Metal Fuel Rod

As usual, finding "true" parts for the SS180 in this day in age can be challenging. When installing my gas tank I accidently broke the tip of the fuel rod (gas on/off/reserve) switch -- Part #84424. The odd thing is the handle on the switch is plastic on my stock one, which doesn't make since to me because metal was used. So maybe my wife's SS180 had an aftermarket switch on it. Even finding an original used one is a bit challenging. I found one through a local rider, but he has to hunt it down and recommended I just buy a new one because I can count on that. At the time I thought metal ones were still available at a few shops.

I attempted to drill a small hole through the end of the fuel rod and re-use my original. It did not work, because the fuel rod needs to be able to dangle at a steep angle to allow you to install the gas tank and get the fuel rod through the frame. I won't post pictures of that. I was able to find an original Italian made all metal one, but note that the color is not true. The handle is not black. So it was a toss up for authenticity -- Italian, metal, and silver or reproduction, plastic, and black. I asked my wife what she wanted on her bike and she chose the metal Italian one. It won't look stock, but the bike is not a stock color either. And seeing as it is metal and Italian it is closer to the original. I hope to receive it by Monday in the mail.

SS180 & Rally180

Pictured above is a 1971 Vespa Rally 180 I found for sale on Scoot dot net. Note the similarities with the headset and tractor tail light on my wife's VSC. Clearly, the piston-ported engine in her bike is different than the rotary in the Rally 180, but frame wise they are close. I know that the Dept. of Motor Vehicles required the late USA models of the SS180 to have a round headset for weather-proofing. Not sure about the tractor tail light. And now that I have learned that I have a rear brake switch from the Rally180-200. There are some specific differences in the USA models that few Vespa owners know about. The question I now have, per my post just before this is . . .

Do both bikes share the same wiring loom? If not, I am in trouble.

Also, does any one know the breakdown of similarities / differences in detail on these two bikes?

Rear brake switch

With the help of David at First Kick Scooters, I have come to the realization that my stock rear brake switch was actually one from the Rally 180. It would be in grey with a grey gasket. You can see my stock one pictured here on the right. Note the guts of the stock one. It is in the "open" position, which means when you push the plunger that the connection is formed. SIP pictures their black Rally 180-200 here and you can see the internals are the same as my stock one. So now my big concern is, since I don't use a "Closed" GS/SS180 brake switch, should I have also used a Rally 180 wire loom (if they are different). Anybody know this answer?

Rotate rims & hubs correctly

While the scoot lived in Ted's garage, he was kind enough to tackle a bit of the reassembly. One item he took care of for me was to purchase the new tubes and put the tires on the rim. I hadn't noticed until a reader pointed out, but the tube came through the rim wrong and the rims were connected to the hubs backwards.It was an easy change for me and just one more item that needed to be done. So I tackled the front tire a week ago and the rear tire today. An item worth investing in for me is a torque wrench -- a nice Craftsman for $90. I purchased mine on sale at Harbor Freight for $12 or $20 or something like that. I figured since it is a hand tool I should be safe. I was wrong. I just pulled it out and I can't remember, but I am not sure the last time I used it if I put it on the lowest setting so to preserve the intricate mechanisms. All I know is it no longer works and I now need to invest in a quality one.

I did not fix the spare tire set up yet, as the tube inside it was pinched between the rim halves when put together (make sure to pump up with air before sealing the halves) and I figure I will fix that when I put a new tube in. No rush as the visible tires are now correct.

Spark plug changed and finished

As some of you may remember I had a NGK style upgrade on my spark plug with the nice tight ball bearing connection, but was warned by a reader that it stood too tall and would dent the underside of the cowl when my wife rode over a big bump. You can see a photo and read the comments about my modified spark plug clip here. I didn't take any chances and changed it back to stock, which is a good thing.It takes very little work to remove the spark plug clip. No need to cut the wire and chance the wire being too short -- mine was in danger of being too short. I used pliers and gently walked it around the clip's end and listened for a small "cracking" sound. It did and I was able to pull the wire out with no effort at all.As you can see it was a clean break. I am no expert, but logic tells me the fact that the modified NGK spark plug clip has a sharp nail like pin going into the cables inside the wire produce both a superior connection and a better water/weather proof protection than the stock one did.In an effort to increase the connection "area" between the wire and the spark plug clip, I recommend trimming the rubber on the wire back and folding the wire back over itself so it literally rests against the clip when you tighten it down. That way you have two connections: the spike in the clip, which goes through the wire, and the folded over wire you created. Click to enlarge the photo to see what I did. Thanks to David at First Kick, who taught me this trick.