Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > Supersports: SS / SuperSport / Supersport 950 > Carbs, Dynojet, blood sweat and....

[Iconic944ss]

Hopefully not tears just yet....

Thought I'd share my latest fun in the 944 camp.

Had enough of the occassional 'hic-up' my beaty has so I decided I wanted to do something 'worthwhile' with my holiday block instead of bloody DIY.

First - old carbs OFF, not too bad - seat & tank removed. Easy. Battery out then a through marking up of all the cables and coils/CDI etc to make sure everything goes back as it came out (hopefully).

Air filter and air box out, I found it easier to leave the starter relay mounted on the air box and disconnect all the wires but, mine is non-standard anyway (see previous posts of mine).

A flexidrive extension might be a good Idea for removing the base bolts but they can be got at with a spanner ok.

Disconnect old Carbs - cables were easy as I've studied the Haney manual for ages now but WHY put the main hose clips at the front of the bike Grrrrrr - if I didnt have some very small - chubby type screwdrivers it would of meant taking both fairing lowers off - which I'm a bit sick of doing really (time for QR fastners perhaps ?).

Old carbs had only done 15K miles but looked very tired, leaks on the choke seals and very discoloured float bowls didnt look good.

Next - I had bought (via good old ebay ) a stage 1 Dyno jet kit and a pair of USA spec 750ss carbs supposedly with a stage 2 Dynojet kit.

Good job I bought the stg1 kit as I was able to confirm some sort of Dynojet kit really was in there - the needles are a different shape and lenght to original.

***Must say the Dyno jet kits seem VERY expensive for the few parts you actually get - but I guess we are paying for hours of engineering and dyno testing - right ??? ***

I managed to identify all the different parts from the 900 and 750 carbs and swap them PLUS I was actually quite pleased to see that an alteration had actually been attempted on my bike. I was convinced that nothing at all had been done to the carbs since the 944cc big bore kit was fitted - in fact the main jets have been altered from 140 to 150 size, dont know if its actually right but I've fitted them in my newly overhaulled carbs - so I'll see how we go.

Ohhh - and I noticed my year fuel inlet on the Carbs has an extra tiny filter fitted on the stub, it was totally clean, so I've left it out this time.

Tidy up time - Throttle and Choke cables lubed. I used to used a pressurised luber but I found just wrapping the ends of the cable with 'Gaffa' tape and leaving a overwrap that can be fitted with oil to be far easier and faster.

Push together connectors taped up - tut, tut Ducati.

Crimped hose connectors changed for Clips.

Carbs Refitted:
Bit of a chew refitting the throttle cables due to restricted space - fitting the 'push' one first seems to make life easier BUT WHY is there a push/pull system - the carb springs easily close on their (conversion advice to single cable please!).

And thats as far as I gotten !!! LOL

More when it happens.....

Regards - Frank

[phillc]

Interesting stuff Frank and sounds like you've done a good job!

I've got a general question. My bike has the same "hic-up" problem that you mentioned above. At between 4000 and 4500 (just the revs I like to hold each gear in - change up under normal conditions at 5k + ) it does seem to "hic-up". I would actually describe it more as a "chug" than a "hic-up" but I think we're talking about the same thing.

Why does this happen?

I have the injected model, rather than carbs. It never started happening until after I had the SIL exhausts fitted. I was thinking it might be something to do with the mapping not being quite right.

I was going to get it looked at next service, but mine seems to happen more than just occassionally. Probably 3 or 4 times in a 10 mile commute to work.

Other funny thing that's happened since the SILs were fitted. Fuel like used to come on at about 130-140miles. Now it doesn't come on until 150-160. I'm getting better economy with the aftermarket exhausts! I thougt this would be the other way around. Maybe everything is set too lean.........

Phill

[Iconic944ss]

Cheers Phil,

Dont really know that much about the injected bikes - but I know my friend had his TLS put on a full dyno that also provides a full real-time gas analysis so that the condition of the mixture can be determined at critical points in the rev range.

AT between sort of £50-£100 I think it might be money well spent.

Regards - Frank

[Murray Mint]

Phill

Not alot can be done with the fuel mapping as the CPU can not be adjusted. I've given some thought to a Power Commander but would like to upgrade the suspention first to see what happens, you can only go so far with the extra power thing.

Murray

[Iconic944ss]

the saga continues.....

Last night I stuck the airbox back on, did some re-routing of the various cables and wired everything back up again.

Lessons:
First - I wasted 20 mins fitting and refitting the throttle cables when I thought I'd got them the wrong way around (my own stupid fault for not marking them up first). Also - I knew which one did the 'pulling' so I should of known something else was amiss.....

One of the cables had come out of the adjuster housing at the HANDLEBAR end!!!
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Once that was sorted things were better.

However, the throttle on my bike has never snapped back as I thought it should - so, lube spray in hand I peeled back the foam grip and squirted between the bar and throttle tube - sorted!!!! Instant throttle....BUT rolled back the foam grip - and back to slow shut off - it was the bloody foam grip it was too long and hung onto the bar end slowing it down - DOH! Stanley knife attack later - Truely sorted.

Battery in......tank on....moment of truth.

Fire extingusher on hand (not a bad idea when a fuel system has been worked on I think) - and Ignition on.

Good Stuff - fuel pumping around, no leaks - can hardly smell any petrol at all, big improvement over previous state, already.

So....Deep breath....hit the starter button - CLICK........POP......everything goes dead!

15A fuse had blown on ignition circuit.

Let the hunting begin - fuse replaced, all OK again so hopefully, no damage done.
Checked all cables, all good - no bare connections, then.....

IDIOT !!! I spotted the fault - my home grown effort of a starter solenoid (1000cc Mini item) has a multitude of extra connection points and I routed the energising line to the wrong one - so it was earthed straight away - Double DOH!
I must cut the spares off or put a dummy connetor on.

TAKE TWO - Ignition !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yippee, almost on the starter - a bit rough and reluctant to tick over but, she sounds crisp on the throttle.

Ooops - its 11:30pm so that was the end of noisy time. During the afternoon I'd hopped up to Westgate road in Newcastle and treated myself to a Carbon effect fuel tank sticker kit. There is some corrosion on the outer ring that I just can't get rid of - and of course, its right under my nose, so....£6 quid later and I have a Carbon 'effect' tank cap.

Here is a link to the supplier:

http://www.bikeit.co.uk

Passage Of Time

I must admit I was an excited puppy when I saw the sun shine this morning.

Chores done - it was straight back to work again. Paddock stand out and full warm up, followed by bringing up the tick-over properly and then trying to set the balance up.

I use a John Morgan Carbtune which is a Mercury vac gauge I bought years ago. At tick over there was about 1cm difference in the vaccuum while at 3500 rpm there was about 1/2 a cm difference. After a bit of fiddling I managed to get the 3500 rpm bang on at Zero (didnt want to rev any higher really as the neighours were getting restless) with the tick-over suffering slightly. Funny thing is, the tick over actually feels better than it did before - so I dunno!

Gotta go for a spin !!!

Phoned buddy up and agreed to a quick ride over to Whitby. Kit on - brimming with excitement and as soon as I sit on the bike.......RAIN appears...Ho Hum - a true throttle test then.

The verdict is still out on if it has all been worthwhile - pickup feels a little bit crisper and crusing, along with general control feels better. The 'hiccup' seems to have gone (please !!!) but there is occassionally a 'lag' when trying to gas hard in the lower gears that I dont remember being there before.

Having said that - I had the front wheel go light when I gassed her quite hard in second gear

Coffee stop in Whitby - erm...Whistlestop cafe? Right next to the train station - smashing place and bike friendly (small parking spot and visor cleaning kit outside - excellent).

Starting to really enjoy the bike now - blat to pickering. Low point of the ride, BIG tail back of traffic, a poor Blade rider had collided with a car on a slightly blind up-hill section and must of been badly injured as he was Air lifted away, apparently. A very sobering event, especially after all that has been posted here lately but, we continue with the most vidgilence we can manage.

Coffee stop at Hemsley (Great place and hello to a nice Yellow 748 with tank bag funny looking ultra high-level tail pack), finally the 'TT' run back to Stokesley and then back home.

Not a beat missed at all. Even the rain couldn't dampen my enthusiasm both during and after the ride.

I think its time for a Dyno session to make sure everything is as it should be, and I certainly want to check the plugs (should of at least cleaned the back plug before I went out - I guess).

Hopefully, thats it engine wise.

Next is a brake conversion to a larger bore master cylinder on the front.

Followed by winter projects of rebuilding the forks and trying to raise the handlebars (but I'll have to try dropping the forks a little first for testing the project out before hand).....


Oh dear....time for another trackday then

Regards - Frank