Rob 1n It's not difficult changing the belts, I reasoned that if the mechanic can do it at a dealers It probably wouldn't be beyond my capabilities, especially as there is so much excellent help in the form of the u tube video's. I brought my bike into my lounge so I was nice and warm and comfortable and had reasonably good lighting. I watched the video's over and over until I was happy I properly understood what needed to be done, and then I ran through the process without actually removing the belts to ensure I was confident with what I was doing. It was during my trial process that I discovered that that I needed to grind down a 22mm ring spanner to enable me to tighten the cam pulley nuts, so I did that, which meant I was fully prepared when I was finally committed. I was itching to use the 'Sonic' method of tensioning the belts ,and found the 'Ducatitag' software very easy to use and very straight forward to obtain the correct tension . Extremely satisfying when you hit the start button and the beast starts and runs perfectly. I'm really looking forward to doing it again. I would suggest even if you don't actually change the belts, to run through the process as I did to familiarize yourself, once you get stuck in it all makes sense.
I did mine for the first time last year - first time changing a cam belt even as I've mainly had cars with cam chains. "In for a penny..." so I started with two belts and four cams!! I found it pretty easy if you work methodically. I just lined up all the marks, marked them with Tipex and went in. The only fiddly bit on mine ('92 851) was the vertical cylinder front cam (don't know if that's the exhaust or inlet) turned when the belt was removed. Even that wasn't difficult, it just made it a 3 handed job to put the belts on and line everything up without it turning. Luckily I had someone who'd done a few 748/916s before to help but when the time comes to do them again I'll probably buy the tool to lock the cams, as it'll make it easier. It took far longer and was more fiddly to remove the bodywork, battery, cam covers etc. than to do the belts. The only thing to watch is that you turn the tensioning wheel (idler pulley or whatever you want to call it) in the correct direction to tension the belt. It'll do the job both ways but one way puts the belts a bit close together. I just used the 1/4 twist method to tension the belt, that's about what it had before removal and it seems OK still. I'm sure there is better advise, methods, tools than I have, but at the end of the day I changed them and it seems to work. Mind you the weather's been crap since so it hasn't done many miles on its new belts!
Same cam wanted to turn for me but the Ducatitech video warned about that and it wasn't really an issue, certainly not enough of one to warrant buying a locking tool. The only tool I bought was a crankshaft turning tool and a free guitar tuning app for the belt tension.
I didn't use a crankshaft turning tool. As I was servicing the bike anyway I just took the plugs out, put it in sixth and turned the rear wheel to put it on the timing marks (and to give it two turns after changing the belts to make sure it was all still on the marks). Once happy with the belts the plugs went back in. This was the sort of tool I was thinking of to just make life easier in case I don't have a third hand available. Ducati Cam Belt Socket and Alignment Tool -Pt 887130847 | eBay Will keep an eye out for one without the socket to make it cheaper. As old rider says, not strictly needed but I did find the cam moving fiddly. Maybe just overly paranoid being the first time I'd done it.
I think it was paranoia that led to me getting the crankshaft turning tool. I too thought that turning the rear wheel in gear should be fine but from memory, if you use the turning tool, you just turn it 90 degrees between belts and that sounded so simple that I decided it was the way to go.
I know that my bike has a two valve engine, but I found the easiest way to turn the engine when doing the belts is to whip the plugs out and use a spare silly nut socket on the layshaft pulley (the 'middle' one).... .........there's no real load when doing it, so the nut isn't being undone. .....that way I don't have to keep walking around to the left side of the bike to turn the engine while trying to see if the timing marks are aligned on the right side of the bike. Once aligned, the pulleys / timing marks shouldn't go out of alignment other than by one tooth on the vertical cylinder because of the rocker spring pressure.........and because I mark the old belts and the new ones identically, when fitting the new ones it becomes obvious if a pulley has moved.
No need for a special crankshaft turning tool, just use a bolt with a lock-nut on and turn it with a spanner, works for me every time. Steve
Beware! The two access cover screws are made from a soft cheese like material, so any method that excludes it's removal is very useful!
Of course you're right for someone in your position Steve but a nut and bolt works for the home mechanic changing belts once every two years. Steve
I was just looking at a servicing schedule for Peugeot car engines today, and it says the timing toothed belts need to be changed every 95,000 miles or 10 years whichever is the sooner.
And that's for a belt that has to work against powerful valve springs all its life. Wonder if the Peugot belt is Kevlar reinforced?
they don't rev to 10-11k tho.spend most of there life at around 2-3krpm and the pulleys as said before are quite literally twice the size.
I know this is an old thread, but... cam belt tensioner gauge - where can I get one from? My searching isn't showing anything specifically for Ducati. Are these gauges particular to make and model? or would one for a car be OK to use? please forgive my ignorance, but I am planning to do my own and I'm a complete novice...
Sealy do one but it's not cheap. It is available cheaper if you hunt around. I know that others have used these successfully to tension belts and there are some posts about explaining how to do it. Sealey
