748 Engine Swap

Should be a direct swap but IMO, if you buy a used engine, there will always be a doubt at the back of your mind as to its reliability and a belt and shim service will add upwards of £1000 to your purchase price if you are not going to do it yourself. If you rebuild, you know the engine will be good. I also think your budget for a rebuild is a bit light again, depending on if you get it done or do it yourself. Andy

 

Same engine on the E & S.
If you’re rebuilding you could go 853cc @Birdie did that.
Or drop in a 916/996 but then you’d have to change the ECU and some of the loom as well.

 

Try Ducati John (or Ducati Mondo in Huddersfield) if times are slow they might be able to turn around quicker than normal too.
https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/threads/ducati-john-is-now-know-as-cellier-b-v-t-workshop.70975/

 

you won't go far wrong with mark!
also i think Ducati john or what ever he has to be called now is oop north! he has a good reputation search him..

 

I’m sure there used to be an independents map but can’t find it. Hopefully someone will make a recommendation in the fullness of time. An engine rebuild is an open wallet if you don’t set exact requirements. I’ve had a nut and bolt engine build on an 853 using a 748RS donor which cost north of £5k and my Multistrada is currently being rebuilt so no clear cost yet but it will be at least £5k. I emphasise these are full nut and bolt ground up rebuilds but as a minimum, I’d recommend, replacing every bearing, piston rings and have the heads reworked to clean them up and redo the valve seats. Once your engine is stripped, inspection will tell what is getting towards the end of its life and should be replaced. Finger in the air feeling, allow £3k and hope to spend a little less. Andy

 

Won't the 2001E engine be the Testa Bassa engine? same fitting though just the exhaust manifold was different but still fits.
Steve

 

If I had a knackered e engine that I knew the provenance of, personally I’d get it rebuilt and if I had a really really clean bike I think it’s worth doing. If the pistons are worn or damaged I’d also definitely go 853 kit, or at least balanced crank and some lightening. The 748r engine is beautiful in the way it’s spins up with it’s lighter components and would be massively worth it in the standard bike. Try asking someone like the Desmowerx YouTube guy, he knows his stuff and seems to do rebuilds for others

 

I have rebuilt the top end of my 748 into an 853 with new special pistons and rings. 916 cylinders are getting hard to find and the piston kits are still expensive. You may get away with just new rings, gaskets and a valve job on your 748. This would likely be the cheapest option IMO.
I also have a 916 with 748R cams out of an S4. I have swapped the motors a couple of times but don't ask why. Long story.
A couple of things to be careful of, the 2002 748 as well as the Monster S4/S4R and the ST4/ST4S have drop cam (testabassa) heads. This worked for me as I have an '02 748. Earlier 748 and all superbike 916/996 engines will need exhaust piping mods to swap between the two styles of motor.
It depends on what you want from your bike. If you love the ridability of the 748 you may not like the big torque charcateristics of a bigger (say 996) engine. I have tried the 853 and 916 together and I am favouring the 916 at the moment as it's also a bit tuned. It pulls nasty 2nd gear power wheelies whereas the 853 just accelerates. I would think a standard 916 and an 853 are so close in performance as to not be anything in it in the real world.
If you can get the bits within your budget I would go 853 over 748 but having had a real 748 for over 3 years there is nothing wrong with it. It may not beat a 900+ on a drag strip but on a twisty road there is nothing in it.

 

There are suggestions above that the earlier standard exhaust systems won't fit the later style testabassa 748E/S motor, they fitted perfectly well on mine as the later style one piece Zeuna manifold/headers are prone to cracking and I had to replace them with a normal 45mm Termi system off a 916. The exhaust systems are different and the headers, manifold and collector are not interchangeable but the systems both fit my MY02 748S with no mods.

 

And there is the absolute reason to do the job and sensible to spend a little bit on scoping the potential costs. Good luck Andy

 

buy a 2nd hand 1 off the man in leicester , hes a good reliable bloke, had plenty of parts off him over the years and never any problems, he does this for a living and soesnt buy and sell junk, you will still have your origonal engine which you will be able to strip and sell the useable parts

 

I have a 748 engine laid under my bench, 1,000 miles since it had 5 new rockers fitted and clearances set, it's the early single phase motor though so not suitable in this case.
Steve

 

Such a tease...
Is the single phase a real killer then??

 

There's a few alterations to wiring but not much, probably seen as a backwards step by some though. Better sticking to a like for like replacement, for ease.
Steve

 

From memory the early single phase has a smaller generator? something like 260w and 400w in the later 3 phase, I could be wrong, been a while! I know they are different output, just can't remember the exact figure

 

Convert the single to a 3 phase..

 

I have a 748SPS engine available, can be seen/running as still in the frame. A couple of pics here!