Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > Rockers Again

[TP]

Originally posted by rockhopper
Getting confused now! I thought that the testastretta engines, even the early ones had extra oil feed pipes going up to the head.

Don't listen to Shaun, he's just having a pop at my 998R (second generation testastretta engine) because he's jealous that his 996R (first generation testastretta engine) isn't as good

None of the teste engines are afflicted with 'rocker syndrome' as far as I'm aware.

[BDG]

Originally posted by rockhopper
Getting confused now! I thought that the testastretta engines, even the early ones had extra oil feed pipes going up to the head.

Sorry Paul, injoke between me and 'im

[rockhopper]

Ah, okay!

[moto748]

I've said this before, but I'll say it again: my relative lack of rocker problems (only one replaced when checked at 40,000 miles) I put down largely to using the bike regularly (nearly every day). And, to a lesser extent, maybe, the use of 15/50 oil. Ducati also claim post 2001 rockers are better. How much is in that, who's to say?

It goes without saying, of course, that I don't condone the totally unsatisfactory rocker situation in general, which has left many here, and elsewhere, with hefty bills.

[Dukerob]

I sent them to http://www.mbpducati.ca/ in Canada who charged USD 45 per piece to replate them

sounds like a plan

[ziggi]

This is interesting reading. It sounds much more likely that the engine oil feed leads to rocker wear rather than the claimed poor chrome plating of rockers by Ducati. Ok, it could be a combination of both but if you are Ducati official, what would you rather blame, the part or the design?

Personally I think Ducati have kept the rocker issues well under wraps and subsequently sorted the issues.

My bike needed one opening and one closing rocker this year. 4 years old 996S with 8000 miles. I do warm her up but she doesn't get used that often. First 2 years Tecmoto serviced and then last 2 years at ProTwins.

[rockhopper]

Ziggi, if you look at the mode of failure you can see that there are two quite separate issues. I don't have pictures handy but on two of my rockers the chrome had simply worn away where the cam lobe touches it. The third rocker had a tiny crack in the chrome at the edge with a small piece missing, well away from the surface that touches the cam.

[nelly]

Originally posted by Nigel C
it can be done at any service interval if you ask just bumps up your labour costs as its not a quick job !!!

not sure I agree.............. while the bikes being serviced, it takes next to no time to pull the cams and have a look. 1/2 hour tops and 4 new o-rings.
I check them on every service I do, regardless and still hold the costs at a reasonable level.

Running the engine with worn rockers will result in the performance tailing off a little as the clearances open up, the motor will get a little noisier but the worst part is that the cam lobes will wear.

The 'stretta motors run a different feed to the heads. It's directly off the pump, through shorter pipes which are also bigger bore. The head design also seems to hold more oil around the cams so they are "wet" when the bike is started.
'stretta ones are not infailable. There were stories of early failures but these were very few and far between.

BDG lists all the main points in maintaining them very well.
The later rockers do seem to last longer. The bulk of failures I see now are bikes that haven't been serviced for a while or ones that haven't been here and checked.

It's usually the openers that fail. If left, the increase in clearances seems to accelerate the wear of the closers. Too tight a clearance on the closers also does them. That also seems to be the main cause of 2V failures. They run tighter gaps than 4V.
There's more DIY done on the 2V's, and it's this that usually results in the gapping being done incorrectly.

[nohope]

Has anyone received compensation who doesnt get their bike serviced at an authorized dealer?

[Nigel C]

I was thinking of the overall additional cost who's to say if it takes 1/2 hour you get charged that !! but point taken

heres my two little b*****s