Vespa Air Filter

Air filters work simply to make sure that the air entering the combustion chamber is clean. These filters are the metal wire gauze type and they really never wear out. Every 3000 miles or so the air filter should be removed and cleaned by soaking in new gasoline to remove any accumulated dirt.

Large frame Vespas typically have the air filter either in the carb box mounted on the engine or, in older models it is mounted directly to the carb under the seat. Small frame Vespas have an air filter mounted to the carb which is accessed by removing the plastic glove box under the seat. It is removed by small wing nuts on the front side and can be cleaned by washing in clean gasoline. Access is through the under seat door.

Above are two filters which mount inside the carb box. Over the years the filters have changed so if you do have to change the filter, make sure you find the correct replacement. Above is a P200E (VSX1T) and a Vespa 150 (VBA1T) filter.

Basically the air filter is a wire mesh which is either directly connected to the carburetor or housed in the air box. To gain access to the filter it is necessary to remove the right hand side engine cowl. Locate the air box which is at the end of a flexible rubber intake tube. Your model may vary but apart from small frames the set up below should look familiar.

Remove the two philips head screws (arrowed) and remove the top of the air box. Be sure to leave the rubber sealing strip around the join in place, as well as the other assorted rubber grommets.

The air filter on a P-series bike is held directly to the carb by two flat head slotted screws. Remove the filter and wash it in clean gasoline to remove any residue. Air filters don't really wear out as long as they are kept clean there should be no need for replacement.

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Vespa Carburetor Fuel Filter

This is the second fuel filter in the fuel system after the one in the fuel tank. The carb has an internal screen type fuel filter located just off the fuel intake. This filter can be reached with the carb either in or out of the bike (as shown). Just make sure the fuel tap is on "off" if you are working inside the carb box.

Above is a typical 200cc Vespa carb with the filter location noted with a red arrow. Unscrew the single screw to gain access to the internal fuel filter.

The filter is sometimes a tight fit but there is a small dimple in the side that is used for hooking it out of the carb body.

Clean the filter in new gasoline and be sure to check for sediment in the bottom of the filter bowl (shown with a red arrow above). Any sediment can be lightly scraped or blasted out. If there is a large amount of garbage in here it is probably a good idea to check your fuel tap filter as well because it should be filtering the fuel pretty well before it reaches the carburetor.

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Vespa Fuel Tap

The Vespa fuel tap on early models are easily accessible by opening the carb flap below the seat near the fuel lever. All these instructions can be used on earlier bikes without removing the tank. Later bikes after about 1960 or so have a fuel tap on the bottom of the tank, which unfortunately buried in the frame.

To remove the tap the fuel tank must be removed from the frame. First you'll need to remove the seat by removing three 11mm bolts at the hinge. Then using an 11mm wrench/socket remove the 4 retaining bolts shown above in green. On models with the old style metal lever, be sure the fuel tap is turned to on (or the upright position) as this is the only way the lever will fit through the hole in the frame.

The tank is removed by lifting up the back first until the fuel lever and oil sight glass (if fitted) clear the frame. Then lift directly up, shut off the fuel when the tank is clear, and disconnect the fuel line. Remove the fuel lever from the fuel tap by removing the pin, and if an oil tank is fitted you'll need to plug the end of the oil line with a bolt or something.

The tap is threaded and has a large flange on the bottom of the tank and a 32mm nut on the inside face of the tank. While this can be unscrewed with typical tools and a lot of effort, it can be unscrewed effortlessly with the correct tool. Fit the tool down over the nut, hold the bottom of the fuel tap with your hand only, and start unscrewing. Because of the breather pipe you'll only be able to unscrew about 180 degrees at a time before taking the tool off the nut to start again.

Once the tap has been removed from the tank it can be inspected and cleaned. On later P series bikes there is a small clip which retains the fuel filter. Once unclipped the filter can slide up the breather tube, placed in clean gasoline, or blasted with air until clean.

Refitting the valve is the reverse of the disassembly, but there are a few tricks to make it less of a headache. First, replace the small gasket that goes in between the tank and the fuel tap. There is nothing worse than going through the effort of replacing the entire tank, and then have gas leaking within the frame. Second, push the tap through the fuel tap hole, and try to get the long copper breather tube near the filler cap opening. Place the fuel tap nut over the breather tube so that it will slide down to the threads. The nut should have the flat side down and the slightly beveled edge facing up.

Once the nut slides all the way down to the threads the nut can be loosely tightened. The fuel tap on the bottom of the tank still needs to be orientated correctly. Use the tap tool again and tighten the nut slowly as shown below

The last step is to make sure the outside of the fuel tap is pointing the right direction. It must be facing towards the front of the bike so that the fuel tap lever will engage it correctly. The last step is to tighten down the nut completely while making sure the bottom of the tap does not rotate. DO NOT use a wrench on the tap body as it is a casting and can be very brittle. I always put gas in the tank above the reserve level and let the tank sit overnight just to be sure there are no leaks.

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