The Rebirthing of Sophia Part 2

I've put some new videos on youtube, Part 2 of "The Rebirth of Sophia" as well as "Lola's Story" and "Black & Gold" a little show about Francesca.

You can check them out here on my special channel at Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/user/scootissimo

Today I think I sorted out the bearings and seals, tomorrow I will visit Higgo's and bead blast the other side of the case and start to think about what is needed to get it happening sometime before christmas! :)

I am waiting on GPS to let me know how they are going with the front hub assembly but I am definately getting closer.

STILL TO DO LIST:

• Bead blast other half of case
• Higgo will remill sections of case after he's made some minor repairs
• Sandblast then beadblast hubs and backing plates to remove last of paint.
• Get Higgo to mill the old hubs, clean them up for new brakes
• Blast the old flywheel
• Finish polishing the clutch housing to get old rub marks off
• Renovate front end-awaiting hub assy, but I have faith in the boys at GPS if he says he has one it's probably there somewhere...he says he just has to find it :)
• Clean up the engine bits, re-hone cylinder, clean up piston, clean pits and gouges from inside cylinder head-from very obvious prior ring explosion issues!!
• Renew all bushes and buffers
• Check steering bearings
• Check Suspension
• Renew engine mounts with nice urethane ones if I can find some (if not Higgo said he can make them for me)
• Find an air filter (anyone got a spare?) ;) I have a modified foam pod ready to go so not tooo stressed there...
• Check out the wiring loom while her guts is open as well as headset electrics

That will do for now!

When all that is done I'll think about sitting down with my bags and bags of parts and the manuals and see what's still missing, it was too hard to tell when I was pulling it apart as so many things looked different to my other scooters (both VBC's) and I assumed at the time they were original but have since discovered otherwise!

I take it the tabbed clutch nut and washer is the same on this model as the others, still to get to that bit...but I definately didn't remove one! It was a nylock nut by memory..eeek.

More to come folks

What a difference a spray makes!

Glass Bead Blasting is Fun!!

It's been a long time between blogs for me, busy with work, life and trying to keep warm and dry.

Thankfully we've seen the end of the long cold dark days (...she says as she looks over her shoulder out the window, to the hail and wind...!) OK...so most of the long dark days are overwith :)

I finally got my act together and proceeded to the next stage of the SS180 project, the clean up of parts.

Here's one side done and one in need of attention, makes a HUGE difference!

In the process of the pull down I continued to find some astonsihing asian shortcuts.
This I had heard of, but never actually come across it...until now.

It's the drink can shim!!

and for some reason, they reamed out the hole! See above pic- It's supposed to have a nice round hole there where the gear selector rod goes thru to selector! God knows why? All going to be fixed up by Higgo and will be as good as new when done so no stress there but you still have to ask yourself why!!!!

Stay tuned for more.....

Higgo's New Toy