Following on from DC's thread about his 996 engine rebuild I thought I would post this.
Engines don't you just love them, I am actually suprised at how well a Ducati engine can last.
After doing a deal the other week with Senna3 on his 916 Strada that broke its gearbox at the Cadders trackday, I have since done a deal with my mate Dallas on said Strada and my 955 Corse engine as he wants to go back to racing SoT next year.
Anyway the upshot is the Strada engine has now been removed from the frame and stripped right down.
Now considering the Strada was first registered in 1994 it was purchased by Dallas in 1999 as a Ex race bike, it was then used on the road for a couple of years with trips to the Bol and Le mens 24hr races throw in for good measure, the in 2001 Dallas decided it was time he tried his hand at racing, after a couple of races in that year and a few more in 02 including a few crashes he sold it on to me as he had got himself a 748RS, I then used it for a season and a half of SoT racing befoe selling it to Senna3 early last year.
Considering all the abuse the three of us have thrown at it the condition of the engine is suprisingly good. The pistons are suprisingly good condition with some light signs of scraping, the valves were all seating well.
As for the gearbox 6th gear had a few damaged teeth and the 5-6 selector fork was broken.
Luckily I had a 748 gearbox sitting around looking for a good home so it is now sat in a set of Strada crankcases.
The engine will be rebuilt for a spare but in the mean time the road going flywheel and starter gear has found its way onto the 955 Corse engine, as this had a factory flywheel with no provision for a sprag clutch etc and we don't have a remote starting facility.
Time to trackdown a lightweight flywheel for a SPS or similar
Should be a doddle Tim, no water cooling to worry about or head gaskets ( i take it they are the same as my 583), then there's only two valves and one cam per cylinder to worry about. But then there is the wet clutch to deal with and the fact that the chassis falls apart without the engine in it. Go on Tim have a go at doing it yourself
You have to remember that Ducati's are basically race bikes so they are designed to be taken apart and put back together. Mind you nothing is as easy to work on as the TZ-that's a real dream to strip and rebuild-dry clutch, cassette gearbox, and all the fixings are really big considering what they are holding together is basically 2 125cc singles.
Not sure about me Garry, although I will certainly be entertaining the idea of a few Mini-Twin races and could do the possible SoT race on either the 998 or 996.
But I think you will see more of Dallas, he is still entered for Thruxton on his ZX10R so we will meet up with you then. Its partly your performance on your Duke that has got him interested in SoT again so have a word with him and convince him its a Ducati Twin that he should be riding and not a jap IL4.
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