The Lamb does OJ

It all started with Dan wanting a spin around the block on the Lambretta. Due to the Mighty Lambs lack of use, she usually needs a roll start (not a big problem with my driveway!) It is just easier than the 60 million kicks required to get the red & white wonder going when she has sat there for a few months! So we spun around the street for a bit of time on Tuesday… this was just enuff to get me wanting a bit of Lamb (which does sound a bit strange…)

So today, I am going to take the Mighty Lamb for a spin; if only a run to the train station & then to head up to Dear ol’dads workshop, at least it will clear my head & add some sweet two stoke fumes to my life

The old girl fired up second kick (note to fellow Lambrettistas, I had the Lamb on the outward lean so I maximised the kick). They may be sexy, but the just don’t seem to start as well as the Vespas.

The up side to the Lamb is that it has a new, expansion type exhaust pipe, so it has better pick up & top end than a standard motor (thus it is heaps faster than the Silver Surfer). Unfortunately, it may be faster & have more bottom end power, but the forks have no shock absorbers (thus the Lamb can get a bit “bouncy” on rough roads). This is another thing I may need to look at - at some time in the future when I have the money!

The Railway station did look much better with the Lamb in the car park:

Oh the Lambretta is just a sexy beasty!

The Lamb in a car park across the road from a pub... oh boy, lucky it is too early to have a drink!

After purchasing my ticket, I thought; gee it is still early; let’s go to Dear Ol’Dads workshop…

Thus I headed thru OJ

WRONG WRONG WRONG!

As you can probably guess, it all went pear-shaped after this… but as with most embarrassing stories, I’ll tell the world via the semi-anonymous internet blog :)

So over to the first roundabout on the north side of summer street & oops, I discovered that I had left the Lamb in the Neutral between 3 & 4… well that is slightly embarrassing, BUT I didn’t before realise how terrifying a four wheel drive is until I stalled the Lambretta in front of one.

Moving… quickly… towards me.

I discovered how quickly I could tip-toe the Lamb to a roll starting speed & get it moving under its own mighty engine – believe me it wasn’t very long! Thus feeling rather silly, but glad to be moving again I continued to Dear Ol’Dad-land

I hit the northern distributor/bypass & it started - that labouring “I am not a happy engine” sound… OK, I’ll slow down (to ~50 on the speedo) & then exactly 5 minutes later, on the long straight out to Dear Ol’Dads workshop, The Mighty Lamb stopped… suddenly …oh gawd! The back tyre squealed in horror – as did I.

I think it was the often talked about “soft seize”. I quickly pulled in the clutch lever & rolled to a stop.

Bugger, Bugger, Bugger - BUM!

I tried (gingerly) to kick the engine over it spun freely – good, it wasn’t seized.

I then tried to kick it to life… no good

I saw a small hill off towards Waratahs Soccer club & thought, gee, I’ll see if I can roll start the Mighty Lamb, it will save me the effort of pushing it to Dear Ol’Dads workshop!

So off I went, I was pretty stuffed as the little hill was a lot steeper than it looked; I tried to roll start down the gentle “other” side first, as I thought that it would be easier to push back up if it didn’t work!

No Good. 3 tries later is was still with a silent Lamb… naught to do but to start pushing back up the gentle slope & up the road to Dear Ol’Dads… At the top of the hill I thought, let’s just give it one more go…

Joy… it was alive again!

So now I had to work out; to Dear Ol’Dads, or do I try to make it home…

So Home it was!

The roll start had got me convinced that if the Lamb seized again, I’d just roll start him & keep going! How about that for confidence!

The Lamb went down Anson street & then the same thing happened again…… oh fudge

I had my routine set in place as it happened - Clutch in, keep up road speed & let the clutch back out … & blam, It’s Alive…AGAIN.

So this time I kept heading south to Casa Del la Leigh & was nearing Anson Street school & SQUEAK - it happened again… ARRRRRGGGGHHH! This time I have to apologise to the lady who was walking near the school when the Lamb stopped with a massive tyre squeal followed by me letting fly with a slightly naughty word for “Poo”

Again, clutch in, roll, & let the clutch out again & blam, the lamb started & ran. I got it home without another stoppage; & the bloody thing idled like a dream; WTF was going on?

I parked it & went inside (I needed the break…&)

A coffee to think about things - nice medium roast & grind Goroka Blue coffee too!

In order to help think this turn of events thru, I rang Dear Ol’Dad & explained what had gone wrong on my way to his workshop

Was it Vapour-lock or something?

Was it possibly something electrical? Like a dodgy earth lead, that needed a massive roll start to fix?

I honestly hope it is not a soft seize (I hope, as the Lamb was happily idling at home… for a good 5 minutes whilst I opened the garage & put it away)

  

Then, over the phone, the reality dawned. Oh gawd, I am going to have to pull the head off the engine when I get back from my next swing!

Well it was actually Dear Ol’Dad telling me rather than it dawning as such, but it was true, the quickest way would be to pull the head off & look at the condition of the cylinders bore; if it was gouged & crappy well, I’ll be buying some piston rings & a cylinder hone for it, if not, I’ll be looking for the gremlin that is causing the stoppages

I was planning to buy some parts for the Silver Surfer whilst on my next rotation at work; this turn of events means that I will hold off on this, as I can put a larger single order through my on line scooter parts supplier to not fork out a ship-load of additional postage charges (if I need a cylinder & piston assembly, which is what I needed for the Surfer when a circlip on the piston did some massive damage to the Surfers Two stroke heart early last year)

Bugger Bugger Bugger BUM.

Well at much as I’d rather not think about this, I have come to the conclusion that I’ll be pulling the head off next month; Dam it, that means that for the next month or so the two scooters are not playing nicely.

I may be able to keep the Sliver Surfer gently ticking along for the next break, but, the repairs required horizon is approaching at a great pace of knots as well…

Bugger!

Oh well, not much to do but stick to the plan - pull the head off the Lamb to confirm the issue; order parts if needed (in any case, I will still need to buy the Vespa parts so it is just to avoid the double order handling costs), Then begin fault finding if no parts are needed, baby the Vespa so I have something to ride & hopefully, start Cub engine & body work…

Well a man has got to have a hobby!

So Mote it Be!

Leigh