The 749/999's are very susceptible to getting water trapped in the horizontal cylinders plug recess when they have been ridden in rain or washed. Very easy to check if there is any water in there. Remove the 8mm nut that holds the stick coil in place, wiggle and pull the stick coil free and clean and examine. I poke a coffee stirring stick with a J cloth down the plug recess to dry any water, if you have compressed air give it a blast to dry it out. spray the stick coil with afc50 or wd40 and replace. Job's a goodun!
Thanks crystaljohn ill give this a check too. I did ride this every day for a year in all weathers.... so i imagine that its highly possible anything/everything has become corroded. Im just googling now to see where the horizontal cylinder plug is.. hopefully its easy to see and get to... can i get to it at moment with side fairings removed or do i need to remove other bits? not too keen on taking tank off at moment... ill build up to that..
I bought a pair of these a few weeks back for clearing out any gak trapped in engine cavitys etc - useful if like me - you dont have an airline! 17231 2x Compressed Air Duster Cleaner Spray Can 400 ml CFC Free | eBay
So.. this is where the horizontal cylinder is.. ill check this out later, got to pick up some contact cleaner from halfords. and yes 470four, i have 2 tins of the compressed air same as that. had them for cleaning dust off computers as I work in i.t
The good news is you don't even have to remove the fairings to remove the horizontal plug. Turn handlebars on full lock remove stick coil Now comes the potential problem: you require a very thin walled plug socket to remove the plug When you have that, all you need is a 9" long socket extension bar and a ratchet , and you can remove plug. Vertical cylinders plug is easy to remove too. Remove rear seat Remove petrol tank.
- have the same clearance issue with one of the plugs on my 400/4 - use a spanner similar to this with the handle removed and a socket on the other end SPARK PLUG TOOL 10/12MM | eBay
excuse my n00bness but just so its clear in my head.. the horizontal cylinder plug actally has the spark plug inside it? or is it the samething?
Yep. The plug is the sparkplug is the plug. :smile: You will need to remove the stickcoil/plug cap (basically an oversize bulbous sparkplug cap comprising of the coil and plug cap all-in-one), the spark plug will be down a long tube-tunnel. Good luck in your quest, young Jedi.
Thanks 470four, looking fowards to checking all this out later this evening. whats the worst that can happen.... :/
Nothing? You already own a Ducati?? :biggrin: Careful when refitting the plug - if it gets cross-threaded then you are in the shit. Add a small smear of copaslip/coppergrease to the end of the plug thread to help it finds its way in? Gravity will flop the end of the plug down as you feed it into the tunnel, make sure there is no muck in the tunnel or you will foul the plug before its back in? A short length of garden hose can be pushed onto the top of the plug, allowing better "feel" to get it started? Spin it in gently but firmly by hand, the hose will allow for any slippage if it gets caught up? Once the threads have engaged pull the hose off and finish with the plug spanner.
Removed the small nut that was slightly rusted in my pic. I assumed then I would be able to pull the device up and out of the bike... Perhaps it's just tight but it's not for moving. Is there a trick to getting it out?
Probably stuck in there... Roadspray etc? Get some wd40 around it and give it a few LIGHT taps to let the '40 find its way in...
I find that the stick coil is quite a tight fit in the hole so, with the tip of a screwdriver positioned under where the push fit terminal plug sticks out, I very gently persuade it to move. You of course must be careful doing this. Once it has moved a little you should be able to pull it out with your fingers.
I sprayed some wd40 on it couple days ago then have not had time to go near it since. Did lever it a "little" with flat screwdriver but didn't want to force It.. I'll check it out again later.
Hi guys. So bit of wd40 and wigglin works wonders. Got the plug removed. Looks like this. Does this open?looks sealed unit to me. Sprayed contact cleaner on the 3 pin connectors on cable but apart from that I don't know what it should look like
This is a shot of the actual hole on the engine the thing I pulled out came from. Didnt touch it inside but was sure no dirt got it when I put plug back in it. Not dry looking in there but felt like petrol/oil or something.
Can I please add that the first pic above here does NOT have two screw drivers sticking from it. Just looked at post and pic may imply that. Lol. Screw drivers were on floor. Not relate to the thing in my hand.
Ah right. I was thinking you had a bout of Rage & stabbed it? :biggrin: Black stuff in the plug chamber does look like oil?? No idea how that would get in there tho?
