If it is timing, how come it rode so well for the first five minutes? It has me confused. Is it possible I have flooded the bottom-end with fuel? When I take the carb cover off, it sounds like a drowning man gasping for air.

As for the timing, the stator may have slipped or worse yet the woodruff key may have sheered. Did you tighten everything down properly? I didn't on my first and only rebuild (heck, I made just about every rookie mistake in the book) and sheered the woodruff key the first time I throttled up. I was lucky and it wasn't a bad replacement job, but I've heard horror stories so your mileage may vary. Good luck.

Here is an update. If I start the bike with the choke all the way out with no throttle, it will start up on the first kick. I can then push the throttle in and it will idle low for a few seconds and then it will begin to increase in RPMs until it finally sounds like it is drowning. If I happen to touch the throttle at any point during the idle, it dies immediately.

Get this, I can start it without the fuel valve open. Makes me think there is a lot of gas in there somewhere...

The increase RPM with choke in makes one think of air leak. Recheck Carb to box gasket and Carb Box to Engine gasket first off. Then recheck Head torque and work back from there.

Good point about that fuel line. Also remember that there is enough fuel left in the line and float bowl to start the scooter and run for oh... sometimes as much as five minutes at Idle. 5/16 time 24" plus fuel bowl is a good bit of fuel at idle.

Rather than the fuel line being too long, the problem is that it is too short and I had to stretch it to attack to the carb. I believe this may have made the pliable rubber constrict from an O to a 0. As the carb pulls more on the gas, it may be suctioning the line closed. That would be why it starts fine with fuel sitting in the carb, but as it burns off and the line has a vacuum placed on it it begins to run lean and then finally dies.

I'll test it tonight by installing an actual 2' long 1/4" ID fuel line. I'll let you know what happens.

It will be the timing...and the air fuel mix

Do the timing first or all your air fuel adjustments will be crap

You're nearly there.Perserverence

I did this. It is clean as a whistle.

>Put a new gasket under the carb box(with grease on the
>gasket)

It has a new gasket - though I admit I did not put grease on it.

>Put a new carb to engine gasket (with grease)

Same as above.

>Mark top dead centre and 22 degrees(????) before on the
>flywheel with paint and verify timing (or move the stator
>methodically 2 degrees at a time)

This I was hoping not to have to do :-) Though that will be my next step once I get the fuel issues cleared up.

>Check the choke cable isnt loose and that the "outer cable"
>is housed in the carb nicely

This checks out okay.

>Check that that the accelerator cable is not too tight or
>loose at the carb end

This also checks out okay.

>
>It will be the timing...and the air fuel mix
>
>Do the timing first or all your air fuel adjustments will be
>crap
>

You are probably right. I know I am going to have to do the timing deal at some point here.

>You're nearly there.Perserverence

Keep telling me that!

You are correct. They cut a lot of corners. It was stupid to have bought the bike that way, but now that I have it -- I love it! Other than these few odds and ends left, I have met each corner and ironed it out. For instance, the wiring was a mess! I had to rebuild the harness.

Sorry for taking it a little personal, but even though the baby might be ugly -- It is still my baby :-)

-Matt
2StrokeBuzz/PrimoPartsRacing

No, actually, it isn't a Super at all. I haven't made that change to my Web site. I thought it was a Super (due to the pictures I was sent by my Indonesian friend - don't rub it in!), but turns out it is a Vespa 150 four-speed. The body and engine VINs match the original title. So, the body and engine are original. Yes, it does have a 10 inch wheel conversion. I don't have a problem with that -- it is something I would have done had it come as an 8 inch.

I really like the bike. The body really is as advertised and the sidecar is great (though I won't be hooking that up again until I have had time to run in the engine). Other than the engine and the wiring, I have been very happy with the scooter.

Down the road, I would like to go with a 177 conversion kit -- or even go up to a 200cc engine replacement. That would work better with the sidecar on it. All that is down the road aways. Right now, I just want to ride, period.

The reason I think the scooter ended up getting restored and sold is that the engine at one time came apart. You can see the scars from where bearings or whatever came loose in the top end. Plus, it looks like the metal around the oil drain plug was broken out. It was welded back in place and they actually did a pretty good job on that.

So, as much as people want to trash on my "Asian Restoration," the scoot checks out and when I am done with it, I'll put it up against any other scoot out there. It is Italian - it just had to take a long detour over the last 41 years to get to me.

Thanks for the empathy. I hope I get it up and running soon as well.

I guess it comes from my old redneck V8 block days. Your engine wasn't done until it was bright red :-)

My guess is that the paint will last several months and then will begin to wear away. No big deal, I keep the cowling on -- but it will be easy to find oil.

Your right Pavlo. That should have been on our list of things to check. But because he claimed it ran fine for five minutes most of us dismissed that. It should not have run right at all if that was the case. But its something to double check.

Also... the correct diameter for that fuel line is 5/16. Thats the inside diameter of it. 24" long is correct.

Actually, I think I have found the problem. It is fuel related.