Possible to access air/fuel mix screw on Agility 125 with only seat well out?

[baddi]

[...]
Air Filter
The scooter is from 2008 and has ~3500 miles on it. I looked at the air filter last week and it seemed white and clean. Is a visual inspection enough to give it a thumbs up? According to the previous owner (a retired gentleman who didn't seem as though he would lie about this), the scooter hasn't been ridden through dirt / dust and was only really used for grocery trips.
[...]

As the other guys have provided good information about the other possible issues, i will concentrate on the filter.

You say white, and this throws me off, as the filter on the agility 50 is orange. Can you see, if the filter is like papery fibers, or like a sponge?
If it is made of paper fibers, dont get it wet, but vacuum clean it or blow high pressure air through it, but if it is sponge, then blow air though it (as your vacuum cleaner might not like the oil), and then pour a little oil on the filter. Then you should press the sponge-filter, so only a little oil is left there.

I dont know about the diffrences of the agility 125 and the agility 50, but in my service book, it sais that the air filter should be cleaned every 1000 km and replaced every 2000 km, even though this is not necersary most of the time.

[AgilityOnAnRV]

Today involved an oil change along with examining the carb diaphragm and vacuum hoses. The air filter will certainly be next. Filling up the gas tank today for round two of Sea Foam.

Results:

-The oil was pretty gnarly. Oil change complete. (I just purchased the scooter. The previous owner's records have an oil change noted at 2300km and I'm at 5600km now.)
-The carb diaphragm looks good, although I have no real reference point. See photo linked below. Am I right?
-Possible issue: There is a slight gap where the carb meets the engine. (Sorry for the complete lack of technical terms...) See photo linked below. Is this supposed to be there?

Carb diaphragm: http://tinyurl.com/carbdiaphragm
Full view from above: http://tinyurl.com/8y4bykp
Carb close-up: http://tinyurl.com/carbclose
The gap: http://tinyurl.com/carbgap

I'd also like to take a look at the spark plug. I'm pretty sure that I located it, but how do I remove the plug?

[baddi]

Today involved an oil change along with examining the carb diaphragm and vacuum hoses. The air filter will certainly be next. Filling up the gas tank today for round two of Sea Foam.

Results:

-The oil was pretty gnarly. Oil change complete. (I just purchased the scooter. The previous owner's records have an oil change noted at 2300km and I'm at 5600km now.)
-The carb diaphragm looks good, although I have no real reference point. See photo linked below. Am I right?
-Possible issue: There is a slight gap where the carb meets the engine. (Sorry for the complete lack of technical terms...) See photo linked below. Is this supposed to be there?

Carb diaphragm: http://tinyurl.com/carbdiaphragm
Full view from above: http://tinyurl.com/8y4bykp
Carb close-up: http://tinyurl.com/carbclose
The gap: http://tinyurl.com/carbgap

I'd also like to take a look at the spark plug. I'm pretty sure that I located it, but how do I remove the plug?

That's a gab between the black "dress" (translation from danish, dunno what its called in english) and the intake manifold. The dress has the purpose of guiding the cooling air around the engine, and it is in the end directed out onto the exhaust.
The engine is made of metal and is underneath the "dress".

If there are a gab between the manifold and the engine, your engine will get what we call "false air", which is air which havent had fuel added to it. This will give a lag when you give more throttle, and will eventually cause your engine to be running lean. To check if there is a gab here, get some start spray and spray around the intake manifold while idling. If you are getting false air, the start spray will be sucked into the engine and will raise the rpm.

Often there are no gab here, but sometimes there can be little cracks in the intake manifold, so if the rpm rise when you spray at this, then it should be changed or fixed. (The right way is to change the manifold, and the wrong way is to make LEGO-glue, by mixing 1 2x2 Lego with acetone, as seen in this post: http://www.billig-scooter.dk/showthread.php?tid=14619)

[zombie]

YUP!!! Your diaphragm is SHOT. When new they are almost flat. (no wrinkles). Also when I zoomed the manifold it appears the tightening screw is digging into the rubber, and that will create an air leak as posted by Baddi. Rather than fix/replace the manifold I burn off the rubber, and replace the carb using a fuel proof rubber coupler. Just a simple rubber hose cut to length, and two hose clamps. You can get new O rings at the auto parts store for a few cents to replace the one under the manifold. Or just get a new manifold from http://www.partsforscooters.com/Welcome?search=intake+manifold+125
For the spark plug I think a 5/8" socket with a 6" extension will get it.

[zombie]

and replace the carb using a fuel proof rubber coupler.

Meant the rubber coupler...

[zombie]

NOT the carb...

Just getting my post count up. Gotta beat Slinger

[AgilityOnAnRV]

Sounds like we're getting somewhere! I'm trying to synthesize all of the information I've received and want to be sure about my next steps.

- Is the gap in the photo actually a problem?

- Does the diaphragm being shot explain the problems that I have been having, or is that a separate issue? Any idea where can a find a replacement diaphragm?

- Is is certain that I need to replace / repair the manifold, or should I try testing with start spray first? (Then again, a new manifold probably doesn't cost TOO much more than start spray!) Based on the photo it looks like I would need the manifold with two vacuum points. Is that correct?

As always, thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[zombie]

For starters... Surging is almost ALWAYS caused by air leaks. The worse the leak the more surging. It will eventually melt the piston or valves due to a lean fuel ratio. Spraying starting fluid MAY cause a fire so I tend to spray water to test. That will cause the engine to stall vs explode. (no choice there). The Diaphragm issue is separate but will cause slow throttle response, and lowered power. http://www.partsforscooters.com/Welcome?search=carb+diaphragm

[zombie]

Forgot... Just look at your manifold... If it has two hoses you need two ports.

[AgilityOnAnRV]

Parts update: I ordered a new intake manifold, gasket, O-ring, and carb diaphragm.

Performance update: The scooter dying at stops seems to be getting worse. Maybe happens once every 15 times, but when it happens it's always as I'm coming to a stop. If I manage to come to a stop with the scooter at its normal idle it doesn't sputter and die.

Question: Pardon my denseness here, but I'm still not 100% clear on whether the gap where the manifold meets the engine is a problem? Anyone know?

Thanks! Parts should be here this week.

[baddi]

Parts update: I ordered a new intake manifold, gasket, O-ring, and carb diaphragm.

Performance update: The scooter dying at stops seems to be getting worse. Maybe happens once every 15 times, but when it happens it's always as I'm coming to a stop. If I manage to come to a stop with the scooter at its normal idle it doesn't sputter and die.

Question: Pardon my denseness here, but I'm still not 100% clear on whether the gap where the manifold meets the engine is a problem? Anyone know?

Thanks! Parts should be here this week.

The gab is between the plastic dress and the manifold, so its nothing to be worried about. To check if there is a real gab between the manifold and the engine (underneath the dress), you can do as Zombie suggested and vapourize some water around the manifold and the opening.

About installing the new manifold: Be gentle.
If you tighten too much, you will pull the bolt apart, and it will take half an hour just to get the bolt out, if you have only got a pliers.

[zombie]

Judging from your Picts... Remove the air filter box, and try to pull the back of the carb toward the right side of the scoot. I believe you will see a crack where the front hose clamp tightens. That is where I believe the issue is. Like Baddi said the gap is a Non issue

[AgilityOnAnRV]

Judging from your Picts... Remove the air filter box, and try to pull the back of the carb toward the right side of the scoot. I believe you will see a crack where the front hose clamp tightens. That is where I believe the issue is. Like Baddi said the gap is a Non issue

What is the "air filter box"? I'll give this a shot tomorrow.

[zombie]

The box that the air filter is in...

[zombie]

Carb intake