Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > Rockers and servicing in general

[keith_mann1959]

Some good news and some not so good news,had my 1st year 6k service just done. (748R)
No rockers needed at all. GREAT !
Bit upset that a £450 quote turned into £700 bill though.
A general question.. when you have shims swapped out on a service, do you ask for the old ones back?

[nelly]

If you have paid full rrp for the shims then I guess you have every right to have the old ones. IMO.
Personally, I charge them out at 50% rrp on an exchange basis.
If the customer understands that then there isn't usually a problem. I haven't had any. If the customer wanted the old shims, then I'd charge full rrp and they would be welcome to them.

[rcgbob44]

That sounds to much like common sense to me Nelly!

[keith_mann1959]

Thats the way i would have expected it to be done as well.
I demanded my shims back as i had paid for them full retail. All 8 closers and 5 openers.
keith

[rcgbob44]

For what its worth, I recently spoke to a dealer and asked him if he had any chrome/rocker problems on the Testastretta engines and he said he had not seen one defective rocker at all.

Would be nice to think that Ducati have cracked the problem and can it be applied to 916 type engines.

[Nigel Booker]

How come the service came to £700?

How many shims needed changing?

[keith_mann1959]

Hi Nigel.
I asked for a quote before i booked the bike in and was told £400-450. I checked what this included and was told all filters, belts etc and VAT. Price was "all in" You would expect a couple of shims at a normal service so it would seem reasonable that a couple would be built into this "all in " figure.
I actually needed all 8 closers and 5 openers, but this in no way explains the vast difference in what i was "quoted " and what they actually wanted. Needless to say i won't be going back. Hacketts next time.
keith

[ben998]

I see you are in Hertfordshire.. wasnt a dealers in Hertford by any chance?

Im in Herts as well, just off the A10 north of Hertford

cheers,
Ben

[keith_mann1959]

Hi RCGBOB44
Nothing that they do with the testastretta head will help the older engines. Theres a more efficient oil path in the new engines and thats it.
My original post was just to say that its not all doom and gloom with rockers. I did not need any. Perhaps i don't rev it high enough. I do use Ester based oil and change it every 1500 miles though.
keith

[keith_mann1959]

Hi Ben 998
No, if you are thinking of who i think you probably are. There is no way on earth i would buy a bike from that idiot. I travelled 90 miles to buy the bike and to get it serviced, when the man you are talking about is only 12 miles away.
Does that tell you what you need to know?
keith