748 748r Light Refurb, Well, It Started That Way.....

I used a socket and then an extension bar. I can’t remember what size socket now, perhaps 17mm? whichever one that fits snugly down the tube. My biggest fear was that in pulling the extension bar out it would detach from the socket and leave the socket irretrievably inside the tube.

I think the pivot shaft is hardened steed and ground to size (20mm ?) a half decent socket is usually chrome vanadium steel which is quite hard also and there is a danger that if you get beyond the gentle persuasion stage and start to give it a bit of a welt it will distort the end of the shaft (belling the end) which means that it will end up in Chiz's position half in, half out and never moving again. something softer as a drift is always preferable aluminium but brass or even mild steel would do

 

Also a lot of sockets are not ground flat on the end but rather come to a thin flatish surface maybe only half the thickness of the wall of the socket which would increase the localised pressure when the hammer is applied increasing the chance of distortion of the pivot shaft end. Obviously the pivot shaft is "hardened steel" above

 

Very useful to know and thank you

In return, should you ever want to know about REALLY hardened steel, ask me about my front sprocket.

 

pretty sure the shaft is 20mm , i measured it a few months back. i intend to get a 19 x 350mm drift made up, with the end threaded (to suit the shaft obviously) but only 10 mm of thread (ish)so just enough to locate the drift .
keep meaning to post a thread about this!! need to find an engineer or member who can make it for me!!

 

It probably is 20mm but a 17mm socket fitted down there. I won’t use it next time I’ll use something softer if needs be

 

id have no chance of finding it! been a member here for many years and haven't worked out the search function yet.. its shit!!!

 

I just searched the forum.
@chizel hasn't the time.
Steve

 

Are you having all the bodywork done Richard, or just the nose fairing? I'm curious about the quality of the colour match and also where the paint shop got the colour from? When I looked it up for my bike it was described as either Rosso Red or Giallo Yellow.

 

Rosso red isn't your bike Paul
I heard years ago that the correct primer colour is what makes the paint match, apparently Ducati used different primers in different years and that was supposed to be key in getting the correct match - unless you paint everything.

Happy to be shot down by those in the know

 

Yep, it's Giallo but.................. bizarrely, the seat unit, which is the one that needs to be resprayed after filling and sanding the scratches is actually red injected plastic which has been sprayed yellow. At least that's what it looks like as you can see the red underneath the yellow.

The other issue is matching the fading of the paint over the years as well.

I've a yellow rattle can of the correct colour for that MY I got from RS paints which I'll probably try first but if that doesn't do the job then it will have to go away to be done, hence the questions.

 

Yes, the fading makes it difficult, hopefully the seat unit is far enough away from the rest to not stick out. By not going back to plastic you should have a good chance
I guess yellow monoposto 748's were an afterthought at Ducati Towers in the previous millennium...

 

I have heard that the earlier yellow fairings were indeed red ones that were simply painted over with yellow.

 

Take it easy when torquing the front fork pinch bolts. The ohlins on those models was notorious for snapping the bottom part of the fork. Go a few Nm less.

 

Don't forget gents, if you have a dishwasher and are in a loving, special and understanding relationship, wait till she goes out for a few hours before you wash the bike bits in the dishwasher.