996SPS – Engine Advice Needed Urgently!
 

Hi Guys ‘n’ Girls,

I posted a few weeks ago on whether I should buy and SP3 or a 748R, missed the chance of the SP3 but decided that big capacity was the way to go, and now have a more serious dilemma…

I have placed a deposit on a 1999 996SPS with around 6,000 miles on it. It has lots of pretty carbon bits (air tubes etc), polished bits (swing arm, rear sets etc) and generally looks well maintained – it’s very clean and all the stone chips have been lovingly touch-in.

There was some history missing between 3,800 and 6,000 miles which I have managed to piece together, and this included a cylinder head rebuild after a cam-belt failure. This ran to new valves, guides and cams and was all done by a recognised Ducati expert. This, I decided, was no reason not to buy the bike, as all should now be as good as new and a belt failure could happen to anyone…

On the day I was due to collect the bike, while being given it’s PDI, it has blown a radiator hose off and spewed it’s coolant. I don’t think it was running too hot, and certainly took 4 or 5 minutes to come up to temperature when I started it a few days earlier. The advice I need is along the lines of: -

1) Has anyone heard of hose blowing being a common Ducati problem?
2) Is the only reasonable cause of this a blowing head gasket filling the cooling system with combustion gases and over pressurising it?
3) As the bike has already had a head rebuild do you reckon I’m possibly buying a lifetime of trouble if I decide to have it once the dealer has fixed it?
4) Would you buy it, or should I run away and hide?!?!

I’m waiting for the dealer to strip it down and tell me what the problem is, but in the meantime your expert opinions will be gratefully received!

Confused, nearly of Ducati-land….:(

I appreciate that its notcthe same bike but my 99 916 BIP had a rear head gasket go at about 2K. Only a slight dribble though. I understood that this was not that uncommon for the rear head gasket to go. Had it replaced no probs since (11K)

(God.... I hope I'm not going to regret saying that!)
Ian

Last time I remember a mate having a head gasket go it pressurised the header tank and was blowing coolant out of the overflow.
Depending on which hose came off it may be worth looking at the thermostat, if it failed to open then it could cause the pressure to build up in the system.

The cooling system has a pressure relief valve that is designed to prevent excessive pressure from damaging the hoses. Either the hose connection came apart (because it was loose) before the pressure relief valve lifted, or the valve is failed to lift at the proper pressure (and needs to be replaced.)

Either way, the repair's not a big deal.

If you're concerned about a blown head gasket heating and pressurizing the coolant, almost any auto shop can test the coolant for the presence of exhaust gases.

I think you are worrying to much about nothing. I am a motorcycle dealer and I've seen new bikes leak coolant from hoses because they are loose from the factory. 6000 miles in nearly five years is not a lot of use, and i expect that the previous owner never really used the bike properly.

I also own a 996sps and belive it to be the best bike in the world, definatly buy the bike if all the paperwork adds up. Just make sure you are given a proper decent warranty with it, by law you now have six months, but one year is better.

Also check that the head rebuild was due to the belt breaking, another common fault that causes the same dammage is when one of the screws in the front of the tank falls into the front cylinder and jams open a valve. Happened to a previous 748 i owned.

Bryan

Warranty
 

Bryan,

as a matter of interest is the 6 month warranty required by law applicable to only newer bikes or anything?

TIA

Iain C.

Blown Hose
 

Thanks for the responses - I'm still waiting to hear what the official verdict is on the cause of the blown hose

The dealer is offering 3 months unlimited mileage parts and labour warranty.

What level of warranty are they obliged to honour for 6 months, or is this 6 months during which the sale` of goods act says that the product must be fit for purpose?

Giles