| 888SP4 Go Bang!
I love Ducatis me! Even when they do blow up!
Some of you may remember my tale of woe regarding my SP4 that snapped it's crank last year (see pic).
I've since had the engine rebuilt using a very low mileage 851 bottom stitched on to the SP4 barrels and heads.
The bike's running again but not without it's problems. Some of which I'm hoping you real Ducati experts can help me with.
Firstly, I've got an oil leak behind the rear cylinder. I noticed that the engine was overfilled with oil when I got it back from the dealership (which has since gone bust!) so I lowered the level to the upper mark. Can anybody tell me if this could have caused a rise in pressure resulting in a blown base gasket?
Secondly, the 851 gearing isn't working well. I feels like I'm pulling away in second. Will changing the rear sprocket help? If so, any tips on sprocket size would be welcomed.
Thirdly, and this relates to question 1, could it be possible that the oil cooler has been clogged with debris from the blow up? This could explain the higher oil level. Is there a clever way of checking ie: compressed air, flushing etc?
I'm saving up to have a total engine rebuild, re-using the SP4 crankcases (which were surprisingly unscathed) and returning to pure SP4 gearing and of course keeping the 888 engine number to retain the bike's value.
All advice will be received with appreciation.
Cheers
Fred  | 
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