MOPED ARMY

On January 3, 2021, I took apart the wheels and brakes. Plenty of meat left on the brake pads, but the bearings in the front wheel were pretty crusted up with old grease. I cleaned it all out and repacked them. Also polished up the brake plate exteriors.

-MKL

Today I took the old tires and tubes off of the stock spoke wheels, and polished them up. Removed most of the rust from them, and then installed some new tubes and tires. I'm in need of a speedo drive. This is on the right side - I bought this one from Treats https://www.treatland.tv/VDO-style-speedometer-drive-gear-p/puch-vdo-speedo-drive.htm and it doesn't fit. The tabs are too wide, and the hole for the axle is about 2mm too big. It also feels very cheap and flimsy. Does anyone have a line on a good quality OEM unit?

-MKL

That's going to be a very nice bike, I'm always amazed to see the engines torn down on a moped, just marvel that that tiny collection of parts can shove you around at 30ish. From the pics anyway, I would go after the paint with rubbing compound and wax, I bet it shines like new money and much cheaper that having it pro painted. Plus it's a stock color, I have not seen a red maxi ever. Clean and seal the tank as well while it is appart, Caswell. For parts, Sundaymorningmotors.com used to have a ton of used Puch parts, or as stated above buy/sell here is an awesome resource. Keep the pics coming, love watching bikes take shape.

All that is good advice except for sealing the tank. Sealing a tank that does not leak is pointless. And being an in-frame tank, if it were rusty enough to leak, then it would be structurally compromised and worthless anyway.

So detective you are in the never seal club? I got one of the Speedo’s from treats. Not sure I understand your nomenclature but I had to file down the needle that goes in the speedo and hun to get mine to work. What did you find worked best on the rust on your rims? (edited)

I don't share your view on this, and here is why, if it was just to be a runner and ride around I would not seal it either, but he is tearing this down to nuts and bolts, so why not add an extra layer of protection to the tank? Make her solid for another 30 odd yrs? Just me being anal I guess. I do understand if it is rusted enough to leak it is junk, I have motobecane syndrome...so yeah, but on a full on resto, I would add anything I could to preserve it. Ounce of prevention stuff... :)

Only use caswell tank sealer if you do. It's the ONLY good one.

That speedo drive could be made to work .

Take the tabs down to size and use a spacer for the axle hole .

Just look for a speedo drive that is for an 11mm axel. The double tabbed ones, but even a single tab one should work. Or forget those janky drives and get a nice phone mount for your GPS digital speedo App. Your stock speedo probably doesnt show over 40mph anyway.

Minor progress today in cleaning up various parts...

MKL

I can confirm that I read the same stuff prior to installing mine and made a spacer.

Super easy and absolutley no issues.

I also had the head gasket that came with the kit blow out, like exploded, before I even started break-in. Polished the head sealing surfaces and run with no gasket.

I would make another vote for no sealer... Nobody thought they would put corn liquor in gas either, but sure enough, in the early 2000s I was buying bikes left and right with rotten kreem tank sealer coming out of them like tan snot.

Plus it's like damn near impossible to roll it around inside a maxi tank good anyways.

Here ya go: https://www.sundaymorningmotors.com/product-p/c002011.htm

Love this site for stock parts

Thanks

OK so tonight I built up my new DMP aluminum stuffed crank with new bearings and seals, and installed it alone in the cases with the Airsal 72cc top end to check clearances. The vendor sent me two base gaskets, so I installed them both. You can see that the crown of the piston still sticks out past the cylinder, and the piston does not clear the whole exhaust port.

So, I think that tomorrow I have to order the 1mm spacer from Treats ( https://www.treatland.tv/MLM-puch-metal-base-plate-spacer-for-p/mlm-puch-metal-plate-oversize.htm?1=1&CartID=0 ) and use a paper gasket on each side of it. That should put the clearances in the safe zone. With that out of the way, I can figure out how to port the cases to match the cylinder!

-MKL (edited)