Lambretta Starting Problem

[Robert A. Pettersen]

Hi.
My lambretta won't start. Go ahead and laugh. but please help me figure
out the problem if you can. thanks :)

i just got the magneto remagnetized. I didn't start the scooter for 2 or
3 weeks. It was starting/running fine before. I put the magneto back on.
It won't start. It catches and tries to start every 9th or 10th kick but
just turns over and runs for 5 seconds or less and coughs a lot of smoke.
I rev it alot to try to keep it going but it always dies.

I put new oil/gas in it thinking that the old gas was perhaps dirty. I
try to start it about a million more times to no avail. I check the fuel
line and it is flowing and the clear plastic inline filter has almost no
crap in it. I took off the Mikuni carb and drain it and look inside.
everything looks fine. I haven't inundated it with carb cleaner yet
'cause I have to go buy some (so maybe that'll fix it).

Come to think of it, the scooter is behaving as if there is too much oil
in the carb. You know if you leave the gas on for an hour and then try to
start it? The scooter coughs and sputters as it burns the excessive oil
thats seperated from the gas and has settled to the bottom of the carb and
fuel tank. That's how my scoots behaving except that it won't stay running
and I've kicked it over a lot and it seems the excess oil (if that were
really the problem) would have been burned out by now.

I don't think the problem is electical, because I don't think I messed
anything up in the stator will removing and putting the magneto back on.
and i put on a brand new B7ES and I am getting a spark.

anyway, the engine is sx200 with a 30mm Mikuni and an expansion chamber.
I know, I'm just asking for trouble with this setup.
I will try the carb cleaner, but I'm just wondering if anyone else has
any ideas. It's hot out and I'm sweaty from kicking and my leg's
cramping up. :)

thanks in advance.
-rob
rp...@csua.berkeley.edu

[Ville Rindell]

Hi !
Go get an electronic ignition thing, like in vespas. Yours troubles
will be over.
Ville

* Ville Rindell
* vil...@sci.fi
* Helsinki Finland

[Marco]

Ville Rindell wrote:
>
> Hi !
> Go get an electronic ignition thing, like in vespas. Yours troubles
> will be over.
> Ville
>
> * Ville Rindell
> * vil...@sci.fi
> * Helsinki Finland

That's a shitty answer, Ville, and you know that!

Not that I can give a simple answer to this problem. Here are some questions you should ask
yourself:
Did you check the gap between the points? How's the condition of your points? Are they clean?
Are they worn? Sometimes you think you have a good spark, but in the engine, under pressure
there might be not much left of your spark. Are you sure the timing is still correct? How's
your condensor?
If your carb is clean and all the jets are well in place, did you check your float chamber?
Does it shut ok?

If you've checked all that and it still won't start than there is only one option left: start
panicking! Than I only know one more problem: no compression, meaning one or more piston have
gone or a nice little hole in your piston.

Good luck,

Marco
Blijdorp Lifestyle & Scootering Club
Rotterdam, Holland

[Paul J Helffrich]

How nasty does the plug look? The last time I heard of a Lammy doing
that the gap was filled with carbon, electrode to electrode.

[Ville Rindell]

Marco <VS...@TUDelft.nl> wrote:
>Ville Rindell wrote:
>>
>> Hi !
>> Go get an electronic ignition thing, like in vespas. Yours troubles
>> will be over.
>> Ville
>> * Ville Rindell
>> * vil...@sci.fi
>> * Helsinki Finland
>That's a shitty answer, Ville, and you know that!

How come ? I do have a TS1 200 with electronic ignition and NEVER a
problem with that. It does cost 100+ english pounds. So if you are
short of cash, it won't do.
Points and stuff are history, why suffer ?
Ville

>Not that I can give a simple answer to this problem. Here are some questions you should ask
>yourself:
>Did you check the gap between the points? How's the condition of your points? Are they clean?
>Are they worn? Sometimes you think you have a good spark, but in the engine, under pressure
>there might be not much left of your spark. Are you sure the timing is still correct? How's
>your condensor?
>If your carb is clean and all the jets are well in place, did you check your float chamber?
>Does it shut ok?

>If you've checked all that and it still won't start than there is only one option left: start
>panicking! Than I only know one more problem: no compression, meaning one or more piston have
>gone or a nice little hole in your piston.

>Good luck,

>Marco
>Blijdorp Lifestyle & Scootering Club
>Rotterdam, Holland

* Ville Rindell

[Marco]

Hi Ville,

You're kind of right with your suggestion of buying an electronic
ignition, but it's the easy way out.
This guy had (I hope, or else has) a problem which can be solved without
running to a shop to buy a new ignition. It's always nice to know what
went wrong and why, it's the way of learning how to cope with problems.
If your scooters stops in the middle of nowhere, you just can't walk to
a shop and buy a electronic ignition (and even they can fail!). At
moments like these it's nice to be able to solve the problem yourself.
Two years ago, when I came back from the euro-lammy in France my points
gave up, didn't had any spare ones with me, I was able to repair it by
the roadside with a file, because I knew what the problem was and how to
fix it, at that time the nearest electronic ignition for sale was 500 km
away! (and please don't reply with: you should have used an electronic
ignition in the first place)

cheers,

[Marco]

I got this in my mail, with the request to put it alt.scooter.

From: Strider <tga...@txdirect.net>
Subject: Re: Lambretta Starting Problem

> Hi Marco, I thought the problem was more fuel oriented. He said that
> after cleaning the carb the bike would start then flood out. I thought
> he might have a bad float. Pinhole, etc causing it to float to low
> allowing the engine to flood even though it was adjusted right. What
> do you think, fuel or ignition? Could you raise this question on the
> newsgroup. My news server is resetting this time of day so I can't
> respond directly to the newsgroup and I'm working in the evening.
> Catch ya later, Strider.

I'm off for the weekend to the euro-lammy, just finished rebuilding my
tv last night, haven't driven it yet. I hope I'll make it all the way.

[Ville Rindell]

>Marco
>Blijdorp Lifestyle & Scootering Club
>Rotterdam, Holland

You're clearly a DIY man, nice to see one once in trouble. I could'nt
give any advice on points as I have'nt seen any for years.
Tot ziens

[Bryan O. Bedell]

Hey, i missed this original post, but it sounds like the same problem my
friend is having with her '63? Li125.

It runs fine once it's started, but starting it is a complete pain. Push
starting usually works OK, but the thing weighs twice as much as a Vespa and I
ripped my leg open last time I started it and it took off without me. The
kickstarter works after about 120 kicks in rapid sucession.

We can usually get it running after ten minutes of effort, but it doesn't look
too suave, and there's got to be a better way.

Is it the points? they're pretty easy to replace, right? Ron at Scooterworks
said that sounded like the problem, but I wanted to know if anyone else had
any suggestions...

Thanks!
Bryan

--
-------------------------------------------------
illn...@ripco.com
Bryan Noise, Chicago, IL.
2strokeBuzz fanzine: Kicking ass and leaking gas!
Issue #2 OUT NOW! Includes 2SB silk-screened patch.

[WCoastLam]

Brian,

It sounds to me like a classic case of flooding. If the needle valve
doesn't close of flow of fuel to the carb after the float bowl is full,
the fuel overfills the carb and runs straight down into the cylinder. If
the scooter spits out gobs of smoke when you first get it started then
this is what's going on. The problem can be compounded by a fuel tap that
doesn't shut off. Pull the fuel line off the carb with the fuel tap shut
off and see if it drips.

Hope this helps...

Vince.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
"Enrico Piaggio had witnessed the lightweight Aeromoto paratrooper scooter
built for the Italian Army in World War II by Volugrafo, and believed that
there might be a market for a civilized version of such a scooter to
provide transportation, primarily for women."

Quoted from the "Illustrated Motorscooter Buyer's Guide", p.108, by
Michael and Eric Dregni.

I heartily agree.
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[sue.pat...@gmail.com]

after stripping and rebuilding my 1963 silver special it started on the first attempt however much I try I cannot get the engin to tick over at idle have renewed all internal parts of carb and choke and have adjusted both mixture and throttle screws but will not tick over smoothly. Any ideas will be thankfully taken. Gordon Paterson

[wangdo...@gmail.com]

Replaced carb,Cdi, barrel and piston, seals ,spark plug and cap plus oil and stator plate. I think it's a fuel problem it seems not to be sucking any fuel in for some reason and its pissing me off, just sick of removing engine and stuff. What is it ?