Ducati Sporting Club UK > DesmoDue Race Series > DesmoDue - General Questions and Chat > Skidlids Desmo Due Diary

[fil2]

Originally posted by ChrisBushell
Kev,

I should have an answer on the over bore kit on Thursday after a meeting with Ducati.

Chris

I may be interested in Big bore kit if price is right.?

Cheers

Phil

[skidlids]

Thanks again Chris, I never intended to go the big bore route as I was hoping to keep costs to a minimum, especially the amount of money tied up in the bike as I know first hand what damage can be caused to a bike through racing, certainy wouldn't want to drop a valve or have a belt problem after spending out on a exspensive engine rebuild.

Kev

[skidlids]

Just taken the head off the horizontal cylinder, so does anybody want to confess.

[skidlids]

Lets just say it wasn't me that put the sticker there.

[mogwai]

Has that been sleeved down....???

[skidlids]

I knew somebody would ask, didn't take long.
The answer is the piston is upside down and the inlet valve has been trying to enlarge the cut out meant for the exhaust valve.
Spooky considering my post just before leaving work at lunchtime about Bigbore kits and clearances.

[skidlids]

Both cylinders are spewing oil and by the state of the O-ring bottom right I'm not suprised.
Belt tension was also a bit on the slack side, with about 8mm deflection under moderate thumb pressure.

[skidlids]

[Eamonn]

Stripping an engine to put a new piston in is a fairly significant amount of work for the amateur - not too difficult, but you have to know what you're doing !

So given the state of this piston, either someone didn't read the manual properly and then couldn't be bothered to investigate the rattle that must have been deafening on initial startup! Or alternatively, there's a rogue mechanic in a repair shop out there somewhere that doesn't know which way round to put pistons - surely that can't be true

[skidlids]

The letters scratched into the piston are either E and V or E and a arrow head, its just that they are upside down at the moment, I suspect the later which makes it even more unbelievable that someone has assembled it wrong.
Next I'll be checking the inlet valve to see if its been bent.