What a ball ache. I regularly changed the oil and filters myself on my GSXR1000 and imagined the ducati to be as easy. Firstly the flaming sump plug is an allen key fitment which I did not have and then the bloody oil filter is tucked into the sump so I could not get my filter removal chain on it. What should have taken an hour took me all afternoon. I did have slivers of silver in the oil and imagine this is the norm for a ducati?
Oil filter is a pain... Did you go with the K&N replacement?... The nut on top makes it so much easier next time around.
Now that's something i didn't know, where is the mesh filter ? K+N all the way for me as well..................far far easier.
Mesh filter is the plate near the sump plug held on by four hex bolts. They normally round off and the plate is held on by sealant and not a rubber gasket as most manuals say. Rather large pain to be honest. Mines usually clean to be fair when I have been arsed to check it but I have heard storys of flange sealant being found in there usually if it's been used around the bolts fitting a new clutch basket.
Its the plate underneath the sump.. next to the drain plug & with 4 allen bolts that are a TOTAL & UTTER BEEETCH to remove.... Soak them in WD for a while before even attempting to remove... Drop the plate & you'll see the mesh filter... You'll need liquid gasket for the refit too... If you have high blood pressure avoid doing this job & leave it to a dealer (or at least someone who can drill out a sheared bolt)...
Don't bother soaking (anything) in WD40 as it's a lubricant and not a penetrating fluid, so it's not doing what you think it's doing! Get yourself a can of real penetrating fluid, such as PlusGas.
(Taken from the WD40 web site) Did you know... WD-40 loosens and penetrates rusted or stuck bolts and plumbing joints Ive always used it myself for this purpose & its been ok.... Probably essentially the same thing though & PlusGas is cheaper...
It's there more as a marketing ploy rather than having any real abilities to perform the function! The difference between PlusGas and WD40 is like night and day...
There was a mesh filter in your gixer believe it or not.... was internal in the sump, bet you never touched that one lol. Another ducati thing peeps tend to panic over! Could cause oil flow problems.... but then it could on every other bike out there.
Does that internal mesh filter catch the big (ish) bits?... Then the flow goes into the proper filter?
Oil returning to the sump goes through it and yes the larger particles are taken out. Only bad one I've seen was on an American site...engine failed due to oil starvation as the gauze was clogged with what he must have used an entire tube of flange sealant on the clutch basket and no doubt not letting is cure before running the bike.
Yeah.. That'll do it haha... Think mine was done at 7k & with me being at 10 now I'll have it done next time round.... I'd imagine its one of those things most important after the running in stage assuming you subsequently keep on top of oil changes..
My old 1098 filter was stuck fast 1st time i changed it. Strategic screwdriver straight through it was the final answer after trying those 'specially made to fit' removal tools and and strap version of the same. Make sure not to tighten them any more than is necessary now. Also recall the allen headed sump bolt being of the cheese variety - bit of grease on the allen bit and dunked in fine sand got that out. Replaced with a hex head sump bolt that are readily available. Current 848 has same allen head sump bolt but came out no issues so have left that in.
I am a little worried as to the silver flecks lying in the bottom of the oil drain pan, is this normal? Had a few slivers on the magnet also. The other thing I noticed was how poor the oil looked after supposedly only covering 2k miles from the dealer service when I purchased the bike. The oil was thin and black with no consistency. I always serviced my gixxer and the oil never looked this poor.
Don't suppose you bought the bike from Ducati Wolverhampton??.... I ask as mine was supposedly serviced (7k biggie) just before I bought it.... Yet when I swapped my own oil over a few months later the stuff in the drain pan was black...... I went with Motul 300v & change the oil every 1k or 6 months & it comes out the same color it went in... I am pretty sure they didn't swap the oil... Plus I had my belts done at BSD two weeks back, they noted how old they looked.. certainly like they had done more than 3k.... Not starting a witch hunt here.. Just sayin.
