The Dirt Was Holding My Vespa Engine Together
Tony's Shed - Custom Builds & Workshop Projects
5,773 views
I went to split the engine on my FREE Vespa PX200… and stopped when the casing started breaking apart.
One cracked section came away completely. Another piece had only been held in place by years of old oil and muck. This wasn’t the engine rebuild I’d been hoping for.
If you’ve followed Rip’s rescue from the beginning, you’ll know he spent twenty-odd years under a tarp before I invited him into the shed. Since then, we’ve found rotten metal, stubborn bolts, a resident mouse and an ever-growing list of problems.
Through all of it, I still wanted to hear him run.
In this episode, I continue the engine strip-down, look back at how we got here, and reach the point where I have to put the tools down and think about what comes next.
A big thank you to John for the workshop manual, and to Phil for kindly offering a replacement frame. Unfortunately, that frame had suffered much the same fate as mine, but the offer was very much appreciated.
If you know of suitable PX200 engine cases or a replacement engine looking for a home, let me know in the comments.
And if you fancy buying Rip a nut, a bolt or a small washer, the Super Thanks button is there. No pressure—watching, sharing your knowledge and keeping me company already means a lot.
This is my first Vespa restoration. You’re seeing the learning, the mistakes and the discoveries as they happen.
The thumbnail is Rip’s nightmare, by the way. No Vespa—or Mini—was fed into a shredder during filming.
For now… this is where I stop.
#VespaPX200 #VespaRestoration #TonysShed
13 Comments
When rebuilding, if you dont want the expense of alloy welding, loctite make a really good aluminium bonding 2 part epoxy (like jb weld, but made for, and coloured specifically for aluminium, pedparts UK sell it, its not cheap (24 quid including postage) but its good stuff (ive used it on my mates vespa engine to tidy up welds around the opened transfer ports) and to build up the cylinder gasket face.
The Dirt Was Holding My Vespa Engine Together
Tony's Shed - Custom Builds & Workshop Projects
5,773 views
I went to split the engine on my FREE Vespa PX200… and stopped when the casing started breaking apart.
One cracked section came away completely. Another piece had only been held in place by years of old oil and muck. This wasn’t the engine rebuild I’d been hoping for.
If you’ve followed Rip’s rescue from the beginning, you’ll know he spent twenty-odd years under a tarp before I invited him into the shed. Since then, we’ve found rotten metal, stubborn bolts, a resident mouse and an ever-growing list of problems.
Through all of it, I still wanted to hear him run.
In this episode, I continue the engine strip-down, look back at how we got here, and reach the point where I have to put the tools down and think about what comes next.
A big thank you to John for the workshop manual, and to Phil for kindly offering a replacement frame. Unfortunately, that frame had suffered much the same fate as mine, but the offer was very much appreciated.
If you know of suitable PX200 engine cases or a replacement engine looking for a home, let me know in the comments.
And if you fancy buying Rip a nut, a bolt or a small washer, the Super Thanks button is there. No pressure—watching, sharing your knowledge and keeping me company already means a lot.
This is my first Vespa restoration. You’re seeing the learning, the mistakes and the discoveries as they happen.
The thumbnail is Rip’s nightmare, by the way. No Vespa—or Mini—was fed into a shredder during filming.
For now… this is where I stop.
#VespaPX200 #VespaRestoration #TonysShed
I genuinely thought the engine might still have a chance, then bits of the casing started coming away in my hand.
Would you try to save this engine, or call it and look for another one?