Motors Motorcycle Mayhem

So, I've ripped apart the clutch of my trusted Ducati 750SS. It's a 1997 one (registered, built maybe 1996.)
I have a few books with technical data, and all state the same, the (oil-bath) 1994-1998 750SS have the following clutch plates:

New 2,5mm Worn 2.15mm
or
New 2,6mm Worn 2.2mm

Mine (50.000km old) are 2.75mm

Anyone has any idea?

 

Try a different micrometer

 

No the micrometer is correct..., it may be off, but not by 0,5mm

 

Presumably it's had a non-OEM clutch kit at some point? That or the manual's wrong of course!

Why did you take the clutch out in the first place?

 

Cause it's the original clutch (afaik), I bougt the bike with well under 20.000km and it's started to become difficult to shift, so it may well be a worn clutch (or dented clutch cage or hub)

The manuals are definitely wrong in that my clutch cover does not exist in all three of them.

 

Could a previous owner have shagged the clutch and replaced it? At very low miles it'd have been well worth doing, especially to the original owner. As Krikkit says, you could be looking at some aftermarket thing in there.

They don't bother applying branding and markings to internal bits like that, I presume...

 

I'd just chuck the proper clutch at it and see what happens

 

Happening, the original Ducati clutch set also deviates from the manuals

 

So I've got the new, original clutch in.
Also new seals in the clutch slave cylinder and a new crankshaft seal (that one was a to replace)

Nest step, bleed the clutch

 

Fingers crossed then, crank seals are always testing! Unless you've got a perfect match of a socket of course.

 

ehmmm, it's not a direct crank seal, but the seal that sits between the oil pump and the crank-stump?
Anyway it's in.

Bleeding the clutch is as bad as it says everywhere. But the clutch seems to be working, to what extent I'll only see when the engine runs again.
Next step: Belts change.

Oh, to do that I've got to take the spark plugs out...guess what size spark plug nut I DON'T have?
(and no, the original one that came with the bike also doesn't fit.)

So an excuse for me to buy a set of pipe-nuts....

 

Vicariously experiencing your torment from afar has given me a retrospective vindication for all the times I went "yeah okay" to some huge garage bill, just so I wouldn't have to deal with whatever it was.

 

Belts change should be a jiffy (if done right, otherwise the engine's toast)
Read and youtubed up how to set the pulleys and how to set the tension right, got original belts (what I save on hours is justifies not saving on parts)

Step 1 Loosen the four tensioner bolts.
.
..
...
and I lost and rounded the head of the FIRST F......N BOLT! (the other three came out nicely)
I then spent the better part of 4 hours getting this bloody bolt out.

There it is.....15mm of compressed hatred...


The actual belt change and tension then was a doddle, 30 mins top, AND SHE RUNS!

 

Oh, now that she runs, I noticed the clutch doesn't disengage properly after all, so it's back to step one

Shiny new belts

 

It never rains but it pours! Bad luck.

 

Meh...
I had refreshed the slave cylinder, which looked horrible, but didn't touch the master-cylinder...so that's my next step.
If I hadn't done a half-arsed job to begin with it would probably have been better.

Oh well, I have the time and space.

 

Starting to come together now. Got a mate bringing my Baak tail light and other sundries from Europe next month, then all that remains is a new headlight bracket and a pair of adjustable levers for my girly hands. Did a two-hour city/highway mixed ride today and she feels s-w-e-e-t!

If anyone has tips on cleaning and protecting the polished surfaces, I'm all ears! It's a nightmare keeping them shiny, esp these days when its 38C outside and I get heatstroke after two minutes of polishing!

 

Which surfaces are getting filthy already?

Looks great mind.

 

Thanks.

Here's a close crop -- the black marks on the engine cases. We call them water stains, unsure if its the right term, but most RE 650 owners say if you don't buff regularly, this happens. I spent almost four hours on em yesterday with 1000 and 2000 grit wet sanding followed by autosol, and barely made any headway. That was the last straw -- I've given up now, just going to find a detailing place and see if they can sort it out, preferably with some sort of protective treatment so I don't have to spend the rest of my life scrubbing the bloody things!



EDIT: and oddly, it's only engine parts, the cases on both sides and even the valve covers. The headers, cans and crash bars are perfectly all right. I suspect RE cheaped out on the steel used for the engine...

 

Are you sure they're steel? Never known polished steel to tarnish so quickly, could they be an aluminium alloy instead? If so I'd get them polished then clear lacquered if you can.

Or just do what I'd do and accept them being a bit scruffy