I just got shipping confirmation that my P200 engine was sent out yesterday. I’m replacing my white scooter’s engine with that. This will involve removing the old engine and throwing in the new one. I’ve never really done anything like this before, but it was pretty easy.

I’m not going to write a tutorial or anything – I’m not so good at that. For that, you can go here. It’s what I used and it worked very well.

First, I propped up Whitey with a green bucket. I also removed the exhaust. That was the easy part. The next part should have been simple – removing the tire. Oh, but it wasn’t. There’s a long story to this, but basically due to me removing the battery and installing a custom glovebox cowl, I had to move the voltage regulator inside the wheel-well. Because of this, apparently the tire is impossible to remove.

So I moved the regulator to where you see it here:

While the scooter was on its side, I decided to remove the brake cable and clutch cable. No problem, right?

I righted the scooter, bringing it upright. No easy task, but not a big deal, really. Once the rubber side was down, I removed the other cables – selector cables, throttle and choke, as well. Also, I disconnected the oil and gas lines.

And then it was time for the last disconnect: The electrics. I’m not sure how this is all going to work out when I put the P200 engine in it, but anyway… I disconnected and hoped for the best.

What was next was the bolt that attaches the rear shock to the engine. With a little bit of effort and a breaker bar, I was able to do it, dropping the engine lightly to the floor.

The next and final bolt was the long one that was at the front of the engine. Again, a breaker bar and a bit of effort and it was freed!

As you can see, the bolt is MINE!

Here’s Whitey without an engine. I think I did everything properly, so everything should go back in just right when the new engine arrives.

And here’s the engine. It’s nothing even close to a stock 150cc Stella engine. It’s got a Pinasco 177 top end, a Mazzi Cut Crank and a Malossi 23/64 upgear. I threw on a uni filter and have been running a 130main jet with 55/160idle and 160air w/ a BE3 mixer. Runs great, but I want a 200cc engine. Stock. It, along with my Prima exhaust will be up for sale before the end of the day.

This was a bit of fun. There’s also a sense of accomplishment when I pull something like this off by myself. I’m assuming the new engine’s installation will not go as smoothly, especially with the electrics. We shall see.

I miss working on the Stella. And I’m glad that I’m taking it (and not the Vespa) with me when I move to Seattle.