I Got the Rockers Call Yesterday
 

The bike is in for its 12k service and I received the dreaded phone call from Mitch...........















































Just the one needs replacing due to a bit of wear and none of them are flaking - so wahhhhaaaaaayy!!

Steering head bearings are completely knackered though, but I knew that already...

Phew :)

Hello zhed44

Good news indeed,

fingers crossed got my 12K service soon :rolleyes:


TopiToo

Good news zhed! The more you use them, the better they'll be.

Oh you lucky bugger!

My 996 suffered 8! Lucky I've got a testastretta engine these days - woohoo, no rocker issues!

I had 5 on my Last 996, but only 1 on my S4.

should not be any...dunno why we are so happy when its only 1 or 3 etc....it should be NONE.................especially on a bike with 12k on it....


Phil

Hello fil2

"should not be any...dunno why we are so happy when its only 1 or 3 etc....it should be NONE.................especially on a bike with 12k on it...."

because it happens, and is expensive, and like me if the bike is out of warranty, nobody at Ducati will assist in recognizing this problem.

I even sent a number of letters and three rockers to Ducati Uk, for an explanationas to what would cause this, my reply was because the bike was out of warranty, I was not using the right oil/changing at correct intervals.

in other words its not our problem . . . Thats why I worry.


TopiToo

Over 20k and i've had 2. One at 6k and one more at 18K.
With warming up and more frequent oil changes. I know it should not happen but i think i have been quite lucky compared to some.

i know why you worry......i worried also......the point is we should not have too................

Phil

true, but i'm just glad my bike didn't turn out to be one of the horror stories as i currently don't have the funds to pay my way out of such a disaster. i was half-expecting bad news because i've had my fair share of problems with this bike over the last few months and half a dozen knackered rockers would have been par for the course.

Old rocker issue - interesting.
 

Interesting bit about half way down, describing the theory of why your rockers aren't as well protected as Ducati may have first thought.

http://www.sigmaperformance.com/rockers.html

My friends shop have known to get them re-chromed, it works out cheaper and often if done by a reputable company can increase life of the Original, replacement ones.
Here's one guy, (appears to be in the U.S) - who's done just that.

http://www.ducatitech.com/4v/maint/rockers/index.html

Interesting pic's.

Has anyone worked out why the 851 & 888's don't eat their rockers anywhere near as nad as on the later engines? They should suffer from the same oil starvation at start up and (one would assume) be just as sensitive to poorly adjusted valves? Surely if it was just down to bad chroming then Ducati would have got it sorted quickly.

Keith

Arn't the steep ramp angles to blame. The valve gear has to work hard to get the power that we yearn for.

I had mine replated (2 were gone). According to Dave Woods Racing (www.bike26.com) the replating is a longer lasting solution as it is carried out to a higher quality than the factory plating. Still cost 110 quid though :(

Has anyone got any experience of these?


http://www.electraeon.com/main.html

seems like a lasting solution to the problem, unless they wear out the camshaft instead

recommended by sigma performance

http://www.mbpducati.ca/can/shop/pro...roducts_id=233

Hello

some good links there . . . .

may well look into this further


TopiToo

From what i know, Ducati outsourced the production of rockers in 95-96(?) and because of the financial problems they had at that time, they probably chose a cheap producer.

I opened my 916 a few days ago (4000km since the last service) and found only 1 closing rocker on the admission of the vertical cylinder. The rest are fine. I replace it with a 748 one (2000 model) which seem to be of a higher quality... but who knows?

I'm sure that after market ones are a very good options and if i recall Sigma says they last at least 50k miles!!!