Buddy 125 Oil Change Thimble Filter Upside Down

Quaz · Post by **Quaz** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 3:23 pm

My girlfriend just got done bonding the title to her Buddy 125 she got off Craigslist a couple months ago. She went to get an oil change and the local bike shop didn't have her oil filter, so I just ran by Vespa Dallas and got the filter and oil and did it myself. When I did it I was unfamiliar with the small mesh thimble filter that fell into my drain pan and assumed the mesh was supposed to be up in the scooter and not in the spring (I reinstalled it upside-down O.o). I just texted her and asked to not ride it until I get home, but she rode it yesterday. Is there any potential damage I could've done to the scooter? It couldn't have been driven more than 3 miles yesterday.

Thanks,
William

Quaz · Post by **Quaz** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 6:13 pm

Bump.

Sorry to be anxious, would anyone be able to tell me whether or not it would be safe for her to drive it a couple miles today? She doesn't have the correct wrench at her apartment and I won't be home until late.

Thanks,
William

SoCalScooter · Post by **SoCalScooter** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 6:29 pm

Quaz wrote:Bump.

Sorry to be anxious, would anyone be able to tell me whether or not it would be safe for her to drive it a couple miles today? She doesn't have the correct wrench at her apartment and I won't be home until late.

Thanks,
William

I really don't know with 100% certainty which way the mesh 'thimble' should be facing. It has been in the spring for both Buddy's I have done oil changes on (so I assume that's right!)...

However, I don't think it's really going to make much of a difference if you have it in upside down... or even if you removed it for an oil cycle or two. I have never seen any significant build up in one over six or seven oil changes.

Quaz · Post by **Quaz** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 6:35 pm

SoCalScooter wrote:
I really don't know with 100% certainty which way the mesh 'thimble' should be facing. It has been in the spring for both Buddy's I have done oil changes on (so I assume that's right!)...

However, I don't think it's really going to make much of a difference if you have it in upside down... or even if you removed it for an oil cycle or two. I have never seen any significant build up in one over six or seven oil changes.

I didn't know which way it was in earlier, I let the nut fall into my drain pan. I really didn't think it would be a problem. I'm really paranoid right now, my 09 Subaru Forester just started a rod knock 9,000 over warranty. I have never worked on a scooter, I don't even know what the mesh is for, the scooter has an oil filter...

Thanks for the insight!

velobuff · Post by **velobuff** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 6:49 pm

RTFM

Tocsik · Post by **Tocsik** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 6:51 pm

you should be fine. It's an additional filter for the oil and you already have the main one in place. I don't think it protrudes into the engine enough to interfere with any moving parts.

laradu · Post by **laradu** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 8:22 pm

velobuff wrote:RTFM

http://www.modernbuddy.com/pdf/Genuine_ ... 25-150.pdf
I'm sorry, but it says nothing here. Thanks for the help.

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 8:29 pm

P. 26 of the service manual shows the bolt, spring, and thimble, but in an 'exploded' picture which _might_ lead you to go thimble-up. But I don't think that's right.

Quaz · Post by **Quaz** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 8:45 pm

laradu wrote:
velobuff wrote:RTFM
http://www.modernbuddy.com/pdf/Genuine_ ... 25-150.pdf
I'm sorry, but it says nothing here. Thanks for the help.

And thanks for your help.

PeteH wrote:P. 26 of the service manual shows the bolt, spring, and thimble, but in an 'exploded' picture which _might_ lead you to go thimble-up. But I don't think that's right.

I just found that, I've been scavenging. I don't know which is right or if it even matters. If the screen was not inside the spring it would catch more oil, but it seems like it's not even a filter for during operation.

And sudden realization as soon as I typed that. Is this only to catch particulate while you let your oil drain out? O.o

Tazio · Post by **Tazio** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 8:52 pm

When I installed the Prima magnetic pickup drain cap the screen did not seem to fit either direction, so I've been running without it for about 6000 miles now.

mhardgrove · Post by **mhardgrove** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 10:15 pm

Really don't understand the point of that thimble screen when you have an oil filter. Maybe for larger slivers of metal, but I doubt it. I wouldn't worry about it, again, you have an oil filter.

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Thu Jul 26, 2012 5:58 am

On the (non-Buddy) scoots I've owned the screen fits inside the spring, open end up, and the spring fits into the depression in the middle of the big bolt like thing you removed to drain the oil. That would force the gasket onto a flat flange inside the case.

pdxrita · Post by **pdxrita** » Thu Jul 26, 2012 3:00 pm

Agreed with everyone else - this seems like nothing to really worry about. I also doubt the actual utility of the screen. My Italia never had one. I'm guessing the original owner lost it. I've done one oil change on my 125 and that screen was totally clean. Out of curiosity, has anyone on here ever actually observed any debris in there when you've changed your oil?

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Thu Jul 26, 2012 3:21 pm

The thimble in the 'down' position would make Really Good Sense if the screw-in plug were magnetic. The plug would draw metallic debris (ferrous) down towards the plug, and the thimble would catch it nicely for cleanout.

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Thu Jul 26, 2012 4:43 pm

pdxrita wrote:Agreed with everyone else - this seems like nothing to really worry about. I also doubt the actual utility of the screen. My Italia never had one. I'm guessing the original owner lost it. I've done one oil change on my 125 and that screen was totally clean. Out of curiosity, has anyone on here ever actually observed any debris in there when you've changed your oil?

I have on HD200's first oil change. Never after that, though.

Quaz · Post by **Quaz** » Mon Jul 30, 2012 2:38 pm

Sounds like it was never much of a problem, thanks for all the help everyone!