oil change 600 miles & other notes

Oil change & maintenance check at 600 miles.

Sunday October 9th, 2010.

NOTE: YOU DO NOT NOT HAVE TO REMOVE REAR WHEEL OR EXHAUST TO CHANGE OILS ON FLY 150 - SCOOTER GIRL AGREES AND IS MAKING NEW VIDEO WITHOUT REMOVING WHEEL OR EXHAUST
I just completed my hub and engine oil change at 600 miles.
The one thing that made it easy was having all the correct tools and parts. Also, reading the ModernVespa web site for the past few months and watching the scootergirl videos gave me a good insight into what I had to do. It all came together today in two relaxed hours of work in the sunshine.
I put the scooter up on its center stand, and spread out a cushioned mattress on the right hand side of the scooter next to the exhaust. There is no need to take off the exhaust to change the oils. It can all be done with ease and comfort laying down and sitting on the mattress using the correct tools, and having all the parts next to you on a white towel. NB: You need lots of clean rags to wipe up oily parts, spills, and a little gasoline to clean your hands..also good time to fill up gas tank.

1. Drive the scooter for about ten minutes to heat up the oil and the drain plugs - makes it easier to unsrew plugs and remove warm oil.

2. Bend and mold a tin foil baking dish under the engine to catch oil as it pours from filter hole and the brass screw drain plug. (I also made a chute like a swimming pool slide out of heavy duty tin foil to catch oil as it comes out and direct it into the tin foil dish) It will have to hold at least one quart of oil. Then pour out the old oil into a container and mark the level it reaches. This way you can clean out the container and add the same amount of new oil into the engine that came out. It is a quart.
Remove the plastic oil screen from the drain hole.

The correct tools make this easy.

(a) The special socket for the slotted end of the oil filter along with an after-market filter which comes with o ring gasket, I ordered from scooterwest.com
(b) The 24mm socket to remove the brass colored nut to drain the oil. This requires some effort to remove and it helps to have a long handle on the socket - and a breaker extension. A couple of sharp taps on the nut will help break the tension contact. Make sure the socket is well connected to the nut - do not strip the nut. I purchased 24mm socket from my local Ace Hardware, and I ordered an extra 24mm brass nut with 0 ring from scooterwest - just in case of problems.
(c) Remove the oil screen from the oil drain hole. I ordered a new oil screen from scooterwest.
The oil screen sits just inside the oil drain hole and usually comes out with the oil or just use your little finger to ease it out.
Don't forget to order a new crush washer for the hub oil nut - get this as with most things from ScooterWest....and smear a little oil on the oil filter O ring washer.
Other Notes.

These are some notes I picked up from daily reading of the Vespa Forum and/or I experienced on my own Fly150.

1. Odd thing with battery.
If engine does not start and it sounds like a flat battery - just whirring noise or a clunk no turning over of motor. Usually during cold periods.
Sometimes the battery terminals build up a surface resistance and will not produce power to start. The solution is strange but true - it happened to me once on my car one winter.
Turn on the ignition and lights - wait for 30 seconds - then try starting. Turning on the lights will confirm you have some power - it will also clear the surface resistance build up.
Then you need to disconnect the battery and clean the terminals with emery paper.

2. Roller specs
The rollers are the same as the LX150:
19mm - dia.
17mm - width
10 gram - weight