Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > Flaking rockers - is it really THAT common?

[Mr_S]

Mine's being done next week, I've also got 2 spare late model low mileage complete heads (748E) which are being cannibalised for rockers if required. I bought them specifically for the rockers as I believe they're £45 for openers and £75 for closers (+VAT) and these heads were offered at a reasonable price.

Whatever's left over will be up for sale afterwards.

[rockhopper]

£80 + for openers which are the ones that go. Closers hardly ever go unless the opener danages the cam so badly that it takes out the closer as well.

[Mr C]

Just took my 1999 996 to Nelly for a 12k service and it needed 4 Closers & 1 Opener.

[nelly]

The rockers are still a problem. They do seem less frequent as the newer rockers go in as replacements though.
I think there have now been 7 or 8 part number revisions, so it's something that has been evolving.................
Mr S, they are a little more expensive than your prices though. £90 and £100 are closer to the mark for openers and closers. They've gone up again a little to as the 2005 prices kick in.

I think the key to preserving them, from an owners point of view, is to firstly let the bike warm up properly. Don't even get on it until the temp. gauge has moved. This is more about getting the oil to the heads as it can take time. Sigma have documented a test where it took 90 seconds before a feed reached the heads.
The temp gauge rule is purely an indicator to use to be sure it's had this time to get the juices flowing.
The other thing to watch is that the tickover, on the fast idle button, is not too high. I try and get it as low as is possible providing it will start from cold. If the tickover is too high, then at 2500rpm you'll bash the rockers, without oil, 1500 times more in the 90 seconds rather than if the tickover was 1500 rpm. Get it off fast idle as soon as is possible to. This can only help.
One thing that makes me cringe more than anything else is the Ducati owner who starts his bike in a crowded car park, and then proceeds to treat everyone to the Ducati symphony. Revving the nuts off it. Sounds great, but he WILL regret it.

The oil can, obviously, have a dramatic effect to. Only use good quality synthetic oil. I only use, as do others, 15W/50. Ducati recommend 10W/40, which although will flow better from cold, will also run to the sump quicker when hot, when you turn the engine off. The thinking is that the 15W will leave more "residual" lubrication over the rocker faces for the next cold start. Personally, I go along with that thinking also.
The other advantage of the 15W/50 is that oil pressure will remain good at high temps. but that's another story.

I've not found anywhere in the UK doing resurfaced rockers. There are a few treatments available that prolong the life, but personally, I'm not convinced by these yet. The most reputable that I know to is the treatment offered by Sigam Performance.
I'm looking at some from Germany soon, hopefully, that if good enough I will use.
I've also got a couple of ideas to solve the slow feed to the heads from a cold start. But these need work and testing before I even think about putting them up for retail.................

The keys are to let it warm up, let the oil get to the heads without revving it too high and use good oil. Do that and you've done all you can. It does work. there are good mileages on some 4V bikes. Mines got 18K+ on it and hasn't had one rocker yet.

[Mr_S]

Originally posted by nelly
Mr S, they are a little more expensive than your prices though. £90 and £100 are closer to the mark for openers and closers. They've gone up again a little to as the 2005 prices kick in.

Glad I've got some spares in then......

[HellOnWheels]

Just a newbie question.... what happens if the rockers are bad?

[nelly]

The rockers are supplied and designed with a chrome plated "wearing" face. It's this chrome surface, where it contacts the cam lobes that "flakes", or completely wears through.
When this happens, the rocker base material wears away and the clearances open up. The base material also starts to wear away at the cam lobes.
Result is, that if left, not only will the rockers be junk but also the cams. The it REALLY gets expensive

[Shazaam!]

The Testastretta engines have shorter oil galley passages to reduce the time it takes for the oil to reach the rockers, plus incorporate the 2001 redesign of the rockers themselves.

To my knowledge there have no reports of flaking rockers in Testastretta engines.

Does anyone know of any?

[rockhopper]

Shall we collect a big bag of them and take them back to the factory with us next week?

[HellOnWheels]

I have a 2001 748R (red ofcourse ) , does that mean that I not will encounter this problem?