Cleaning and possibly painting and engine

jonzi · 08-05-2017, 07:55 PM

Hello people,

I have a non Ducati engine that I want to clean up. It's a 15 year old Vespa.

I was thinking about stripping the engine down for giggles and rebuilding it, but I am not sure I want to now. The engine runs ok for a poopy 125.

But I do want the engine to look much better than it does right now.

So any suggestions on what I can do with it?

The engine is out of the bike, and sat on my workbench. Are there any good degreasers that you would recommend?

What about finishes? Is it hard to paint and engine? and keep the paint from flaking off in an instant?

Thanks!

08-05-2017, 08:08 PM

What model? A PX or an automatic?

jonzi · 08-05-2017, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ursa

What model? A PX or an automatic?

Not sure what an automatic is. But it's possibly one of those.

An ET4. I was using it to travel to the station and back, but had a little crash. So thought I would have a little project.

Dirty · 08-05-2017, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonzi

So any suggestions on what I can do with it?

Bin the old lump and stick something more powerful in....

08-05-2017, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonzi

Not sure what an automatic is. But it's possibly one of those.

An ET4. I was using it to travel to the station and back, but had a little crash. So thought I would have a little project.

It's an automatic then, and not a geared PX, orange degreaser on the metal parts, I don't think the quality of the chrome guard (if fitted) is up to much, so you might want to be careful in case the chrome flakes off.

Be interesting to see what you're planning project wise with it!

As an aside, I remember the first "mod" I saw on an ET2 at the IOW scooter rally in the 90s. He thought he was the cat's pyjamas, had the whole mirrors/lights thing going on, we called him Plastic Dan on account of his plastic scooter. Last I saw him, around 1998 somebody had covered his scooter in bog roll and shaving foam and he wasn't looking so perky. He popped up in the Toploader "Dancing in the Moonlight" video doing the bad Northern Soul dancing a few years later.

08-05-2017, 07:55 PM	#1
jonzi Mary Mary Quite Contrary Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Berkhamsted Bike: M796 Posts: 1,398	Cleaning and possibly painting and engine Hello people, I have a non Ducati engine that I want to clean up. It's a 15 year old Vespa. I was thinking about stripping the engine down for giggles and rebuilding it, but I am not sure I want to now. The engine runs ok for a poopy 125. But I do want the engine to look much better than it does right now. So any suggestions on what I can do with it? The engine is out of the bike, and sat on my workbench. Are there any good degreasers that you would recommend? What about finishes? Is it hard to paint and engine? and keep the paint from flaking off in an instant? Thanks! __________________ #48

08-05-2017, 08:08 PM	#2
Ursa Guest Posts: n/a	What model? A PX or an automatic?