Reference: Lambretta Tools

So as you can tell I am on a tool fabrication kick and I will post pictures of the tools I have made. When you have access to free labor and free parts and the tools are free, it's hard not to get into the tool fab state-of-mind. While visiting my in-laws in Portland, I borrowed the following tools to use as a reference from Ming K. and Paul B. Thanx guys. It was so helpful to have a tool to compare it to.

Below is reference of tools - some homemade and some shop made.

Homemade clutch compressor. See previous post with Jim M.'s plans to make this tool.

Flywheel holding tool with one tooth. See Jim M.'s plans on this blog to make this tool as well. Note: the electric flywheels benefit from a longer tooth than this tool has.

Clutch holding tool. Note: it would be easier to use an old clutch plate and weld two levers to it.

Rear hub puller. I am not certain that this puller has to be circular. This in one tool my father-in-law is working on currently for me. He will use steel and a tap/dye set to run fine threads through it. I also wonder if an electrical conduit for $5 from Home Depot could be easily adapted for this tool.
I will also be able to fab this tool to remove the gudgeon pin from the piston.

I will post pictures of the tools I had made in a later post.

Lambretta tool: Jeremy Sutton's silent block extractor/installer

To see the finished tool and see it in action, click here.

My very basic silent block tool design. Here's what I used:
1) 1/2 x 8 inch bolt with welded nut on one side (recommend you do not weld it for ease of use).
2) A variety of washer sizes with quite a few small ones so I can stack them up when extracting the sb.
3) 2x3 inch pipe.
4) 2 and 1/2 inch circles cut in steel with with 1/2 inch hole in middle for bolt.
5) I used an angle grinder to smooth all surfaces.

Note: one modification I will make on my next trip to Portland (where I make my tools with my father-in-law, who has 30 plus years welding experience and more) will be to cut a new pipe a bit longer with a carved arch in it to fit the engine case perfectly and ensure the sb is pulled out perfectly straight.

It is imperative that the extractor pipe is flush with your engine case so that the silent block is pulled out straight and installed in straight. Any angle than straight could result in cracking your case, seriously! I spoke with two of my mentors on this (Tom G. and Mike A.) and it's not worth taking any chances. Below, I have provided you with a template to use to cut your extracting pipe to fit your case.

Three to four cuts are required:

1) one to two cuts to cut the length of the pipe.

2) for the final two 1/2" cuts stand the pipe vertically.

3) roll the pipe on its side and cut the 3 and 6/3" cut.

My design for the silent block tool was stolen from an old LCUSA post and then somewhat adapted. You can make it easily with one trip to Home Depot as well or from scraps from a construction yard.

Here's what you need:

1) 1/2 x 7 inch bolt (get open ended. it's easier).

2) A nut for the bolt.

3) 2 x 3 inch threaded pipe.

4) 2 and 1/2 circular conduit or alike.

5) A variety of washers, with three for the small end of your sb for extraction.

The Jim McClenaghan Lambretta Tool Set

A while back I contacted my mentor Stu Werner about making my own Lammy tools, because my father-in-law is a welder. I asked Stu if I could do it and he said:

"Hell yes! I have a fantastic homemade tool to extract the mag flange off cases. It works on really stuck ones and pushes off the crank. I find the t-extrators can strip the holes in the mag flange if you are not extremely careful. You can use long bolts you buy at the hardware store instead of t-hadles. Thats what I have. They are the same thread pattern as the rear hub extractor bolts.(there are 2 different sizes of rear hub bolts for the extractor). I have to throw this in, when you do extract the flange off the case, heat up the case around the flange with a torch.

You could make most of the tools yourself. A clutch holder, maybe a flywheel holder, clutch compressor, clutch spring holder etc. They all look a little ghetto even the "pro" made ones..." - Stu

I posted the question on LCUSA and Jim responded:

"Most tools are fairly easily fabricated, and I've made most myself.

The easiest, is probably the clutch holder. Take an old metal clutch plate, braze or weld two 1" lugs (from 1/8" sheet) at 180 deg and you're done.

The clutch compressor is a little more complicated, but only because you need to measure it more precisely. Measure across one of your cases, allow a height for the tool of at least 4", and also give yourself some allowance on the bolt holes (to the cases) so that you can centre the compressor bolt properly. Another way around this, is to add a wide nut to the centre bolt, which will give you more leeway, but it's easier to centre using the case bolts.

A flywheel holder is also very simple. Use 3" NB pipe, with a wall thickness of less than sch 40. All you need is an off cut, so it shouldn't cost you anything. Find someone working on a construction site, and you'll be good.

You can make an engine mount tool from (UK size) scaffolding. Failling that, get 2.1/2" NB pipe, sch 80 or thereabouts and go from there.

I do have a drawing I did for a fork compressor tool around somewhere, and I can up load it if you want. If I can find the time at work, I could do drawings for all of these tools, but it won't be this week, unfortunately." - Jim

"It would be possible to make a flywheel remover, but you'd want to do it on a lathe, using hexagonal bar stock rather than pipe. The problem with using pipe, is that it would have to be heavy wall (XXS or better), and you'd still have to machine the flats on it for tightening into the flywheel. The centre bolt needs to line up precisely too, so you'd want to machine it rather than welding a nut on. Another reason to use a lathe, is because the thread size is quite unusual (metric fine for the Italian ones, I think), and it would be expensive to buy a die that large.

All in all, probably easier/cheaper to buy one from Casa or wherever.

The rear hub extractor is a little different. The type all the shops sell is a bit crap - it woks, but not too well. You could fabricate a good one, from steel plate, and a nut welded in the centre, and it would be far more gentle on the hub. The original Innocenti tool is this style (ie 2 leg gear puller). I don't have one, but it would be easy enough to make, and fairly forgiving dimensionally. There is a picture of one in the "Sticky's" manual, so we can probably figure out workable dimensions.

You'll want to use 1/4" (6mm) plate for this, and for the clutch compressor and fork link compressor.

I have a con rod holder, which you'll be able to make too. It's basically just a piece of 1/2" plate, with a slot cut in it, although 1/4" should work just fine." - Jim

A big thanx to LCUSA member Jim M. for providing the following plans to make your own Lammy tools. PDFs are available as well.

Clutch compressor:
Con rod tool:
Flywheel holder:
Fork compressor:
Jim's rear hub holder made with 1/2 an old Lammy rim:


Click photos to enlarge.

I will post photos of the tools I have made in early August as I will be visiting my in-laws in Portland, OR. I am in contact with a Lucky Bastard Scooter Club member and I may be able to have some actual tools loaned to me to use as a reference when making these tools.