Scooterotica

Decided to have look at my 230 TS1, as it has been in for 5 years and done a few miles, motor was running fine, found this amongst other things,the nicasil has worn off around the exhaust port, is this usual wear, I reckon about 9000 mls, rings were worn as well.most of these miles were without a filter.

No filter will do that. The motor was literally sucking in road dirt and sanding away the internals of your top end. If you are going to run with out a filter you might want to up your rebuild schedule.

Yes Grumpy I do now run with a filter, best thing I have ever done, been doing so for about a year, but the damage had been done.

All in all it doesn't look that bad. A re-plate and a new piston you should be good to go.

That's a great example of why I use cast iron barrels!
nuff said!

Nicasil should not wear like that after 9000 miles. In fact if the plating is done correctly nicasil is harder wearing than an iron barrel. Have you changed your tank over the years. If so did you give it a good clean before fitting?
For example a Vespa T5 will last for miles and miles. Having said that if the plating was done badly in the first place it could cause that.

A good mate of mine has a T5 barrel that has worn so much of the plating away that the alloy bore has a very pronounced wear lip at the top extent of piston ring travel. Again, I'm starting to think that this is a result of modern fuel, combined with a lack of filter. Years ago this would not have happened so quickly.

Interestingly, a mate has just emailed me to say that when he approached a dealer to have his iron 200 bored to 225, the dealer suggested that he buy a kit as modern fuels are causing iron barrels to run hot. Sure, modern fuels make all motors run hot.... BUT, whereas you can control that temperature increase by changing timing and compression ratio to get back to reliable engine temps, you cannot comp/time away plating issues! There are pros and cons for both iron and plated but I don't think much of implying that iron is the history of Lambretta, not when it can be just as reliable and one heck of a lot cheaper/easier to put right if things go wrong.

Pros and cons for both... and both with their supporters. I'm lucky enough to run both and they certainly both have a place to fill on the road going scooterist's Xmas list.

Adam

a nikasil lined barrel can wear after that many miles, especially if the engine is used for short trips... the reason is that all petrol contains sulphur and if the motor is only used for short trips the fuel in the tank absorbs water over time and the inside of the barrel accumulates water through condensation... you are probably asking wtf that has to do with nikasil! well water and sulphur mixed together make H2S03 otherwise known as sulphuric acid which eats nikasil. the problem is also worse on engines that are not run hard because if an engine is run hard and gets hot enough the production of acid is reduced.

if you don't believe me have a look at some of the results here
https://www.google.co.uk/?gfe_rd=cr&ei= ... e+problems

Cast iron for the win!

eden wrote:a nikasil lined barrel can wear after that many miles, especially if the engine is used for short trips... the reason is that all petrol contains sulphur and if the motor is only used for short trips the fuel in the tank absorbs water over time and the inside of the barrel accumulates water through condensation... you are probably asking wtf that has to do with nikasil! well water and sulphur mixed together make H2S03 otherwise known as sulphuric acid which eats nikasil. the problem is also worse on engines that are not run hard because if an engine is run hard and gets hot enough the production of acid is reduced.

if you don't believe me have a look at some of the results here
https://www.google.co.uk/?gfe_rd=cr&ei= ... e+problems

Cast iron for the win!

If you have used a nikasil plated barrel after Jan.2005,then the problem wont arise.After this date all petrol and diesel used in this country is ultra low sulphur fuel (uls).

low yes, but its still in there!