Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > 748 Blown engine

[GetawayRider]

i was riding my 748E BP on monday morning, doing about 70ish. all of a sudden there was some horrible metalic banging, i looked down, the oil light came on, then there was silence as the rear wheel locked. no warnings, no problems before - just pretty much instant and terminal failiure. couldn't get it out of gear either so either the bottom end has seized or something (valve) is stopping it from moving.

it's a 2001 bike, I've only owned it for 39 days, it's got 7000 miles on it. Only 1300 of those were mine and they were really easy miles. I only passed my bike test in November and it's my first bike. I couldn't ride it hard if i wanted to.

It's at the Ducati main dealer wating to be looked at. They have been really helpfull and were really fast recovering me and the bike, but don't have a loan bike. anyone know where i can rent one in Bedfordshire/Hertfordshire area? i need it to commute.

What could be the cause of a failiure like this? Oil starvation? (it had plenty oil in it) or is this just something that is expected with this kind of bike?

How much oil does a 748 use? it wasn't smoking at all and no leaks. Anyone got any ideas or a really big shoulder i can cry on?

Jay

[ziggi]

Belts snapped - what was the servicing history like on the bike?

[GetawayRider]

full ducatio dealer service history, just had new belts and full service, even had new tyres put on it when i picked it up on the 5th Jan.

[ziggi]

Who did the servicing (or maybe you might not want to post that). Are you absolutely certain that they changed the belts? Was it a listed item on the service bill? What you describe sounds just like a belt failure especially if all has been fine and danny before the failure.

My commisserations - it could be very expensive

[m1keyp]

Hello and welcome.

I sincerely hope that it is not the same problem that I had.

At 4500 miles and thankfully under warranty my engine did as you described.

It turns out that a small grub screw in the crank had worked loose and machined itself to pieces destroying the big end bearing



Good luck as i said I hope that I am wrong, it is a know fault "which only happens rarely so Ducati have done nothing about it" to quote a Ducati mechanic

[GetawayRider]

It was done by Ducati Aylesbury. Where i bought the bike from. They have been really helpfull so far. I'm just wating for them to strip it and let me know what happened.

I took out the extended warranty thank christ, which should cover everything apart from fluids.

[TopiToo]

Hello GetawayRider,

Had this happen to my bike after 6 months ownership, so have some understanding how you must feel.

I hope this has not put you off the idea of owning a Ducati. My bike was not under any warranty, so ended up buying a second hand engine, which has served me well todate.

[i]I took out the extended warranty thank christ, which should cover everything apart from fluids.

wise move . . . I hope you get things sorted .

regards

TopiToo

[rockhopper]

Its a known fault that the crankshaft oil gallery plug can back out land grind itself away on the crankcase untill it drops out leading to a suddden loss of oil pressure. I didn't know it affected 748's though and i thought the problem generally had been sorted years ago.

Re belts, the bike will often still run with one broken belt.

[Edited on 15-2-2006 by rockhopper]

[weeian]

sorry to hear about the bike, Good to hear you took out the warrenty.

/ian

[GetawayRider]

I haven't lost my faith in the bike and i'm not selling it once it's fixed. i'm not going to let something little like a blown engine stop my fun.

I work for Honda and so have been subjected to the expected **** taking and i told you so's from everyone, but i'll never go jap...... yet. (apart from my japanese car)

Besdides, lightning can't strike the same place twice, can it?

i just spoke to ducati, they are stripping my baby right now.
They haven't finished yet but the service manager said the rear piston is seized, he doesn't know why yet. When they know more they are going to call me.

how long do these things take to fix?