Headbearings on, wiring loom totally clean and coated with silicone spray. I plan to replace every nut, bolt and screw with stainless. Some are not easy to find, so I am using titanium if necessary! These came from competition fasteners
Been a long time without a post. The engine is nearing completion. Should be able to pick it up next week! I have tyres and wheel bearings done. It is really just about bolting stuff together now. Did anyone else see the 1991 900ss on ebay that just ended for £1900? I was so tempted. It was a very early one, number 296, with black brembos. I'm really regretting not buying it, but I am a bit over extended on this project as it is. Someone has a bargain there. Hope they come on here and introduce themselves. In other news, i'm nursing a bruised/broken? rib after dropping the Honda on some black ice... silly boy!
In other news, i'm nursing a bruised/broken? rib after dropping the Honda on some black ice... silly boy![/QUOTE] Dang! be careful mate! you could have ruined a vualuable Honda (not to mention your rib) hope it won't take you long to heal. Nice bolts by the way. and very good progress
Thanks about the concern for my ribs! Actually still pretty sore. Someone said you hurt yourself more the slower you crash - i hope that is the case! Anyway - some more progress: Not keen on yellow battery - it seems a bit taller than the original... And the engine is back!
ooh lovely! (I have the same battery, try it without the OE rubber mat / boot thing that's in the bottom of the tray makes it slightly lower, you may not be keen on it but rest assured you'll be happy when starting, much improved over standard)
OK, been routing the wiring loom. Question... do they really have three frame earths? one on the right frame lug. one on the right rear foot peg, and one on the left battery box fastener? Also, which contact on the solenoid connects to the battery? I think i know the answers... but my photos are unclear and my memory hazy. top tip - take more photos than you thonk you need!
Not sure what this little wire bolted on to rectifier is for. The rectifier is held on to frame by rubber well-nuts - so it is surely not a good earth? Anyone fill me in?
From memory I think it is the earth for the reg/rec. I can't remember exactly where it is supposed to fix. It's on the frame somewhere. I'm fairly sure when I rebuilt my bike that I extended it directly to the earth terminal on the battery
Yep you need to earth the rectifier. I did to one of the lugs inside the frame. Theres no harm in moving mounting points surely if you cant remeber exactly where they go. Did you not see the wiring diagrams on the other thread.
For anyone following this hoping to learn from my mistakes... DO NOT BAKE HEADS IN OVEN - Ducati John had a hell of a time clearing the inside of the heads due to carbonised oil everywhere... in normal operation the heads get hot, but not that hot!
The reg/rec black wire is the earth lead...............It is odd that the OEM wiring diagram shows it direct from the battery to the reg/rec mounting point........whereas the Haynes diagram show a wire from the reg/rec to the frame........ Whichever way round it is, an earth to the reg/rec is required..... However, my reg/rec is not mounted on wellnuts.........it is bolted to the frame........the holes in the frame are not large enough for wellnuts. My reg/rec is an RR51 which has a direct earth connection to the battery as per the Electrex fitting diagram, but the OEM black wire is also fitted to the mounting point.....so my reg/rec has two earth leads.
OK, I have decided what to do. I'm following this advice: Grounding Negative System This means keeping all 'devices' earthed to the frame, but adding a nice thick copper cable from negative battery pole to the engine casing earth for the high current. Also replacing the positive battery pole to solenoid, and solenoid to starter with thick copper. Sourcing these from Exact Start (once I get the correct lengths made up) http://ducatiforum.co.uk/threads/999-749-exact-start-electric-cable-kits.34560/ The confusion I had for the reg/rec earth and the well-nut is sorted. I thought that was an 'earth point' but it is not. It is an 'earth lead' (wire indicated by yellow in picture) that disappears into the loom which attaches the reg/rec housing to the ground on the frame at the right hand side main frame 'earth point' (yellow circle). This point is directly connected to the negative pole of battery on 1991 bikes (they swapped battery round at some point). So the rubber well-nut fixing is fine electrically. Having said that, Ducati recommend direct metal to metal fitting to frame for better heat dissipation on later models with higher wattage alternators. With my weedy alternator though, should be OK and i would rather not shake the thing to pieces! Can anyone help with the wire indicated by blue to the left? I have this marked as the 'left side earth' - which is not that helpful. It is not common with the right 'earth point'. From its position, it appears to want to be bolted on to the battery box, but this is plastic. There is a captive nut welded to the frame here, but I would not be able to tighten the bolt enough to get a good earth without crushing the plastic lug. I wonder, if it is to be atteched to the frame, if I could use a longer bolt and attach it underneath with a nut and washer... Does anyone have pictures? I wish I had taken more!
I'm not convinced you are right about the yellow wire unless someone has been piddling around with the wiring and changed it......the reg/rec earth should be black, having looked at all the wiring diagrams from 91 to 99. The blue wire should be either something to do with the fuel pump / fuel level sender or the neutral warning light switch. However, on my 97 750 SS, the battery to frame earth is bolted to that airbox mounting lug where your blue wire is shown. Also, where that yellow wire is bolted to the frame...is there a similar threaded boss on the left side? If so, that's where the half fairing mounting brackets are fixed (if they had them on the 91 models).
