Back with a M900 series I

[Albie]

Originally Posted by Darkness

Looks something like these:

http://www.isaydingdong.co.uk/oursho...s-15-Pair.html

They will do nicely . Ordered a pair. Thanks for the link.

[Albie]

Lucky find those decals for £4.25 posted.



Did another search as I never had the petcock either on either tank and just an after market bolt on flange. Found 2 on Ebay one in USA from the valtermotousa bloke and a cheaper one in UK for £27 inc post. This one only has the 1 outlet I need.






Wheels are getting their boots fitted tomorrow and fitted their discs down with Loctite and torqued tonight. Don't want them being balanced without. Christ the wheels are heavy with discs on.

[Albie]

We now have tyres on rims and a pair of completely refurbished wheels.



We now have a M900 engine at home and managed to lift it from the car through the house and round the back into the garage and up on the bench. Just !...



Don't be fooled by the look as the paint is not all that. Its soft and scratchable and painted over the old paint or metal and has a funny feel. The person also painted over the black barrels too.

All about this bike is not all that seems once again and I was earlier saying about the engine number being high and some parts later than most 93. The engine casings are early Cagiva marked elephants but cast numbers are 95.



Not particularly bothered about that as these things can get replaced by Ducati it seems.

Now the hard part of cleaning all the cruddy paint off it all and addressing it all again. Part of me wishes to strip her all down to heads and barrel and get blasted. It may happen but need to think about that. The casings I am not so bothered about.













This concerns me slightly and am investigating but looks like a split but not through. The bike never leaked oil but it worries me to the point of I can have it welded but will I now have to split it all again. I am sure if the guy who did the crank would have said if he had seen anything inside to worry about he would have said. He luckily found the damage on the 6th gears and wasn't that obvious.





Got plenty of work to do now a bit at a time.

[Albie]

Spending small chunks of time trying to clean up the engine. Very monotonous work but will all be worth the effort I hope. Finding more things needing replacement like a broken corner off the triangular oil feed plate which I want to sort out.



Alternator feed cable needs a repair as sheathing is bare on one cable.



So I will press on with the tedious cleaning up doing one side at a time and buying a flexible drill shaft to attach some wire brushes so I can get in the nooks and crannies.

[Albie]

You only get out what you put in the saying goes so I decided I am going all in with stripping it down a bit more to get able to clean heads and barrels up. Wasn't really planning as I was a bit scared tbh . Granted I have had engines apart but never a Ducati but by choice.
So with the cost of a top end rebuild kit being £27 from Moto Rapido its no biggy and just need to get the barrels off. Need a good read of the manual for the rest and presume to get heads blasted I need to take off all the cams and followers and belt pulleys.

Gives me time to get all the nuts and washers plated on these heads too.













The piston surface looks like its running a bit rich do you think and the valves too.

Any advice gladly received.

[slob]

That looks pretty good for a twenty-something year old bike.

[slob]

Originally Posted by Albie

presume to get heads blasted I need to take off all the cams and followers and belt pulleys.

Remove everything, I'd be using bolts/washers and some old inner tube or similar as gaskets to seal up the valve guides. Dave will be able to advise you.

[Dukedesmo]

I blasted all the engine casings/cylinders/heads on mine. Remove everything that you can and seal all the holes well to keep the blast media out, I used various 'bungs' (earplugs are good for oilways etc.) and loads of tape. The important thing is to make sure you get all the grit out afterwards.

High pressure airline, washtank, fairy liquid scrub (in the kitchen sink) and the dishwasher are all good - but only use the dishwasher on parts you are painting or polishing as it greys alloy...

[Dukedesmo]

Also, I recommend the use of rotary wire brushes (brass are softer than steel) in a dremel for cleaning up combustion chambers & ports followed by the fairy liquid again.

[Albie]

Ok so were getting there. But ....!



Lucky I did take the pistons off as we have a broken lower piston ring on the horizontal. Now I don't believe I broke it because nothing hard about the removing so we may have had a fracture. It fell apart on lifting up the barrel.



Anyhow do I now replace both sets of rings in case.

I now have a lighter block at least to make better.





Bit of a mish mash engine. Casings 95. Heads 93. Barrels 92.





If anyone has one of these spare let me know.



Parts to also be vapour blasted



My job tomorrow is take all this lot down to Al at Proteam and beg him to remove the cam pulley and remove the belt roller too along with the cams and followers so I can get them to Dave at TSR . Going to give him the carb inlets to see if come out better.

Worst case scenario is a light hone on the barrels too as there is a light mark maybe where that ring was breaking up but not scored.

So more stuff needed but very glad I never just left it as was.

Surprising what you find about to go wring when you start taking things apart!
I could mention a river or red water and oil and needle rollers from a certain Le mans when I took the swing arm off on Monday night!

[Albie]

Panic over on the piston rings. Al from Proteam gave me a 900 piston with rings. All is good. Heads being stripped apart by him and barrel all ready done now. Found a slighty iffy cambelt roller bearing so going to replace all 4 if anyone knows what size to order.

[Albie]

A tedious task is going well and slowly getting the cr4p off the motor. It has scars from work and as I said must have some history of damage but what I see is just bad finishing of spatter from weld.
Should get my heads back soon stripped of parts and then off this week to Dave. I am almost at the point of deciding the starter motor is coming off to also be cleaned etc and new brushes fitted as I cannot easily finish cases behind it.

Getting Image Works to refinish my faded paint on the oil level decal with either a replacement decal over the aluminium one or one I can use as a stencil to spray black only.

I never got that seat unit I was offering good money for with the mirrors even though I had basically committed as he never got back after saying he would so a brand new seat from Italy and just £75 is on its way as one of my Xmas pressies. Cant beat original new old stock.
Mine will be up for sale and its in decent condition or if not it will be restored with a pillion cut out comfort area but look like OEM for passenger use only.



I also still want some real nice condition OEM mirrors so may well buy from Ducati now as that was another part I had an agreement of sale on.


Whilst browsing I also looked around for a Tool Pouch. Lots around and odds a sods in various states of condition at some extortionate rates of money.

Was happy to have one with just the Ducati logo on but then......................







The right year and the right LOGO for £13 plus post from the good old USA






Happy days. Going to need to add a few more tools but I have the original helmet cable from the bike and is superior to the modern ones.

[Albie]

So my heads are stripped but I have a damaged rocker I need now to replace as has a fracture. I guess another good thing found by being taken apart.

[Albie]

Well the 2 heads with covers , 2 barrels and inlet tubes are now with Dave @ TSR vapour blasting and will be back maybe a week or so.
So will just carry on with the main block but am nearly there. Plating is going off next week though for the final parts.