mot advisory points

[mickfeath.]

Hi, could anyone help me on two points. first is i apparently have slight play in my front brake drum stay, could anyone tell me what and where this is located on my sil gp200 and how to fix it, if possible. Secondly i have the same problem with the steering head bearing.Please help me, if they are simple jobs, then any advice on how to fix both problems would be very appreciated, thanks, mick.

[bristolmod]

steering head bearings are easy if a tad fiddly. It involves removing the headset (reflector out; unclip junction box at rear of headlight; undo speedo cable at bottom; unscrew headset from underneath; remove h/s top; mark position of fork vs h/s clamp; undo big hex bolt; loosen cables; pull h/s off and rest inside leggies area) adjust the two large nuts holding the fork top to the frame- you could replace and regrease the upper and lower steering bearings if required.

The trick is to get the forks to drop either left or right with a tap on the front wheel (blocks under stand) but also having no play in the bearings- its fiddly but can be done.

The "play" in the front drum brake is where the peg on the link goes into the groove on the brake itself- play here is VERY common. Problem is the amount of play is minimal but appears a lot worse than it is. I think every drum braked Lambretta I've ever had has some "play" here!!

I'd suggest a "Lambretta Friendly" MOT station next time.

Chris

[cgt75b]

Fetch it round to Broadheath Altrincham I can certainly tighten up the headset. You may possibly need new bearings though.

Best of luck with it.

[mickfeath.]

Hi Chris, do you need any special tools to adjust the two large nuts , and is replacing the bearings easy to do, and do you need any special tools to do this ?

[bristolmod]

you will need some large thin spanners- most dealers sell a 2 part set for this job (spanner and C Spanner). To replace the top and bottom bearings is not a hard job, but you need to drop the forks out totally- this involves undoing the top lock nut; the spacer washer and the bottom nut; leaning the bike over and then withdrawing the forks (may be easier to remove the front wheel though.

Unfortunately, when you've replaced said bearings, they will "bed in" after a few hundred miles, which means you will have to readjust as per my earlier post. Also, there is a lot of crap H/S and fork bearings on the market.......

Try adjusting first.

Chris

[bristolmod]

how bad is the play on the H/S bearings?

To test them, sit on your bike (engine NOT running) with the stand up.
Put your left thumb on the "join" between the head set bottom and the leg shields.
Rock the bike forward and apply the front brake.

Can you feel any movement between the H/S and the leggies?

Chris

[mickfeath.]

Thanks Chris, will try all the things you have suggested. Thanks alot mate. Mick.