Would anyone know whether these two belt tensioning tools are the same in terms of scale used and readings generated? I notice that the scale on the Löwener tool (being the official recommended tool) goes up to a scale of twelve, whereas on the Kent Moore tool up to a lower scale of ten. Uncertain whether the scale used on both is the same though (trust that the measuring is/should be in ft. lbs if that's the case). Both tools are/appear to be a spitting image of one another. Fully aware that neither of these where in fact used (or relied upon) that much for measuring belt tension on Ducati's historically, as well as of the fact that technology has long made them ever more redundant with the modern hertz measuring applications. For the sake of completion and should my research prove correct, the patent for this (discontinued) service tool should now be in the hands of Bosch (who took over SPX's specialty service tools segment, with SPX themselves having taken over Löwener OTC and possibly Kent-Moore earlier on).
Not sure these work on the 998? I think they are for Desmoquattro only and iirc 998 is a Testarastretta? If so, the later engine uses a frequency reader like is available foc on your phone.
As they appear on the official workshop and part manuals on all 998 variants, they sure do work on the Testastretta engine as well, being a belt operated engine (including 748R (2002), 749/999, 848/1098, Monster S4/900 IE/750/400/S4R/620/800/1000/695). To my great surprise, this belt tensioner part code (being 88765.0999) appears to be relevant all the way up to the Multistrada 1100S of 2008.
It's a belt tensioner. it'll work on any engine with a belt. It was common in car maindealers for years and Chris Kelly of California cycleworks used to by the same tool from ford maindealers here in the UK as the US ones wouldn't sell him the device. Your only concern is what it's calibrated to. So in your case, do a belt up with it, and with a sonic tool see if the range is the same as the figures quoted. My money will be the Lowener tool just has a bigger tension range, but they're the same calibration metric, alternatively tension a belt, and see what frequency it chimes in at on the scale and refer to that as your figure. Only reason the likes of Gates and other belt manufacturers pushed for sonic was because it's one tool to check the wide range of belts in all their various sizes and tensions, and only one tool to calibrate so it just makes life easier instead of a drawer of tensioners for various size and package space applications, and as tolerances in engines became tighter you couldn't rely on approximate tension settings anymore on engines with position and timing sensors measuring crank and cam positions without them getting upset and flashing up warning lights. I mean you can get all particular about it, but all said and done, how many people have a proper Ducati branded or non branded BTM-TTC vs an app on their phone or a cheap microphone attached to ducati diag or similar and are happy to accept the results?
The 'stretta motors were the first to use the Hz tensioning method. There was no figures for using that tool. Iirc, I don't think it fits in between the cam pulleys where it was used on the quattro engines. There were a couple of other bikes it was spec'd, 2V's i think, where it was used on the longer run of the belts, but in reality, if the engine was in the frame it wouldn't fit. It's a deflection gauge. Nothing more. It was a Ford tool. Chris Kelly mod'd it with some very thin walled sleeves over the rollers to make it work in the Ducati arena, copying the factory tool. It's easy to check.... the setting is 2.5 on the readout. That represents a deflection of 5mm on the belt. Set the tension with the gauge and then check deflection by pushing the belt down with a steel rule behind it. I wouldn't use that tool though on anything other than Desmoquattro motors. It's placed between the two cam pulleys in use with the relevant cylinder at TDC.
I sourced one for chris back in the day, as he said the US ford dealers weren't willing to sell the workshop tool. Gave me a killer rate on my flatslides as a result.
remind me Neil, did the tensioner actually tension to the higher end of the Hz range when Ducati redone the process? something like +5hz over the current figure or is it the same?
Honestly Sev, I don't recall. I've always done the tensioning on the different engines with the specific tools. Still have the spring balance for Pantah somewhere There wasn't a Hz reading for the quattro motors as I know to, or recall, so I've never used that method. I think the 110Hz thing was a "Google rumour" back in the day when the figure was published for the 'stretta motors and it's stuck???? I did check it once upon a time but forgot the results. It was wrong though
Little known fact is that the sonic testing kit for ducati was brought about by a small engineering firm on an industrial estate by the Tyne near Newcastle. I've worked for them on other projects that use similar tools to make sure workers on assembly lines don't cheat by banging tools on surfaces rather than actually fitting components to cars. Especially fords.
@nelly these are the relevant service manual excerpts for the 998 engine illustrating the use of the belt tensioner tool on the testastretta engine. The 110 (+/- 5) hertz readings are provided in the same manual as a reference for the Mathesis tool in checking that the belt tensioning performed with the belt tensioner tool are/have been made within the factory tension values. It seems that the view taken by the factory for the testastretta engines (at least up to 2008) is that the belt tension tool and the hertz method are not mutually exclusive but complimentary of one another (notwithstanding that in practice the belt tension tool was very rarely used, if at all).
The manuals were a little misleading. The figures never correlated and unless the motor was out of the frame, you couldn’t use the deflection gauge due to access issues. The figure of 11.5 related to tension required when checking timing. The actual working tension was lower. As mentioned above, I wouldn’t use the deflection gauge on anything other than the Desmoquattro motors.
When you read it Nelly it’s actually pretty clear. They could have done with putting the warning at the beginning and not at the end of the page. like you say, it specifically states deflection tool to test timing only on the first page and then tells you to use the sonic tester for setting working tension on the next page. the 11.5 would come up with a really high figure were you to measure it on sonic tester.
I have no clearance issues whatsoever when using the factory cam belt tension tool on my 998S with the engine in the frame. Things are tight, no doubt about that, but its small size makes it relatively easy to manoeuvre and position where it is suppose to nest to generate a reading. I am not a fan of the hertz method alone, at least not as a definitive guide on belt tensioning: to my eyes, it is a very approximate science and its results are as inconsistent as its many variables when taking a reading. Though I do use the factory cam belt tension tool, I very much resort to the belt twist and allen key clearance checks to ensure that the job is done right.
Also not a fan off the hertz method. I tried it and the readings where all over the place. You can not go wrong with a tension tool. I have the facom one. Off course you need to know what the correct reading is for the engine. Henk!!!
