I searched through Ducati workshop manual and Haynes manual but cannot find out what the purpose of the large screw in plug on the front end of a 916sps engine is for? The hex plug has a 22mm x 1.5 thread and is located on the lower front left hand side of the crankcase, just below the stator cable outlet, see image. Thanks and await any help.
The brass one? I think It's just a blanking plug for a redundant tapping where the loom used to exit from the earlier ignition timing system. Why your engine has this earlier type of crankcase casting is possibly a question best answered by an SPS expert.
If it's the same as a Testa' it's an inspection hole blanking plug. Remove this to shove your feelers in, to set the distance for the ignition sensor pick up gap.
I've had another look through various 916, 748 and 996 parts catalogues too see which models have this blanking plug. It appears on the 748SPS, SP and Biposta but not on the 748 '99 version or R . The plug appears to be on all the 916 models but not on any of the 996 models! It's not the feeler gauge hole as this is a little higher up the block on the same side and this plug is a lot smaller. Chris I think your correct that it is a blanking plug but not the exit hole for for earlier 748 or 916 models stator wires as these cables came out from the same exit hole as in the image above. Thanks for the two replies so far. Any other ideas?
I've worked it out. Chris it is the ignition exit hole but for the Monster. Ducati obviously used the same blocks. Thanks.
Hi jb I'm not sure if I explained very well, but just to confirm here is a shot of a 2 valve crankcase which your crankcase evolved from :-
Hi Chris, thanks for the image, makes much more sense now and thank you for your replies , kind regards.
