Has anyone used the 'Indian rope-trick' to lock their crankshaft to enable undoing alternator/clutch nuts? I just found about about this technique on an American site for Royal Enfields, when I was making inquiries about how to lock the engine to enable removal of the alternator retaining nut. The procedure is to push an appropriate sized rope into the spark plug hole with the piston set a B.D.C until the cylinder is filled with the rope, this means of course that when the crankshaft is turned the piston will crush the volume of rope which will eventually effectively lock the engine and prevent crankshaft rotation. I must add here of course that this is for a nut only tightened to 55Nm, I can foresee potential damage being caused by using this technique with tighter nuts! This can also be used to 'crack off' a sticky cylinder head as well. I think it's a brilliant idea, anyone here heard about or tried it?
Yes heard of it, not done it, you MUST do it on the compression stroke so as not to possibly bend a valve, but I would only do it if no other way is possible myself.
Totally Barking - so much to go wrong !! Buy a 240v impact wrench off Amazon and save yourself the inevitable grief !!
Apart from ramming an iron bar through the spark pug hole that's the easiest way to crack the piston crown..... If I have a partcularly tight nut to undo of the nature referred to, I stick the front or rear wheel against a wall and get someone to sit on the bike and put the brakes on with it in first gear as well. Of course, if the engine is out, then the problem is more difficult, but none that I haven't been able to overcome without knocking up some sort of sprag which either locks the gearbox, clutch or flywheel etc etc. Haven't done it to a Ducati yet, but from what I have seen in photos, I'm sure I can come up with something without resorting to a two pence piece or a lump of rope. AL
You really need to hold the flywheel if you are doing the alternator nut . You risk fracturing the crankshaft whilst twisting it if you hold it any other way. This should get that idea out of your head.
I did say I would use a sprag that I would knock up.... I have been working on bikes since approx 1966 and haven't bust a crank yet..... But looking at that photo, I doubt if that was done by jamming the front wheel against a wall....there's more to that pic than meets the eye. AL.
Yeah well you also said you had never done a ducati yet . You just dont jam he wheel against the wall and put the brakes on . Id rather use the penny which is another bad idea. Twisting the crank during tightening the alternator nut has fractured many a ducati crank.You might get lucky or you might not. I have the right part as I have done many ducati rebuilds and services I too have never brocken or fractured a ducati crank. I intend keeping it that way.
Heres another one in case you think I`m kidding. The first is a 1098R the second is the other end of the crank in the first picture out of a 9R. I keep them to remind me to use the right tools.
That's why I said I would use a sprag of some sort (IE A proper locking tool whether Ducati or purpose made).......I did point out I wouldn't be using a penny............But I'll warrant none of your pics show a busted crank through not tightening / loosening without a proper brake on the crank.....the one with the con rods looks like over revving and the others look like failure to tighten the nut to the correct torque... PS....I ain't getting into an argument with you over it, so you can be as knowledgeable as you like. AL.
Great post, informative and supported with images Seems that even with all that, some stubborn chumps still don't listen
Anybody could google "Ducati broken crank", photobucket the pics and list them as the result of trying to loosen/remove an alt.nut... We as the viewers have no proof this was done by a gorilla or by the bike falling off its stand? :biggrin: I personally would be more inclined to listen to Arquebus, who has evolved over the millennia & is now himself 27% motorcycle.
No skin off me how you tighten the alternator nut. Only pointing out the disadvantages of not using the correct tools but there you go . You go ahead and use any method you want.
Looking at the picture the story it tells me is that it looks like there has been a previous fracture, look at the colour of the metal. I would guess the darker being an old fracture but when the nut was removed the crank finally gave up on the remainder of the intact piece showing the cleaner metal on the L/H side.
Just for clarification before the handbags start swinging: I wasn't advocating the use of this technique for a Ducati, I was referring to a Royal Enfield's alternator nut; which is tightened to 55Nm ( barely hand tight relative to a Ducati's alternator retaining nut). Having been involved on more than a few occasions in the repairing of broken bikes in the middle of the jungle in India, with no workshop or mains electrickery, and just basic tools, this idea; that I had never heard of, sounded like a way to achieve the undoing of the nut without specialist tools!
How about this story, I have no idea of the truth of it, possibly it's an urban myth. A guy loses his sump plug, and consequently all the engine oil, on a Citroen 2CV in the middle of Africa. In desperation he forces several bananas into the oil filler cap working on the theory that these will provide some lubrication. Several hundred miles later the engine is still performing perfectly! Missed out the bit where he carved a plug for the sump from a piece of the banana stem!
I have always wired sump, transmission, filler and any other plug that retains oil for exactly the reason above..... The 80s Guzzi's rear hub fillers, level and drain plugs had a particular habit of getting loose.... AL
never heard of or used the Indian rope trick John but used to enjoy using the Plasticine trick to remove car spigot bearings when younger.
