That's All Folks!

The offset cones and other bits have arrived from Mr Diffey. Time to get these last few jobs done! I use a scissor jack to support the engine while I remove the old engine bolt and cones. I find as long as you leave the rear suspension connected the jack makes this a one person job. The only real trick is to use a drift or long screwdriver to roughly line the engine mounts up with the cones as you jack the engine back up.

Now it's time to replace the old leaky fuel tap with a new rear exit one. No danger of the line coming in to contact with the flywheel cowling now and with the offset cones the tap clears the engine mount as well.

The last job for the day is to retard the ignition timing. The BGM flywheel has timing marks on the side so you don't even have to put a mark on your casing for your desired ignition timing. Just use the flywheel marks against you TDC mark - nice. I'm going for 17 initially. Might advance it to 19 later depending on how things go temperature wise.

Well that's it. Got to put the headset on, set the idle jetting and start running it in, but in terms of the GP engine build I've finished. Hopefully I can get out and ride with some other Swarmers soon if the ACT allows 10 people to get together. Otherwise, it's essential visits to wherever, while I plug-chop, run-in, etc, etc.

It's Alive!

Those who have fitted a JL or Taffspeed exhaust will know that the muffler is attached to a bracket that is mounted using bolts and spacers into 2 or 3 of the chain casing threads. This was the cause of my head scratching mentioned last time. In order to fit the muffler I'll need to remove the studs from these holes. Which means draining the oil, removing the exhaust and side-casing, blah, blah, etc. Surely not! I always thought this was a bit of a Heath Robinson arrangement anyway. I have a better way (maybe). Inspired by the central bolt from the engine cowling I instead visit the local fasteners and get some M6 coupling nuts (long M6 nuts). These are used in place of the standard side-casing ones. They are shorter than the original spacers, but adding some old wheel nuts as spacers will give the same length. I can now bolt the bracket on to the coupling nuts, rather than all the way in to the chain-casing threads. I can't see why this isn't a better idea than the original design, but if it doesn't work I can go back to that when I remove the side-casing to check everything after 1000k.

So now the Taffy muffler is mounted 😃

Before starting I check the fuel tap isn't blocked and measure the fuel flow. The tap is dirty and the filter is damaged. Cleaned up it'll do for now but, after pissing about trying to get the fuel line to run at a nice angle that won't rub on the flywheel cowl, I've decided to add a rear exit one to the next spares order...for now a cable tie is used to keep the fuel line away from the flywheel while checking the timing. Fuel flow is good. 500ml a minute is required according to Sticky. I have 400ml in 40 seconds...

Well that's it. Outside and it starts second kick 🤩. It's not that quiet. As in the neighbours head inside...Okay, quickly check the timing before calling it a day. Timing is about 22 degrees, so needs retarding. Tomorrow! There's also a slow petrol leak from the fuel tap. Tomorrow (after draining the tank). The idle mixture also needs adjusting but I can't get to the screw. Something to leave until the offset cones are fitted which should hopefully make the screw accessible...By the way, club toolkits all have the internal battery powered timing gun shown above. They work perfectly for checking Lambretta ignition timing with minimum fuss.

Well Easter was mainly spent eating and drinking far too much, as compensation for not being at the Lambretta Jamboree perhaps, but I did manage to fit in a few hours in the garage. With the engine in it's time to fit the rear wheel. Thought I'd try the Scoot RS tubeless that came with this scooter when I bought it. That way I'll have the AFR ones for the GP, when it eventually goes back on the road. Nope; the Scoot RS one is oversize and won't go fully onto the Casa hub! I now remember that I did have to hammer it off the LI hub as well?! Not sure how carrying a spare on this scooter was ever supposed to work...Anyway, the AFR tubeless is a perfect fit (as tested earlier).

Next it's time to connect the rear brake. A simple job mayhaps? Well kind of. The scoot has one of those new fangled cables fitted, with a threaded end. Definitely an improvement but I did have to move the lever one notch on the cam. Fortunately this could be done without having to remove the hub, shoes, etc...However, the brake binds slightly with the cable not quite returning. Investigation shows that the pedal return spring is missing, so the one off the GP is stolen and used!

New gear cables are next, and then check to see that all five gears can be selected. All is sweet, with the new fifth being just a little beyond the old fourth position.

Then a new clutch cable. All routine but time consuming stuff...

Jetting next. A complete guess based upon the jetting used by Kev Brooks for a similar set-up, the jets I have available and some googling. Kev doesn't run an air filter, so this is a pretty safe starting point. In fact it'll be as rich as Branson.

Carb on. I'm intending to run a Casa filter but it's not going to fit under the panels at the moment. I bodge up an old foam filter for now because I'm hoping that once I have offset cones I'll be able to find room for the Casa one...It's looking tight though 🤔

More mundane stuff. Replace the Indian drain plug with an Italian magnetic one, fill up with oil, clean and fit the bleeder, plug in the wires from the BGM stator (same colours as the old one - nice) and run the CHT wire up ready to go on the handlebars...

Exhaust time! This scoot had an old school Taffspeed Mark 3 exhaust fitted but it is porked. Only been on the scoot for twenty plus years. I dunno. I've got a JL3, which is basically a Taffspeed Mark 3 copy. Taffspeed got their exhausts made by JL at some point and then didn't, and then the JL range of pipes came out...can't remember the full story but think of it as a nineties small-scale version of Scomadi v Royal Alloy...Anyway, the original Taffspeed pipes were always noticeably quieter. Looking at the mufflers it's pretty obvious why.

Being a middle-aged bugger, with easy-going neighbours that I don't want to annoy needlessly, I'm pretty keen to fit the Taffy muffler to the JL3. The first job is to repack it. Not too hard a job, although for some weird reason the circlip on at the end of the muffler has been welded on?! Nothing a bit of persuasion with a hammer and drift can't sort out.

The JL pipe lost an argument with the tight and twisty track at the Broadford Bike Bonanza in Victoria on a rather different (and fantastic) Easter weekend five years ago, so it gets a quick touch-up with cheap exhaust paint...

And on it goes, well except for the muffler which needs a bit of head scratching. Well that's it for today. This bastard thing will start next time. Honest.

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It's been a while. After the problems with the hub last time I left the engine on one side and turned my attention to the frame, not least so I could remove the LI150 engine and try the hub from that. Sure enough the hub fitted to the LI150 works perfectly, and the CASA hub locks up on the LI150 casings...So the problem is the hub not the Indian casings. I'm 90% certain it's the inside edge that is rubbing but to be sure I put some blu-tack around at a few points and tighten it on.

Yep, that seems to confirm it.

Looking at the hub from the LI, I can see that the inside edge is tapered whereas the CASA one is straight. This is almost certainly the problem so I get the Dremel out and put a taper on the CASA hub! A bit disappointing that I need to do this on an expensive part but at the same time kind of normal for Lambretta after market parts...It now works!

Now I need to get the new shoes skimmed. I go and see Nico at Motorini who is next to a brake specialist, however he can't skim these shoes. Nico chamfers the inside edge for me, to make sure that is not what's rubbing.

The shoes are still too big so it's emery paper time. I remove an even amount from across the whole surface of both shoes, fit the hub...I basically spend the next hour or so removing the high spots, refit the hub, spin, off with the hub and shoes, remove the high spots, repeat....I'm now thinking adding some shoe skimming tools to the club toolkits would not be a bad idea. Might have spared me the skinned knuckle!

Anyway, everything gets a good clean and degrease, the pinions and cam get a light coat of brake grease and the hub is fitted! Not forgetting the wavy washer. I leave the lockwasher loose as a reminder that I haven't yet torqued the hub up.

Now I can finally get the chain-casing on and do the last check from the AF 5 speed instructions (kickstart engagement/clearance - all good). Back to where I was when I discovered the problem with the hub. Oh yeah, and I remembered to check that the clutch thing was in place 😊

Odd jobs now. Fit the SIL control bracket and new AF TS1 cowling (thanks Paul Cain).

Well almost odd jobs. The cowling will need a bit of fettling to fit around the MB inlet flange. Definitely beer o'clock...

Pretty chuffed because this engine is just about ready for the frame. The frame is also just about ready for the engine. Might have it running by the end of the week (famous last words).

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