Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > How many rockers for me?

[marksduc748]

god! I was a mile away... but chuffed for you pal..

[bolds]

What about the supposed design fault then?

38,500 miles and only one rocker !! :P

[chris99]

So why did i need 2 after 6000 miles then

[Steve M]

Makes you wonder if the bikes that are used more often don't have as much trouble on start up due to oil draining down?
On my SS I always spin the engine over with the kill switch off untill the oil light goes out before starting it.

[moto748]

That could be part of it

Also, my bike has only a passing acquaintancewith 10000+ rpm.
Which may help.
And being careful with a cold engine.

[moto748]

Well I got it back at lunch-time from Louigi Moto. Hefty-ish bill, but reasonable considering what's been done: head bearings re-packed with grease, radiator soaked in coolant sink to remove road crud, water drained out of petrol tank , replacement throttle assy. fitted, the one new rocker, etc etc.


A couple of interesting points emerged. Needed a replacement "rocker plate": the plate at the side of the rockers with the counterbore that carries the 4 pivot pins, if you know what I mean. One pin assembly had trepanned the plate away quite badly. I don't know how much they are new, but a 2nd hand replacement was fitted for a fiver!

Only one solitary shim was needed.

The camshafts were mint, with the Parkerising treatment still visible, even on the working surfaces.

And, most surprisingly, the engine is apparently a "Bip", not an "E". Although it has "E" cycle parts (tank, shock, fairing fixings (replaced with Dzus). i didn't realise the engines were different, but I'm told the Bip engines are better built than the "E's". So I suppose that's a good thing. Although it's a 2001 model. Whatever engines they had handy on the production line, I suppose.

[chris_of_1979]

What was the total damage on the bill? (if you don't mind me asking)

Heard a lot of good stuff about Rich at Luigi Moto (some of it from the horse's mouth itself, lol) - so looking at taking my bike to him some time soon.

[Derek]

A couple of interesting points emerged. Needed a replacement "rocker plate": the plate at the side of the rockers with the counterbore that carries the 4 pivot pins, if you know what I mean. One pin assembly had trepanned the plate away quite badly.

I'm not that familiar with the 4 valve engines but was the rocker pin that marked the end plate the same one supporting the dodgy rocker? For the pin to wear the plate implies that it was rotating with the rocker, which may also wear the holes that it fits in in the head. Just a thought.

[moto748]

Chris> Will U2U you later.

[moto748]

Chris> U2U sent.


Derek> it's not actually the pin itself that wears away the plate: the wear is a much greater diameter than the pin. I'm afraid I'm not sufficiently familiar with the innards of the engine to be more precise. It might be the rocker itself. Or summat...