cutting hair, it's easier to cut a little off until it's perfect as opposed to cutting too much off and then to have to add hair extensions.

Medium Blasting

I've read about the dangers of "sand blasting" and "acid dips"; although I wonder if there are appropriate times to acid dip as long as the necessary precautions were taken to counter act the acid, thoroughly dry, and prime paint the metal immediately. Sand blasting sounds overall too abrasive. I am a 9th grade English teacher and education field we often "steal" or "borrow" ideas from one another -- it's common place. Why recreate the wheel?

As far as I am concerned, the same goes for restoring a scooter; therefore I took my advice and followed in the steps of a local Lambretta restorer, Stuart Werner, who has restored a countless number of bikes. I followed the trail he left and had the SS180 sand blasted with a recycled medium by Seibert's Sand Blasting for $106. Per Christopher Markley's advice I used a spray product called "Zero Rust", which converts & seals rust in the area beneath the gas tank that the sand blaster could not reach. I also prepped the metal with PPG "cleaner" and metal "conditioner" and stored the bike for over one year in my dry basement -- two feet away from a 25 pint dehumidifier. I then took the bike to K & K Autobody and Paint, where it currently resides. K & K have painted more scooters for Stuart than you can count on your fingers and toes. They know how to do it well and take pride in it and the reputation of not giving you guff if you are unhappy. They just make the situation right.

Busted Gear Selector Box

From what we know our Vespa had been abused by teenage boys back in the early 1980s and used as "dirt bike" then stored away after the piston seized and left untouched for 20 years. Take a look at the gear box selector -- see the crack!

Christopher Markley thoroughly cleaned prior to final engine assembly and beneath some goo found this crack, which is where the rod passes through. He suggested either welding or replacing, but after having discussion with expert techie Tom Giordano . . . it was decided replacing would be best for the long run.

Of course this part is specific for GS/SS and in no longer produced, but luckily after several phone calls I found two shops that them in stock new the box. It cost me $90 to buy from Scooter Parts Direct. It's in the mail.

I opted not to TIG weld, which is an option, "because the boss seems to be NOT only cracked, but also worn somewhat oval, so the shaft running through it can wobble. This would probably guarantee oil leaks and sloppy shifting. It might be possible to bore it out and then put in a bronze sleeve, but the work involved would make the repair cost as much or more than the replacement part and wouldn't be a 100% sure-thing," according to my most trusted Christopher Markley. Bottom line: I am not that much of a purist. I want this bike to be as reliable as possible. New is the best choice in this specific situation for me.

Part #59523 GS/SS Gear Selector Box (complete)

Note: A Rally gear selector box will not fit the SS, even if the parts book confuses you, according to a post I put up on Scoot BBS.

Reference: Tecnica

Happy New Years from Jenny Markley

Thank you to Jenny Markley (FYI no relation to Christopher Markley referenced on this Blog) who scanned in these "SS180" pages from Tecnica V.3 for us. If you plan to print, I suggest converting to a PDF format first (Mac people - just go to the print screen and click the option to "save as PDF"). This is the first resource to help the newbie restorers keep their bikes original to Piaggio issued SS's.

Click the image for a larger version:

Page 47











Page 48











Page 49











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Page 54

Invitation to all readers

Calling all readers . . .

The overall goal for this blog is to create a comprehensive resource for SS180 owners. I can not do this without your help and therefore, I invite all of you to "comment" to postings and make recommendations where you see fit.

My knowledge, at this point, is limited. This blog documents my first restoration and I hope to point out all the mistakes I made and how to avoid these pitfalls in an effort to make the next VSC restoration easier on its owner.

The priority of this blog is to keep SS180s as original as possible during restoration, BUT I also want to help the "daily rider" restorations. It may benefit them to replace their HT coil with a newer PX125 HT coil for better spark, for example.

I recognize, many purists will say that you can't have it both ways Jeremy and my anwser is . . . you can if you have two bikes . . . meaning each owner may restore with a different goal in mind.

Please email me:
1) photos -- before and after -- of your SS180, serial number, year, and your name and I will create a "Registry" post to capture our SS community.
2) stories about your restoration process.
3) problem solving techniques you applied.

I will post your information on the blog.

Thanx,

Jeremy

Engine-side cowl restoration

As with many vintage Vespas, our SS180 had been layed down engine-side and the fly wheel ate up one louvre and a few other louvres were badly bent. In speaking with fellow club member and owner of a GS160, Roland Henry informed me that a good welder could fabricate a louvre and weld it into place and no one could tell the difference.

I emailed the Yahoo Super Sports group and learned that First Kick Scooters, in SF, sells reproduction louvres. I emailed First Kick and many more shops. I got two bites. Scooter Parts Direct sold reproductions for $6.00/each. And First Kick sold louvres for $13/each. I opted to replace all the louvres for uniformity and ordered them from Scooter Parts Direct.

Once I received them I noticed the reproduction louvres lacked the beauty and detail that the original ones did with a double lip. The reproduction louvres were thicker and wider -- with a bend in them creating one lip.

Today, I visited the body/paint shop to remove the seat lock bolt (I am an idiot and had the frame blasted with the seat lock bolt and steering column lock "cover" still attached and of course the chrome was stripped) and I got a sneak peak at the body work. The engine cowl looks good. Spoke with the guy who is working on it and he has seven hours invested so far. Though it's not original, I do think the shop does good work and once painted the scooter cowl will be uniformed.

Now I wonder if it would have been best to have the body shop repair the bent stock louvres and fabricate one to match? Would have looked more original? So much to learn . . . also so much can be spent on something like this. Budget and end goal must always be balanced in my mind.

Follow-up Lesson Learned:
After follow-up research I have come to this conclusion . . . buy the $13 louvres from First Kick. They are near perfect. With a good welder it can be done with little to no filler and the result is . . . a purist won't be able to tell the difference. Think about . . . had I done it this way I would have spent maybe $35 more than I already have, but to change it now I am looking at at least another $300 plus. Please don't make my mistake. I put this Blog together for this specific reason -- so you can avoid making mistakes and be knowlegable about options you have.
The proof is in the pudding, err I mean Collin's Grimstead. He used First Kick's louvres. His welder did this without any filler to boot! Compare to my louvres and the original ones pictured above.

Reference: Original SS180 Renja Seat

(Due to a hard drive crash I lost all pictures of the original condition of the SS we had and therefore appreciate anyone who can send "original" photos of SS scoots and parts).

Seeing as I did not keep our seat original (but wish I did) I am posting pictures of the stock seat for your reference. A big thank you to Hiro (Palmog on BBS) for sending these photos!

As you can see I missed three parts of the restoration: (1) missing the "lift" foam at the butt of the seat, (2) the tubing around seat in gray, and (3) the seat strap.

If your foam is in good shape you can buy a brand new seat cover (looks semi-original) from Scooter Works for about $130.

I wish I had researched the seat restoration more prior to beginning it. I learned the hard way. *See previous post on the "seat" and photos.

Ah the sweet sound of the Vespa SS 180

While searching Youtube.com I found:


Ah the sweet sound of an SS:

Some close up an SS:

I can't wait for our SS to be complete.

Who's living in my Carburator

There was a hornet's nest inside the carb. We hired Christopher Markley to rebuild the carb, because he was doing the engine rebuild at the same time and we wanted to have him deliver us a completely functioning engine. We even had him clean the air filter in his parts cleaner. The carb sat in his parts cleaner machine for two weeks I believe before he could rebuild it. He said it was a mess.Look at how dirty the carb bowl was. A carb rebuild kit costs about $15 and labor with Christopher Markley was another $25. It helps when you have the right tools. We now have a rebuilt carb that is clean and to manufacturer spec.

Note: SS180s produced in 1966 and before used a 117 main jet in the carb and they had problems seizing. Piaggio then switched to a 120 main jet and recommended all earlier models do the same.

Stuck: clutch lever screw

Our minds are more powerful than our hands or arms. Thinking is a better option than hammering. Remember this mantra and you will not destroy parts unnecessarily.

The screw that holds the clutch lever would not come out for me. The nut came off very easily. I used PB Blaster several times a flat head screw driver twice, before beginning to strip the chrome threads. First, I contacted scooter shops and verified I could replace the part. I can. I then used two nuts on the screw to back in out. No go. I emailed for help on Scooter BBS forum and was told to gently tap it out with a hammer. I used my copperhead hammer (copper is softer than a lot of metal to the hammer gets dinged up, but the part doesn't) and freed the screw. But before I did this, I made sure to ask if there were any threads in the clutch housing to avoid stripping them. Two people wrote me and said "no, you're fine." When I got the screw out and looked inside, I saw threads. The next moring I checked the forum again and two people wrote me franticially and said "DON'T TAP! THERE ARE THREADS!!" I owned a drill bit set that is designed to remove stripped screws and did not even think to use it. Damn myself. Using pliers on the treaded to part of the screw to back it out would also be a bad idea as the stripped threads would move through the threaded clutch housing and destroy those threads to. The way of least resistance, not a hammer, is always the best. Stop. Ask a few different sources. Take your time. Relax about your problem and THINK it through. Now I have two damaged parts instead of one. I hope a metric tap and dye set will be able to save what little threads I have or I will need to heli-coil in some new threads or use a lock nut. What a drag. This mistake was easy to avoid and would have only cost me $2 (for the replacement screw) if I had done it correctly.

Gas tank restoration

My mentor, Christopher Markley, helped me address the issue of severe rust inside the original SS180 gas tank. The previous owner had his brother sand blast the exterior. Christopher told me the best way to restore my gas tank is to have a local radiator shop "hot tank" the gas tank. This is NOT an acid dip, but rather a much less abrasive chemical process. I called Smitty's Radiator shop in Harrisburg, PA and was quoted $40-$60 for the job.

First Christopher had me remove the fuel tap so it would not be destroyed in the "hot tank." Thanks to Roland Henry, one of the founder's of Three Mile Island Scooter Club, who loaned me his GS fuel tap wrench that fits the SS perfectly.

Christopher stressed to me the importance of coating the gas tank with 2-stroke oil immediately after the "hot tank" inside the tank and then to use PPG Metal Cleaner and Conditioner (see the paint stipping post). I went to Advance Auto and picked up some "2-stroke Pennzoil for air-cooled engines."

Ernie, at Smitty's Radiator, charged me $45 total for the "hot tank" and then he bead blasted the tank to clean out all rust debris and he dried it as he bead blasted. He quickly coated the inside with oil generously. The tank was slightly pitted, but the structural integrity of the tank was solid. I picked up the gas tank and then PPG prep'd it for the painter. It is highly recommended, by Tom Giordano (a highly respected restoration expert), that I do not coat the inside of the gas tank and I trust Tom. If the tank had "thin" spots I may have considered coating the inards of the tank, but as many restorers say all coats eventually fail and fall apart and then are a major pain in the butt to clean out.