COMING TO TERMS WITH THINGS

Over the last few days I have been having mixed feelings.  At one point I even thought of putting the bike back on Ebay because the task seemed too daunting.  There are so many bits that must be found and in most cased I don't even know what they look like.  My first action must be to join the Lambretta club, they must know where all the bits are.  It was strange to download a form in this day and age and then to fill it in and send it off via snail mail.  I look forward to seeing what they can do for me.

I started to to look round the web for possible suppliers and was cheered to find that there were quite a few.  It became more difficult if you specified  a 1956 LD but there were still a few.  There were even bits showing up on Ebay where I had started watching bits.  I was interested to see that some items  were immediately re-listed if they didn't make their reserve so it's always worth looking.


I still haven't produced my list of missing bits.  Perhaps because I'm frightened how long it will be.  I am beginning to settle to the idea that I am going to rebuild the original engine.  It would be daft to have the paperwork that matches the frame and the engine and not to make it come true.  I kid myself it will increase the value of the finished scooter should I decide to sell it at some point.  To be truthful I think it will only reduce the loss.  I realised that this might be costly but had no idea of just how much it was likely to be.  If I was going to go down that route I needed to locate a barrel and head.

So I plucked up courage and went in search of the two prime bits.  I tried Tim's man in Derby, K & S scooters, he couldn't help but suggested I send him a list and he would see what he could do.  After a couple more failed attempts to locate a barrel I got round to phoning Cambridge Lambrettas to see if they had a barrel and head and was it possible to rebuild an LD.  Yes the do rebuild LDs and their labour cost is £1000 plus parts and no they didn't have any cast barrels. The guy said that they would only fit a lined aluminum barrel at an approximate cost of £300 because it was the best solution and yes they were available.  He agreed with me that I was possibly looking at £1500 to get the engine unit alone up to scratch.  The guy was not very encouraging and a bit off hand, take it or leave it.  Not a very nice experience considering my state of mind.  That still leaves the silencer and I would have to pinch the carb from the engine fitted in the bike at the moment, and that's only the start.

After a night's sleep I felt refreshed and brave enough to try again.  I tried a couple of other sites only to find that the LD was too old for them to have parts.  I left a request with Bike Spare Finder but to date have not had any replies.  Then I struck gold.  I had had two pointers to try Scooter Surgery.  I liked there web site because it was friendly, not how you used it but in what it said.  I may even appear a bit amateurish but I like it.  I phoned and spoke to Andy who had time to talk to me and was very informative.  He told me that the LD engine was very strong and used to be assembled by hand on an individual basis.  This is fine but you need to be careful when stripping and rebuilding to ensure that you get it right.  Apparently you have to be aware of this if you try to build one engine out of two.  Of course this may have been a ruse to put me off doing the rebuild my self but I don't think so.  
The man to talk to was Patch (Patrick Hood) but he was off sick with a bad back but hopefully back next week.  I was told that Patch actually rides an LD to work every day.  Andy suggested that I phone again next week.  When pressed he thought a rebuild would usually start from £1000 depending on what was required.  Seems to tie up.   I have to say I would rather spend my money money with Scooter Surgery than with Cambridge Lambretta from my experience so far.  Andy said if I liked to Email some pictures of the engine he would ensure that they got to Patch  as soon as he returned.  I put the phone done much cheered, may be it's all going to be alright after all.

I went straight to the Project office and took a series of photographs of the original engine.  This forced me to take a closer look at the condition.  

 Most importantly I found the crankshaft turned easily with no grinding sounds.  This doesn't mean a lot because there may damage to the surfaces that necessitates changing the crank but at least it moves.  I have to say it didn't look too clean inside but it moves. 

The flywheel had been removed and was just pushed on and the key was missing. The keyways looked OK and had not been damaged as far as I could tell.  The contact breaker unit was missing as was the electrical connector on the outside of the magneto casing.  These are the sort of things that I worry about finding.  I don't think the mag had been removed or the engine case split.  Looking at the securing screws they show no signs of damage which is likely to occur when a "butcher" attempts the work.




I tried to move the clutch lever but couldn't.  
I resisted the temptation to force it because I expect the cork pads will be stuck to the plates just like Tim found on his Vespa.  Read his blog - Black Spanner.  I had a quick look at the gear change leaver but again it resisted my efforts.  It would be daft to break something if I'm going to have it rebuilt and have to find another elusive part on top of all the others.

The rear hub looked fine and turned easily.  Again I resisted the temptation to remove the nut which secures the brake drum.  I don't know it it's right or left handed, I need a handbook.






Back to the computer to prepare the pics to Email to Andy.  In the end I sent him eleven.  Within a very short time I had a reply form Maude, who apparently does all the office work.  Just like Andy I came off the phone feeling that I had known her for ages.  I loved the start of her Email which said, "Mike she looks a sweet little engine."  I think she's my type of person.


I'm really looking forward to Patch's first impressions.  They could be fundamental in my decision as to what to do.