Project Vespa Smallframe - Points and Condenser

 Everything was running so well, until the spark became intermittent.  So the points and condenser were the first target of scrutiny.  I never confirmed the ignition timing, the bike started and ran well enough, so I didn't question it.  It turns out it was just set to the nominal marks on the stator, which is not horrible, but just not ideal.  

After a readjustment to the specified 17 degrees BTDC confirmed by a timing light, I set off again.  It wasn't much better.  At that point I ordered a set of points and a condenser.  Immediately upon removing the condenser from the packaging, I tested its value as 225nF (which strangely was the same as the one I took out).

I will keep the original as an emergency spare.  It looks like it was recently replaced anyway.  The erratic nature of the mis-fire led me to believe it was point and condenser related, but I had to rule that out.

After setting the timing up with the strobe light, it does fire nicely at 17 degrees right at idle.  However its still somewhat erratic at higher revs.  I finally removed the ground connection on the stator and re-soldered the joint.  At the same time I ditched the stock condenser and used a 630v rated vacuum tube radio capacitor.  At 330nF it should be close enough.  I also like how well it mounts.

Now that I have the ability to strip the flywheel and re-mount it with my eyes shut, the work went swiftly.  The engine started on the first kick and revs as it should.

Project Vespa Smallframe - Horn Repair

Rehabilitating the horn is actually a pretty easy task. The rivets can be ground off of the back side so that they press out with a flat punch, allowing the unit to be disassembled. I did this with a Dremel cutoff wheel. The inside was really corroded, which prevented any good contact from being made. The two terminal screws can be removed and the mechanism cleaned. The adjustment screw is also removed from the rear side. I suggest running the screw the whole way in first counting the number of turns so that the adjustment can be returned nominally to the original place.

Current flows through contact directly connected to the coil on one side. The other terminal is on the opposite side of a set of contacts. The contacts are normally closed completing the circuit. When the current flows through the coils they act as electromagnets which open the contacts stopping the current flow through. The contacts close again completing the circuit. This cycle repeats as long as voltage is present at the terminals. The adjustment screw adjusts the tone of the horn.

I used a wire wheel to clean the components. The final step was to use some contact cleaner such as CRC 2-26 which is safe for the insulator components. Assembly is the reverse order as disassembly.  

The rivets were made of soft aluminum. I just happened to have a soft aluminum wire (typically used on a residential satellite television dish). This is very malleable and makes good material for rivets. The wire is gripped in a set of pliers and a ball-peen hammer can be used to flatten the end to form the head. The wire is nipped off with a set of cutters to an appropriate length. This makeshift rivet is then inserted into the original hole and pounded flat to secure the horn.

Beep Beep

Vintage ride EDC - Every Day Carry

 I consider my Stella a vintage designed scooter.  She may not have pedigree or be old, but she's the same design as vintage scooters.  Therefore tools are needed.  If not for me, then for my fellow riders benefit.  Don't get me wrong, she's always got me home, but you have to be prepared.

So folks may be interested in what is carried all the time in that massive storage compartment.

#1 Flash Light!  I keep a magnetic mount USB rechargeable LED light.  This is essential, because I do ride in the dark and would not want to fumble around making a repair in the dark.

#2 Wheel Jack.  I made a scooter jack out of some wood.  It doesn't have to be complicated.  Two blocks sit under each side of the center stand feet.  This allows removal of the front wheel.  The cradled jack side can be used under the rear shock absorber to get the rear off the ground.  Sure, you can tip the scooter over in the grass and let the fluids leak out of the tanks, but that's no fun.  It can be propped up against a building, but what if you are in the middle of nowhere?

#3 Hand Tools.  The most important are the tubing spanners and tommy bars, then a set of open-end wrenches.  A 6" Crescent wrench, just in case a bolt needs held while the nut is removed.  A combo screwdriver.  Fourth Hand cable tool, and spare cables with nipples.

I also keep a few inner tube patches, bicycle hand pump, and tire gauge as well.  Flat tires happen.

The point is to be prepared for about anything.  The tool you don't have is the one you need.

Vespa GTS hpe - Turn Signal Beeper

 One lacking feature of the Vespa GTS is a sounder for the turn signals.  Since the turn signals don't self cancel on the scooter, you have to remember to turn them off.  (Gee, my 1979 Yamaha had self-cancelling turn signals, why can't they do that today?)  The only indication the rider gets that the turns signals are on is a little lamp on the instrument cluster.  If I'm watching traffic, I'm not looking at my instrument cluster.  In a busy traffic environment it could be dangerous to leave a turn signal on.  It can also be annoying to fellow riders when you are in a group.  In any case leaving the turn signals on is not accurately representing the rider's intentions.

What I needed was a simple way to add a turn signal beeper.  The one on my Stella is way TOO LOUD, but I never forget to turn it off.  The easiest thing to do was run some wires back from the front turn signal bulb connectors.  This proved much easier than I imagined due to the high quality electrical components that Piaggio uses.  This turns out to be a quick project for a snowy day.

The existing wires are shown with the squiggle at the end back to the existing harness.  I used some diodes out of my junk drawer, but a pair of 1N4001 diodes will work.  They just block the DC electricity from going back to the opposite turn signal.

The diode module on a small piece of perf board.

The white connector housing may be opened by spreading the two tabs, and unlocking the fold-out holder at the wire-side of the connector.  Don't force it or it will break.  Use a needle to gently lift the plastic tab INSIDE the opposite end where the wires come out.  This will release the crimp connector and allow it to pull out.  Your new wire can then be soldered to the back of the crimp connector, and pushed back into the connector housing.  Do this on both sides, and re-assemble the turn signals.

I made an aluminum bracket to hold the buzzer along side the existing USB charging port.

A piggyback connector was used to utilize the negative connector from the USB charge port.  The common side of the diode was connected to the positive terminal of the buzzer.  I shrink-wrapped the diodes in yellow and drew their symbol on the shrink tube, so I remember what's in there years from now.

There you have it!  All done.

Anti-Fog helmet shield treatment

 I had a really cool anti-fog helmet shield from Xelement a few years ago, but it cracked off in the cold weather.  I ended up returning the helmet and bought a nice HJC.

I like to ride in most any weather, but I hate when my helmet fogs up.  I've tried the Rain X product on the outside surface, and that works pretty well.  Its the inside surface that is the problem.  I saw someone try shaving cream, and that didn't work for me.  It fogged up just the same.

Then I read that F1 race drivers will apply a single drop of shampoo to their helmet shield.  The drop of shampoo is distributed evenly with the tip of the finger and left to dry.  Then a microfiber cloth can be used to buff it clear again.

This seemed like a simple trick and worth trying.  In my demonstration video below I compared an untreated helmet shield (silver helmet) with a treated shield (white helmet).  The results are surprisingly different.  The shield treated with shampoo really did resist fogging!

Vespa GTS - Protecting the paint from a cargo bucket

 The Vespa community has asked us to stop calling it a "pet carrier", since the name conjures morbid images.  So we'll call it a cargo bucket, that plastic bin that fits between the engine and under the seat of your Vespa.

The problem is that it has a sharp edge where it hangs on the body.  This presses into the paint and causes micro-vibration that wears right down into the metal.  Eventually it will create a rust ring the whole way around.

There's a product called "racer's tape", some call it "helicopter tape", but it is a polyurethane tape that is amazingly strong.  It can be hard to cut with a pair of scissors if they are even slightly dull.  I've used this for years on my Sunbeam Alpine where the hard top contacts the body of the car.  This tape protects the paint and will not damage it even if you leave it on for years at a time.

Sunbeam S7 Deluxe - Oil Pressure Switch

 The oil pressure light has not been extinguishing on the Sunbeam S7 Deluxe.  I removed the switch and put some pressure to it, which did not open the contacts.  The stamp mark on the body of the switch is 10psi.  I was well above 10psi air pressure and the switch did still not open.

Figuring that there are replacement switches available, it would not hurt to try to take this one apart to see if it was repairable.  The switch was not leaking oil, so it seemed reasonable it may be just something with the contacts preventing it from opening at the correct pressure.

The adjustment pin has a slotted head inside the electrical contact stud and would not move.

There is a pressed sheet metal collar around the switch body.  I put it in the vice and began prying at the collar.  It eventually slipped up over the switch body and exposed two cutouts with a view of the contacts.  The diaphragm pushes against the outer contact which lifts it from the fixed contact.  The fixed contact was initially factory set at 10psi, and then fixed in place with a center punch mark.  This explained why the adjustment would not move.

After cleaning the inside of the contact chamber with contact cleaner, I was able to see it operate.  Using two small flat bladed instrument screwdrivers, I could hold the fixed contact against the adjustment pin and slightly bend the profile of the contact.  A few iterations of this yielded a nearly perfect contact break point just around 10psi.

The tool I'm using in the video is a continuity tester.  It has a small buzzer and battery in series.  The pointer end is connected to the buzzer and the other side of the battery is connected to the wire clip lead coming out the back.  I built this long ago for general electrical testing.

(Forgive the state of the workbench, I usually don't leave it that dirty.)

If it continues to act up, I will probably order a new pressure switch.  For now at least I know how the original switch works.

I fitted a tee to get the oil pressure switch out into a little bit of cool air.  I'm told that will lengthen the life of the switch.