Hi all.. Please excuse me for I am a ex 1970s car mechanic who's been out of the trade for a few decades yet is in love with Ducati's and decided to do a partial restoration on a 796.. The engine in mine ran beautifully without issues, however, the engine was taken out and heads off to inspect and decoke etc.. The only other parts removed were the alternator cover and the clutch ( wet ) casing... Before reassembly I decided to give it a blast through with engine cleaner.. On doing this I seemed to be getting a lot of rubbish coming through, grey gunk .. Must admit some might be done to me forgetting to cover engine when doing other jobs in workshop.. I think I'm correct in saying, there's no way into the sump other than splitting the two halves of the engine casings.. In my day, a few bolts removed and you could clean out Ll the sump area.. I really don't want to go to those lengths if I am correct... But other than sump plug removal and Turing the engine upside down on its stand while flushing through .. What choice do I have.. TU
You could try running the engine with flushing oil initially and then changing the oil, or try this on eBay, currently 0.99p with no bids. WURTH Engine Oil Flush & Cleaner 400ml BIKES CARS KARTS TRIKES QUADS | eBay I know my local bike dealer only uses Wurth products because it is reckoned that they are the best, their range of technical chemicals is quite extensive but not always cheap. Engine Flush and Cleaner • Specially formulated for motorcycle engines and will not harm motorcycle clutch plates during its cleaning process • Removes carbon deposits and sludge • Keeps oil seals clean and effective for longer Here's a link to the specially formulated engine flush for bikes. Engine Flush & Cleaner 300ml | Lubricants and rust removers | Würth UK Limited
Just buy a gallon of cheap diesel engine oil, it's high detergent and will clean the engine like new inside. I would suggest a new filter and run it for a few minutes to slosh it around and then change it and the filter (if the oil is contaminated) and repeat leaving it longer as the quality of what comes out improves. I used to race a CR500 (happy days) and used this and changed it every use, it never hurt the wet clutch and eventually it would come out as clean as it went in, I could go a season without pulling the engine. It won't hurt it for flushing use but when you are happy that the engine is flushed then put in the correct oil.
I'm with daffy on this, engine flush and flusher detergents tend to dislodge lots of stuff which if you don't know the history of the engine or the state of might force a strip down. Just run diesel or cheaper oils through it changing a couple of times and then put the good stuff in.
