more stupid questions
 

Sorry guys but I've got a couple more questions for you;

(1) Do I gap the NGK DCPR9EVX plugs to the same as the manual recommends for Champion plugs (0.5-0.6mm)? I thought I'd better check as cars usually run tighter gaps for NGKs

(2) Do I really need to strip the fork legs out completely to change the fork oil as per the manual ie invert them to drain the oil? Is it not possible to drain them via the damper bolt at the base of the legs?

Thanks,

Keith

The US guys where talking about this recently, fork strips, and said yes, down to the bone for a thorough clear out

Quoted from last months posts:

"On cartridge forks, it is really important that you disassemble the forks and get everything perfectly clean. When the slider bushings wear, the debris from them becomes suspended in the oil. The debris then gets caught in between the valving shims, and this causes the damping to be erratic. That is the main reason a newly serviced front end feels so good."

AND, from another poster:

"We do about 20 sets of forks per year and concur, the forks need to be
cleaned properly, if there are a lot of miles on the forks and the
oil/ fluid has not been changed I would replace the Teflon coated
bushings too, the suspended particulates become embedded into the soft
Teflon and cause excessive wear to the fork components. Personally, I
would change it first time at about 5K miles and then do it at the
recommended 12K interval. If the oil has not been maintained, the
valve stacks really need to be removed and cleaned. This would be a
good time for the Penske upgrade we do! In the Sowa forks 15W is far
to high a viscosity and will make the forks harsher than ever. ATF is
not that bad a thing in forks; it is around 10W, in dextron anyhow. I
use 5W either Ohlins or Motorex brand.

On a fork service, we immerse the components in a parts washer after a
total disassembly and use special brushes to clean out all the
internal tubes thoroughly. We have an arrangement with a good hard
coat anodizing shop to coat the outer tubes to keep down the
particulates and keep the oil cleaner."

Thanks Rob. Looks like another major job to add to the (ever expanding list). The bike has done 16,000 miles and the last few service sheets do not mention the forks so I suspect the oil has never been done from new.......

For sparkplugs, use Denso IX27 iridium, and gap them to 1.0 mm to improve throttle response.
Should last around 20,000 before replacement is needed.

Douglas

If you're feeling up to it, why not just try an oil change yourself?
Its not hard and if the forks are basically sound I bet you won't notice the difference between £7 for some 7.5w oil and the correct oil level (note NOT quantity) and a couple of hundred quid for a "proper" job. ..... just a thought, having done the odd fork or two

I will strip and do them myself as I've done a few forks over the years(though admittedly not USDs). I was just hoping that I could get away with a simple oil change but sounds like I'm best to fully strip/clean and rebuild with fresh fork seals/oil.

Cheers,

Keith

The 9 in DCPR9EVX means that they come pre-gapped by NGK to 0.9mm. The Denso iridium plugs are also factory-gapped to this value. Do not reset the gap to the smaller gap value specified for conventional plugs.

http://ducatisportingclub.com/xmb/vi...age=#pid129479

shazaam, i'm pretty sure the 9 in dcpr9evx is a heat range rating. note also that with ngk's the higher the number the colder the plug.

Sorry, my mistake. The NGK coding is as follows

Example: NGK DCPR8EIX-9 iridium plug

D = 12 mm thread diameter
C* = Hex size 5/8 in. (16 mm) - standard Ducati OE plug wrench (non-C 18 mm hex)
P = Projected insulator type
R = Resistor type
8 = hotter
9 = cooler
E = 19 mm thread reach
A = special design
VX = platinum
IX = iridium
-9 = 0.9 mm gap

Also, you should only use resistor-type plugs in a Ducati 8xx bike. The main concern is with the computer found used on fuel injected bikes as the radiated EMI can interfere with the computer and corrupt signals which can affect engine performance and reliability. Theoretically, non-resistor plugs can provide more power, but the reality is that the ignition noise they produce can corrupt computer signals.

[Edited on 12-2-2005 by Shazaam!]

Also, you should only use resistor-type plugs in a Ducati 8xx bike. The main concern is with the computer found used on fuel injected bikes as the radiated EMI can interfere with the computer and corrupt signals which can affect engine performance and reliability. Theoretically, non-resistor plugs can provide more power, but the reality is that the ignition noise they produce can corrupt computer signals.

---> What about NOLOGY kit, then ???

Nology's claims are rebutted by Magnecor, a competitor - so form your own opinion.

http://www.magnecor.com/magnecor1/truth.htm

Scroll down to "capacitor effect wires."

The often-stated concern on Nology wires is that they're hard on the charging system. But, I can’t see how Nology wires will have an adverse effect on the charging system, since the coil primary resistance is what affects the charging system via the amount of current draw.

The Nology wires are an inline resistive-capacitive delay line in the spark plug wires. They have you put in a 1Kohm resistor in line then via the shielding, shunt the spark energy to ground via a capacitor. Initial voltage is about 70% of actual with a typical RC network slow decline. It seems to me that he only time an engine could benefit from this is if the timing is too far advanced.

Still, why install an inline 1,000 ohm resistor with a capacitive shunt to ground in your transmission lines? They aren't installed as original equipment by any manufacturer that I’m aware of. For every claim of an improvement, there are four more cases where nothing happened. I'm in the nothing happened category. I have never seen a bona fide improvement after changing to Nology wires.

Nology coils seem to work fine however. They are designed to be a pulse coil, which is something fairly common in EE design, but have no experience with the design. Unfortunately, even though they are allegedly the same 3ohm primary as the Dyna coils, the Nology Pro Fire coils seem to short and melt out ignition modules on 1994 and newer carburetor bikes.


The criteria for any good ignition wire is:

1. It has very low DC resistance
2. It has very low EMI and RFI interference
3. It is extremely durable and heat resistant

All of these factors are important. Most important is the combination of DC resistance (which cuts spark power directly) and interference, which can cause errors and irregularity in your timing and ECU operation. If you have any kind of electronic ignition or fuel injection, this is very important. You might say "well, my bike runs fine", but even a little bit of interference can misrepresent sensor readings and so on - it's not enough to make your bike not run, but it can and will affect your fuel economy and power. Straight wires (like Evoluzione's) have good DC resistance characteristics, but they have horrible interference problems.

Pressed, I have to say I prefer Magnecor over the other aftermarket wires.

Very, very interesting ...

Nology kits currently fit my road T.8 and Racing 1993.

Bikes are top serviced by myself and I confess I'm not able to provide a rational point of view about the intrinsic qualities of the wires.

I'll try a Magnecor set ... later on.

... Thanks for the link provided !!!

i use champion a55v surface discharge plugs. i don't think they are a resistor type plug but i've used them for years with no probs.:burn: