Rebuilding the top end of my son's Gilera runner. One of those nasty 50cc scooter things. He managed to seize the piston and it has been standing neglected for a couple of months awaiting repair. Fairly easy to work on but all those plastic panels with multiple screws holding them together were a real pain. I replaced the barrel and piston which was quite straightforward although not particularly easy to get at. Fortunately I remembered a couple of useful tips when putting it together. Piston in barrel first, with bottom of piston protruding sufficiently to allow access to gudgeon pin holes. Circlip placed in piston on hardest to access side when fitting piston/barrel. Then fitted barrel/piston combo together, inserted gudgeon pin and then only had one circlip to fit - it only took about 20 attempts to get that last bastard circlip in. ( I had stuffed the crankcase opening and transfer port with rags whilst fitting it - which was just as well or it would have been in there for sure!). The rest went together fairly easily and it started first go and sounds really sweet. Son is much impressed - he had predicted disaster (the youth of today have no respect). I have threatened him with all kind of nastiness if he doesn't run it in properly. Only problem now is that my right leg is aching like bitch again (dropped my bike on it about 10 days ago - squashed foot and bruise the size of a dinner plate on my arse) so today I have mostly been lying on the sofa drinking andwatching tv. Tony
