Subject: Re: Wish my Ducati motor was this easy to work on.

Author: Robert Hawkes

Date: Feb 20, 2001, 11:15 AM

Post ID: 1705527043

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Pete, I have only had mine since July of last year. But thanks to
Guzziology and the Rider and Workshop manuals, in that time I have had

wheels off, cleaned the hubs and brake shoes, polished and greased the

cams and regreased the wheel bearings. I replaced all of the cables.

all (rear-end, transmission, fork and engine) fluids. Rebuilt the carbs.

in new points, condensor, cap, rotor, plugs and plug wires. I flushed the
tank, Kreemed it and replaced all of the fuel lines. And now the top end.

need to do engine seals sometime soon. I would say I probably needed to do
about 10% of this stuff but it has been fun and educational. And the fact
that I didn't know all that much about the rest of it's thirty year life
outside of me being the third owner. My leakdown test you ask? Well since

neglected to do it before tearing into it (knowing the left head gasket
leaked anyway) I just (start laughing now) sprayed carb cleaner in the
intake and exhaust ports while I had the heads off. The exhaust valves let
the cleaner leak through the seats and the intakes didn't :-). And after I
ground (the exhaust) and lapped them, neither did. I did mic the valve

and guides though.

Rich


----------
From: Peter Scheer [SMTP:plsc-@tycoelectronics.com]
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2001 10:30 AM
To: 'Loopfram-@topica.com'
Subject: RE: Wish my Ducati motor was this easy to work on.

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Rich this is good news for a new loop owner like me.
The other thing about these is that the cylinders are even tilted
outward to
make access and wrench turning maybe even easier than BMW.
whats your
simple leakdown test?
Pete

-----Original Message-----
From: Rich Zink [SMTP:rzi-@co.alameda.ca.us]
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2001 1:14 PM
To: Looped Group
Subject: Wish my Ducati motor was this easy to work on.

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Over the last week I pulled the top end off of my Ambo to

fix a

right side base gasket weep and almost blown (well it leaked till

warmed

up)
left side head gasket. So, I replaced all of the gaskets on both

sides

(base, head, o-rings, intake and exhaust), replaced the piston

circlips

and
replaced a hacked short cylinder stud (what did you do? Previous

owner). I

reground the exhaust valves and seats as they failed my quick and

dirty

leakdown test, lapped in all of the valves, checked the chrome

(looks OK

to
me) bores, torqued and then (a day later) re-torqued the heads and

set the

valves. Not even bad fitting the cylinders back on 4 ring pistons

by hand.

When all said and done a couple of seconds on the starter button

and

Voila,
the sound of music to my ears! The only area of note or concern

found was

a
sleeved left side intake guide which I can only assume was the

outcome of

a
busted pushrod the previous owner reported happened on a trip. I

don't

consider myself a great (hell or even good) mechanic but it's fun

working

on
this engine as opposed to the other Italian in the garage. Maybe I

should

sell my Alazzurra and build an 850T Hot Rod? Hmmmmm.
Rich
PS. Hey Mark @ MG Classics. Do you ever bother to shim the valve

springs?

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T O P I C A -- Learn More. Surf Less.
Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose.
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____________________________________________________________
T O P I C A -- Learn More. Surf Less.
Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose.
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag01