Author Topic: Moped Help! General 5 Star  (Read 6316 times)

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Offline laser145

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Moped Help! General 5 Star
« on: September 07, 2010, 05:12:51 PM »
Just picked up this little top tank moped.

The engine is off, and I think maybe shot... obviously the top end is pulled off... but look under the cylinder at the rust...



The engine is a Minarelli V1... I think these were used in a lot of mopeds, so maybe I can just find another motor. Think I can salvage this one?

Any ideas? I've never rebuilt an engine before, so I thought a moped would be a simple place to start... but maybe this engine is beyond rebuild???

Offline fmctm1sw

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Re: Moped Help! General 5 Star
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2010, 05:18:08 PM »
I thought about starting a similar thread on a 550 engine I have.  Something titled like "Can a waterlogged engine be saved?"  With a motor that small and (seemingly) easy to remove, I'd say you have nothing to lose...
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Dude is that a tire ? or an O-ring..??

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Offline Stev-o

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Re: Moped Help! General 5 Star
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2010, 05:22:10 PM »
Any bearing in it will most likely be shot.
'74 "Big Bang" Honda 750K [836].....'76 Honda 550F.....K3 Park Racer!......and a Bomber!............plus plus plus.........

Offline Grnrngr

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Re: Moped Help! General 5 Star
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2010, 05:23:59 PM »
A buncha wd40 and some jbweld will fix it... ;D  seriously tho, you got nuthin to lose by tearing it apart while you shop around for a new motor. Cool lookin bike otherwise...
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Offline laser145

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Re: Moped Help! General 5 Star
« Reply #4 on: September 07, 2010, 05:29:54 PM »
Thanks for the help guys. I was trying to dig through Moped Army's forum, but I really can't stand the layout of their forum, too difficult to use...

After a quick search, no luck finding a Minarelli for sale. The parts for these things are pretty cheap though.

I wonder if I can open it up and replace all the internals individually without breaking the bank... wonder if I can even find the parts...

I know some of the moped engines are interchangeable, so I wonder what other engines would drop in?

Cheers

Offline zanorak

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Re: Moped Help! General 5 Star
« Reply #5 on: September 07, 2010, 07:36:16 PM »
Check out Garellis. That general looks exactly like my brother's old Garelli. Thing was a nightmare for electrical problems but in the end he sold it for $600! WHen it ran it was brilliant. When it didn't run it was a pig.

I doubt you'll find a cheap Garelli motor. Maybe you could retrofit a Tomos or puch? Much easier to work on once you get the carb and points worked out.

My advice about rebuilding this sucker - put it in a bucket of some kind of cheap penetrating lube NOW and wait a week or so. Those fasteners wander all over between HARD and butter soft. Also, you will NEVER be able to drill a hole in the crank with your dad's electric drill. ;)

A reed valve and 70cc kit for that machine will make it crazy fast - like deathwish fast. Tuned pipe is your first mod though after you get it running. :)

FIRST I would call THESE GUYS though: http://www.1977mopeds.com/

They were some of the original moped army chums before it got huge, now run a business. Guy who knows everything is probably Dan Kastner if you can get him on the horn. Tell him a kalamazoo native gave you the heads up.

Offline 754

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Re: Moped Help! General 5 Star
« Reply #6 on: September 07, 2010, 10:17:13 PM »
Look up Cimatti City Bike.. same Moto Minnarelli motor ..looks like..
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Offline Uncle Ernie

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Re: Moped Help! General 5 Star
« Reply #7 on: September 08, 2010, 09:47:04 AM »
Google "Briton Bee"  (maybe with an "s"?)  I think he sells parts.
You can get bearings a lot of places- you just need the type and size.
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Offline Gordon

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Re: Moped Help! General 5 Star
« Reply #8 on: September 08, 2010, 10:03:10 AM »
I'm in the "rebuild" camp.  That rust on the crankshaft can be cleaned off, replace bearings, gaskets and piston/rings, hone the cylinder and you're good to go. :)

Offline laser145

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Re: Moped Help! General 5 Star
« Reply #9 on: September 08, 2010, 04:07:41 PM »
I'm in the "rebuild" camp.  That rust on the crankshaft can be cleaned off, replace bearings, gaskets and piston/rings, hone the cylinder and you're good to go. :)

I like your style... This will be my first rebuild.

Offline laser145

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Re: Moped Help! General 5 Star
« Reply #10 on: September 10, 2010, 10:39:35 AM »
I started a project thread here:

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=76689.0

laminarflowone

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Re: Moped Help! General 5 Star
« Reply #11 on: September 11, 2010, 05:00:11 PM »
i got one thing to say:

treatland.tv

Talk to Benji, he is a guru on all things moped, and his shop carries almost anything you could ever want to pimp out your ped and turn it into a screaming 60mph dangerbeast.  

Careful, once you start ordering moped performance parts, it can get addicting.
« Last Edit: September 11, 2010, 05:03:26 PM by laminarflowone »

Offline xedge4lifex

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Re: Moped Help! General 5 Star
« Reply #12 on: September 19, 2010, 11:40:06 PM »
Check out Garellis. That general looks exactly like my brother's old Garelli. Thing was a nightmare for electrical problems but in the end he sold it for $600! WHen it ran it was brilliant. When it didn't run it was a pig.

I doubt you'll find a cheap Garelli motor. Maybe you could retrofit a Tomos or puch? Much easier to work on once you get the carb and points worked out.

My advice about rebuilding this sucker - put it in a bucket of some kind of cheap penetrating lube NOW and wait a week or so. Those fasteners wander all over between HARD and butter soft. Also, you will NEVER be able to drill a hole in the crank with your dad's electric drill. ;)

A reed valve and 70cc kit for that machine will make it crazy fast - like deathwish fast. Tuned pipe is your first mod though after you get it running. :)

FIRST I would call THESE GUYS though: http://www.1977mopeds.com/

They were some of the original moped army chums before it got huge, now run a business. Guy who knows everything is probably Dan Kastner if you can get him on the horn. Tell him a kalamazoo native gave you the heads up.


ill tell you straight up that the 1977 kids run a #$%* buisness. its a bunch of hipster douchebags who use money they make off peds to buy pot and pbr. really really REALLY poor customer service, slow shipping, and they send the wrong parts 20% of the time. ive done over $400 in buisness with them plainly because they are the only guys around with parts. moped army is an alright forum, but again ran by hipsters. i LOVE small engines/peds, but there are very few places to get parts so if you can avoid 1977.
i really like these dudes, and their moped guy Bob is cool as hell and super knowledgeable.

http://handybikes.com/index.php

aside from the mudslinging, those engines are mad easy, its just again, finding parts. search mopedarmy and try to find a donor. what does the side of the cases say?

i may sound like an ass hole but i like good service, and places that dont provide good service dont deserve to stay in buisness. but hey, what do i know?

i just turn stuff like this
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i298/xedgeX4lifex/malaguti/IMGP2949.jpg
into this
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i298/xedgeX4lifex/malaguti/IMGP2975.jpg
cold start first kick?  ::)
http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i298/xedgeX4lifex/malaguti/?action=view&current=IMGP2974.mp4
Wake up, look up, there's a warmth up there
a reminder of peace, a reason to care.

Offline laser145

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Re: Moped Help! General 5 Star
« Reply #13 on: September 20, 2010, 05:18:03 AM »
If you like Handybikes and hate 1977 then I've got some bad news... 1977 just absorbed them.

Offline xedge4lifex

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Re: Moped Help! General 5 Star
« Reply #14 on: September 20, 2010, 10:45:25 PM »
If you like Handybikes and hate 1977 then I've got some bad news... 1977 just absorbed them.

i looked today and saw that haha. basically your boned! i would bet that 1977 bought out their connections and stock, or something along those lines.
good luck with the ped anyways man!
Wake up, look up, there's a warmth up there
a reminder of peace, a reason to care.