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lo falcon :)
ive got a very bad problem im skint and i want a vespa most prob an older model< you are the expert on bikes so you can see my problem :)
ive seen bikes on ebay and other places that are lets say not in the best of condition,seized engines etc these are the bikes that if i save,beg and borrow i will just about be able to afford.the 1st outlay in getting the bike is the prob,getting the rest of the stuff i need can be done over time im not afraid to work hard on the project and will certainly enjoy and take pride in the finished scooter knowing i brought it back to its glory now for the big Q
a "seized" engine? what does this mean?
it needs binning?
it needs taking apart?
it needs a new part?
i most prob sound dumb asking this (but they do say a question not asked is the only dumb question)
if you could break down a very cheap way of restoring a scooter in this condition (most ive seen have been in a barn for 20+ years)
i would be forever in your debt and what is mine would be yours (except my scooter :) )
p.s when i say i dont mind hard work i mean if it takes me scrubing every screw,bolt etc for 6 hours each so be it
you have read this and i thank you for taking the time if you can help i thank you for all time :)
Answer -
Hi Cosmic.
Well, first of all, a siezed engine (in this case) is one in which the moving parts (usually the pistons) have rusted in place. What you are looking at would be the biggest project of your life.
You will be looking, most likely, at replacing the piston, rings, and a myriad other smaller parts. You are also looking at taking the cylinder to a machine shop and having it rehoned, then matching a replacement piston and rings to the rehone job because it will be a different size from the original.
If you can find an inexpensive engine that isn't siezed, then get the frame for cheap, then you have a deal. Even doing a decent rebuild on a siezed engine will end up costing a lot of money. The biggest repair cost will be in rehoning the cylinder and replacing the piston and rings.
If you are insistant on doing a rebuild on the siezed engine, then you may want to look at just buying a new cylinder, rings and piston, if the piston is the cause for the engine being siezed.
Unfortunately, rebuilding a siezed engine can be nearly as costly (if not more so) as a good used engine.
Just remember that you are looking at taking on a really big project that could turn out to be as costly as buying a decent bike that needs just a bit of work.
The last advice that I can give you is to keep your eyes open for every deal and do not be afraid to ask any questions about the bike that come to mind. And if it sounds like the deal is too good to be true, it may be. And take into effect the cost of fixing up your project and add that to the cost of the bike.
Good luck.
FALCON
great advice m8y and ive put the siezed engine out of the picture as clearly its beyond my talents and would require taking into a shop.
i thought about this and as u can tell im a biker newbie putting a new engine in ?
i have seen working engines for sale and they are quite cheap for the cc im looking for (50cc or 80cc) now ive seen bikes that are a total rust bucket :) and they are going well under my budget and the new engines(used) ive seen would bring it to around my target price .
this way of doing it was my 1st idea but was put off by the thought of having bought them and them not being compatable (i dont know if this is how it works btw)an eg of what i mean is : say i have a honder 50cc engine will it go in a vespa? or is it a case of you want a vespa you need a vespa engine? as im doing the work myself :S any large and expert modifying would be a no no .
this Q is really about mounting the engine in the bike i suppose. can i go buy any 50cc engine and it only need fitting or a little bit of work to get in and running.please remeber i dont have your xp so what i mean by a little work is not too much modifying (dont mind a bitta welding)
ive gotta thank you as you have already been a great help and this question answered will be a massive step to them sunny picnic's in the park laying next to my beutiful gal (and the mrs :) )
AnswerHi Cosmic.
If you expect to ride with your lady-love on the bike with you, then give up on anything below 100cc's (even that may be too small if you plan on having a picnic packed on the bike too).
As far as engines, the only real consideration is mounting compatability and engine configuration. For example, the engine from my V65 Magna will not fit in a Goldwing frame (and visa-versa). Sure, it's big enough, but the configuration is wrong. There is also a powertrain issue as well. A shaft drive engine, for example, will not fit on a bike that is built to take a chain or belt drive.
The compatability issues do not really end there, either. You can put a slightly larger engine into a frame that is designed for one engine size, but you can only go so far with that until you have exceeded the frame design limits. You could put up to a 150cc engine into some 50cc frames, but not all. To know what the engine range is for a certain model/year, check the engine size range that a certain model came available in, along with overall sizes of the bikes (some engine sizes required a slightly longer or shorter frame) and that will tell you what engines will fit in those frames And you can mix and match engines with frames (make/model) as long as the frame engine mounts match the mounting points on the engine. And the frame and engine widths are part of that mounting compatability issue.
Even with all of that, you may have to build additional mounting plates or otherwise modify the existing engine mounts or frame engine mounts to make it fit. Also make sure that the engine final drive (belt/chain/driveshaft) is on the same side as the original on the bike.
Hope that helps you.
Good luck.
FALCON
