Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > 996SPS – Engine Advice Needed Urgently!

[Clippy]

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….