G'day folks,I was hoping someone could enlighten me on tools/procedure for timing belt tensioning.Is it necessary to loosen the 3 camshaft head screws prior to tensioning the belts and also is the camshaft block tool employed during the procedure.The bike as to which I want to check the tension of the belts is a monster 1200s,cheers .
Evening, this thread may give a bit of help for you; http://ducatiforum.co.uk/threads/belt-marking-is-it-necessary.46516/#post-815556 Pete
Cheers mate,unfortunately that thread is referring to changing belts,all I intend doing is to check the tension of the belts.
No need for special tools but in service tension is a fair bit slacker than new fit Two or four valve ?
4 valve,monster 1200s.The service tension is stated at 88htz,but it does indicate the procedure of loosening the 3 camshaft screws and employing the camshaft block tools.
They are used for that but that's not what they are meant for. The factory procedure for setting the tension is to lock the cams in place with special cam lock tools, lock the crank to stop it turning, loosen the 3 cam pulley screws so there is no load on the belts, then tension the belts, re-tighten the screws and remove the cam and crank locks.
Thanks for the heads up,looks like I am going to have to buy the necessary tools,was hoping I didn't need to go to the extreme just to tension the belts.By the way would I have to loosen both the intake 3 camshaft head screws and the exhaust 3 camshaft head screws,or just the intake cam?
That's the factory method but you can do them the "old way" Simply check the tension with the cylinder you are checking set to TDC with both valves closed so that there is no load on the belt you are measuring. Do the horizontal first with the engine set to the "timing position" then rotate the crank through 270ยบ and do the vertical. No need for cam lock tools nor to loosen the cam pulley screws.
I often wonder when there are discussions over the correct/exact belt frequencies just how critical it really is? given that, after a couple of hundred miles it will have changed a little anyway. Can anyone actually cite a belt breakage incident or engine running badly because the tension was 5hz more or less than optimal?...
Can't think why myself but maybe others can. Only special tool for me would be a phone equipped with a microphone and the Gates Carbon Drive app
The 3 bolts from my understanding are valve timing only, absolutely nout to do with tension, fuck your engine right up altering that, tension pulley is how id guess you adjust. I've adjusted lots of belts and chains on some pretty critical equipment over the years and never employed any type of Hz meter or gauge (maintenance engineer for 30 years plus) obviously too loose so something jumps is bad and too tight will potentially prematurely wear or overload bearings. Every thing changes from temperature, how the bike is used and abused, materials used for the belt. I do think the service life for ducati belts is a sales ploy and a load of bollocks same with frequency. Its a premium product so although care should be taken, its better in terms of precision and best manufacturing process... cheers mark
The method stated by Derek is the 'correct method' regardless of how many belts or chains one's changed.
We haven't all had decades of changing and adjusting countless belts, so need guidance as to how much tension to apply. It's horribly easy to turn the tension adjuster the wrong way and if you do so, the tension you are appearing to apply via the adjuster could feel very adequate but the belt would still be loose. Using a smart phone or whatever method to check the Herz figure would immediately show that up, so instruments do have their place, imvho.
the main point was to actually leave the 3 cam timing bolts alone as they have nothing to do with belt tension on the 4 valve... belt tension could be discussed forever, old skool and new and it was only my opinion, i always maintain check and double check, rotate the engine several times back to the same position and check.... TBH if your not confident leave it to someone who does, having a go is all well and good until your motor shits itself
I was chatting to a fairly well known Ducati mechanic when we picked my mates bike up and he said that the pre-testastretta engines u could just do the belt tension by hand, with good feel but he said on the 848/1098 it became more critical to get them pretty close due to emissions rules meaning that the valve timing was even more critical to how they ran, he said that by the time he 1198 came in he is using the electronics because it's too risky just to go on feel. As the 1200 derives from the 1198 block and is likely to be sensitive to valve timings it can't be a bad thing to be extra careful and use the correct tools, sorry doesn't help with procedure but thought it might help for comments on what method works Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
