Ok ready to drop the engine out, I’m going to give Luigi Moto a shout to see if they can give it the once over. I’m wondering whether or not to drop the oil and remove the cooler or just leave as is and take the whole thing down there. Oil is cold so won’t get it all out if I did but curious as to what state the oil is in
I left mine in when Baines did it because I wanted them to see exactly what it was like. But it was very tempting to drop it. In the end I am happy I took the former route.
Nice to see you rebuilding this beastie, how it can be abused like that is beyond me anyhow.. The emulsion is definitely water in the oil, most likely and hopefully down to short runs and the engine not getting up to temperature however get the guys to check the flywheel is secure on the crank. The reason I say this is because a few years ago I owned a lovely 996, which i regret to this day selling, the flywheel nut came loose slightly which was enough to allow the flywheel to wear through the rear of the water pump casing. The photo shows the water pump housing (arrowed) , behind which the flywheel happily spins. Fortunately the repair only required a little alloy welding and re shaping to make it all good again, an obviously the securing of the flywheel nut. Not saying this is your issue but worth a check.
Thanks @Phartycr0c, I’ll get them to check it out. I think I’ve read somewhere about those flywheel nuts, was that a recall on the earlier models?
You should do a Ducati rescue montage! You just need an American accent and some life affirming commentary to add the the footage and you’re good to go!
Iirc it affected the earlier 748/916 models with the 2phase alternator more than the 3phase ones. That’s not to say however, someone could have been doing some work at some time in the past in that area and not correctly rebuilt the flywheel and tightened its retaining nut.
The flywheel nut should be replaced at least every second fitting but preferably after one use as it has a slight interference thread tolerance, also a strong Loctite compound (270) used to secure it which is/was not mentioned in the factory manual. Its loosening and subsequent destruction can affect later 3 Ph bikes as well
As Paul has said, if you have the crankcase off checking the flywheel nut is always worth it and replace if possible. Locktite is a great precaution too. The Hole it put into the back of the water pump cover was just large enough to allow the coolant to run into the oil meaning I had to do several flushes after the repair.
Another issue when they lossen off, is that that timing gear comes loose on the crank. This can cause fretting on the woodruff key, which can enlarge the keyway in the crank. Rendering it scrap.
just had a chat with Luigi; he doesnt think the "mayo" in the breather pipe is too much to worry about but i've mentioned that a good strip and sort of the engine would be nice, i'll make sure i ask him about the things mentioned above. another niggling issue is the clutch fluid, i havent removed the slave cylinder as yet but from what i can see in the fluid reservior, the fluid is pretty black??
My fluid used to turn black very quickly, when I changed To an oberon cylinder it stays clear much longer Maybe standard seals break down
They all do that sir. Seriously though, the clutch fluid always seems to go much darker much more quickly than the brake fluid. I'd say you've nowt to worry about (although you'll be checking anyway I presume) and it just hasn't been replaced for years.
I had that same problem. I got a talented welder to partially fill the keyway with weld and recut the slot, saving the crank So all is not lost if that happens.
Well suppose there’s the easy bit done! Engine booked into Luigi Moto for tomorrow morning, bolts delivered to zinc players this morning, MH Racing for suspension sort out then need to find someone decent to do frame and wheel painting; think I’m going to go with Apache’s advice and use border paints to get what is needed While all that’s going on I’m on cleaning duties with all the little bits
I hope so, it’s great to work on. I was amazed after everything I’d read how easily the swing arm bolt came out, although maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised after getting the rear wheel nut off with my bare hands... and I’ll charge you all the costs of rebuilding, I’m blaming you for this, after I read your thread I was dying to have a go!
just sprucing up the swingarm, plenty to get on with while engine is being sorted (Rich at Louigi Moto asked me if i got the engine off a trawler, which concerns my wallet area somewhat...) however, looking at the roller bearings on the left side, the outer bearing moves freely but the inner is a bit stiff, looking at the seal i think that at somepoint someone has fittet the wrong one, it's a bit tricky finding a decent pic of it on the net but i think it should be a metal seal like the outer one not the rubber seal in the pic below, can anyone confirm/deny? TIA
