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So I decided to do something about the random loss of spark, and replace the stator/pick-up unit (not realizing at the time that it is possible to buy just the pick-up). And, of course, since I can never seem to do anything the simple way I decided "What the heck.. let's upgrade to an 11 pole stator! And since I'm tearing stuff apart, I'll get a 115mm variator, some 12 gram sliders, and a new gasket for that danged leaking header-flange!"

Ordered everything I needed, including the 7 pin regulator and the 'special tool' for pulling the flywheel. Since I'm working nigh 60 hours a week, I had to wait for Sunday to have the time to work on the scoot, but today was the day! Sunny. Warm (almost hot, but not quite). Light Breeze.

Perfection.

Get the scoot rolled into position for working on. Get the parts-n-tools all laid out on my wrenching table. Pull up all the bookmarked wiring diagrams and helpful how-to's I had found...aaaaaaand promptly discovered that my scoot's wires only matched about 40% of the colors called out in the diagrams.

After several hours of multi-metering things, and cross referencing information sources, I finally have a wiring arrangement that I'm confident will, if not work, at least NOT fry anything. Part of my issue was that I was bound and determined to do this project without cutting anything on the factory harness. I achieved my goal (I think).

Since I got the hard part done I was pretty amped up to get the 'easy' part done.. pull the flywheel, replace the stator, plug in the rest of the wires, button it up and (hopefully) go for a test ride.

Yeah...not so fast, buck-o. first you need to dig out the compressor for the impact wrench, then you need to find the accessory kit you bought with all the quick couplers so you can attach the new hose to the tank and to the impact.

<sigh>

Get that all done, zip the nut off the flywheel, and commence to threading on the 'tool' to pull it. <Spin...spin..spin>... Da-faq? <Jiggle-spin...jiggle-spin...> "Why wont this thing thread in? I'm turning counter clockwise like I'm supposed to."

<try the 'small' side> Nope.. too small.. I need the fat side. <Examine the threads to make sure it's not a buggered thread preventing engagement> Looks fine. <mindlessly run a fingernail through the groove to make sure the threads are clean> DA-FAQ?? "There's no taper on these threads!"

Message sent to merchant who sent the parts, but I doubt I'll hear back before tomorrow, since today is Sunday and IIRC they are closed today. So I put the scoot more-or-less back together (mainly to keep from losing anything) and decided to move on to replacing that danged header flange gasket since I was already flat dirty.

Aaaaand now it looks like I'm going to be replacing the head. I stripped out one of the header studs! (I WASN'T EVEN PUTTING THAT MUCH EFFORT INTO TURNING THE NUT!! ).

I know that I could always helicoil it, but to be honest..a helicoil kit would probably cost about as much as a new head, and I'd still have to R-n-R the head in order to work on it. I can drill and re-tap the old head for larger studs at work (once things slow down a bit) and have a spare on-hand. Heck I may even take it to a weld-shop and have them fill the stripped hole with aluminum, and just re-tap it for the stock stud.

Regardless... the fastest fix will be a new head. Ordering it tonight it should arrive about the same time as the replacement flywheel tool. With any luck I'll actually be able to finish this project NEXT Sunday.

Of course this now has me thinking even harder about the exhaust modifications I wanted to do (making a new header pipe that's a true 1" diameter). I have to remove the muffler for the head work anyway, and it wouldn't be hard to cut the stock pipe off the flange and weld on a larger diameter pipe. I am a welder after all..

Le Sigh....

Nothing's ever simple...

I was referring to Scottx's avatar. Do an image search for 'Phssthpok' and you'll see what I mean.

as an *extremely* temporary fix you can slather the outside of the manifold with some RTV silicone and let it cure. That should last you at least a couple of days while waiting for your replacement manifold to arrive (Actually... I'd order 2 or 3 manifolds. They're inexpensive, and are notorious for going bad like that).

Doing the silicone can also seal it up enough for test and tune diagnostics to see if that solves all you problems, or just *some* of them.

So...the scoot acted up on me again yesterday. Twice. Same issue...power loss and 'run down' to a dead stall. It was near yesterday and both times it was as if someone just threw a switch, and killed the spark. It took about 1/2 hour of cool down time before it would start again.

Of interest was how it behaved when trying to start it. The engine would 'hit' two or three time before losing spark. I swapped out the CDI and coil/plug-wire with the 'road spares' I kept on-hand the second time it quit with zero effect, so at this point I suspect that the first time it over heated, something in the ignition pickup was damaged and is operating on borrowed time.

I also noted (while pushing the scoot to a shady area) that both front and rear wheels seem to be binding up a bit, so I'm going to have to tear into that situation too. I suspect (from cursory initial investigation) that it's brake related (Read: they need adjustments of some sort), but I suppose it would be a good idea to completely tear into it all and re-grease the bearings just to make sure. Hrm... maybe I should order some gears since I'm going to be in there anyway.

Cheap belt going 'splody for no apparent reason... it's been known to happen.

Sounds somewhat similar to what I went through last week. How are the temperatures in your area?

I had pondered the gas tank vent issue for my own problems, but the stumbles/loss of power happened after being stopped for a time, so ther should have been plenty of time for any tank-vacuum issue to resolve.

So, the battery arrived and I got it installed. A friend swapped cages with me for Monday and Tuesday as he needed a pickup to retrieve an engine from a junkyard, and since his car was a gas sipping little Honda ( I know for a fact that it'll do 42MPG if you keep it under 60), and I had a few errands to run myself, my first day back on the scoot was today.

One of those errands was a stop at Home Depot for a 4" sewer-pipe elbow with which to make a cold air scoop for the cooling shroud. A few minutes with a drill and some re-purposed PC slot-blockers used for mounting tabs, and I now had $7 scoop installed. (I didn't even bother cutting it back or anything... I don't really care how it looks...so long as it WORKS). I just need to be careful when dropping it off the center stand now, to make sure I don't drop the scoop down on my heel. It also occurs to me that I need to go out and see how that scoop sticking out affect my lean angle capacities.

So today's commute was much the same...went without a hitch in the morning, but on the way home there were a few times where I could tell it was 'not right'. At one point, it started to 'run down' like before, but this time I tried to keep it going, rather than backing off completely, and it started to regain power.

I'm still thinking it's heat related (we broke 100 here today, and the ride home was at the height of it) as each one of the three instances of power loss came after being stopped at a light following a lengthy run 'at speed'. Once I got moving again and engine speed/forward motion forced some cooler air over the engine it seemed to wake up again. In the end it never fully died on me, so I'm at least making progress.