Fuel tap assembly

First off, let me stress a mistake I made . . . I failed to test my fuel tap assembly for gas flow prior to ordering new seals. That was a mistake. My tap was thoroughly cleaned and seals were added, but at best it just dripped as opposed to gushed like it should. Click on the photo above to enlarge it and you will see that my fuel tap is beat up on the gas intake straw. Pictured above from bottom to top are: (1) the new standard non-sediment bowl tap, (2) the Indian reproduction tap, and (3) my original one. Most people I spoke with ALL recommended the non-sediment bowl style, but Tom G. I trust Tom G. 100% and I opted to buy a replacement with a sediment bowl, but I used the stock glass sediment bowl because it fit and seems more authentic to me.

It is "absolutely" vital that before the scoot company mails your new fuel tap that you ask them to wiggle the straw(s) and if there is any movement to get a new one or you will need to solder it.  I have heard that fuel taps are hit or miss.  

This is how my set-up looked before installation, minus the plastic catch-all pan pictured below which sits in the frame beneath the gas tank to capture any drips. I had to scrub it first. Note in the picture above that fuel tap almost looks stocks.  Make sure to install your fuel tap and set the tank up in a box vertically for over night to ensure that you do NOT have any leaks.

Inside the gas tank before I put the catch-all pan and the gas tank.  Note, that due to the fact that the gas flow works on gravity, I shortened the fuel line so it traveled "down hill" as much as possible.

To install the gas tank, let the fuel "On/Off" lever dangle almost vertically down until you can "roll" it through the frame. I failed to do this and in doing so broke the end of the fuel lever. What a pitiful shame.

Modified fuel tap

The question has come up . . . since I don't have a sediment bowl for my fuel tap, shall I add a fast flow filter on and take advantage of the new technology? The SS180 is not a museum relic and is already mildly custom, so what's the big deal, right?

The answer is long winded . . .
If my gas tank is clean or sealed (with a chemical treatment) I might be able to get away with a fast flow filter, but my gas tank was treated in a hot bath at my local radiator shop. It was rusted inside. It came out clean, but a little pitted. I follow the ol'school and did not opt to use a chemical seal (as they have failed scooterists in the past, but I hear their reputation and quality has improved a lot in recent years) -- I chose to coat the tank with 2stroke oil to prevent rust.

If I use a fast flow, I might be wise to use a in-line fuel filter ($4.00) to catch any pits that come from my gas tank. That is an option.

After a lot of research and chatting with mentors, I have decided to stick stock (and as I write this post, I believe I may have located a sediment bowl I can buy). Tom G. summed it up nicely by saying:

"Part of my philosophy is this. These bikes were designed to, and did, run fine for thousands of miles with the stock equipment of the day. In this case, that means plain old fuel filter, with sediment bowl(and internal tank filter). That set up passed plenty of fuel for the stock engine setup, and was pretty foolproof. So maybe you clean out your sediment bowl every winter when you lay the bike up for the season. \

Every change you make from stock introduces at least one variable that could affect reliability. Who needs that? And in this particular case, I know that I HAVE installed inline fuel filters in vespa fuel lines -- and they have caused fuel starvation issues. So I don't use them no more. ;o)

Certainly, kitted motors might guzzle fuel more quickly than a stock fuel tap can supply. This is why fast flow fuel taps are a good idea on 200cc Lambrettas, and an absolute necessity on kitted racers. But then, the lammy fast flow tap is identical to the normal tap, except for a larger aperture. Normal lammy taps do not have a sed. bowl, and neither do the fast flow taps."

Fuel tap

As always when I am working through a problem I walk you through my problem and to my solution. This time is no different. Ted W. and I have been on the phone discussing why the only glass bowl I have with the bike does not fit the fuel assembly. I will not be out to Ted's shop until Thursday (expect a lot of pictures and maybe a video to follow that visit) and I can't wait. After searching the web for 30 plus minutes for a photo, I emailed Hiro and he sent back the following photos for me to reference. Isn't technology great? Hiro lives in Japan and sent me these photos in a matter of hours. As always this blog is indebted to people like Hiro (Palmog), who contribute their knowledge and resources to this blog.

Here are photos for your reference:

Here is a closer look at the sediment bowl:
Another angle:

The glass bowl was replaced with a metal one. It is rumored that metal one were used on later GS and SS models, but I can NOT confirm this. I own a 1967 (later) SS and have a glass sediment bowl.
Once disassembled, it will look like this:
Measurement:

I am happy now that when you Google "Vespa Fuel Assembly" you will be able to see some photos should you ever search for it as I did.

The big reason why I made and maintain this blog is because I wanted and needed information, but no one put it up. So that is what I am doing.