Hi I don't usually post -just lurk in the dark corners, but have decided to make an exception. Here's my storey so far. I purchased a allazzura probably 6 or eight years ago with the intention of eventually turning it into a sexy TT2 or F1 beast. I now have some time to take the boxes of bits and do something with it. Unfortunately I don't have a pot of money so the original frame was pulled out from behind the garage where it has been 'stored ' for the last 6 years or so! My last project went on for too long (6 years!) as I replaced and restored everything obsessively and then ran out of enthusiasm at the 95 % complete stage. (Morini as you ask). So my plan is quite different this time. I will just rebuild it to work ( it really is a lot of boxes of bits) and then after running it start on doing some sexy stuff with her. More on the story later. Here's where we are at the moment. Keith MM Ps guess what's in the cling film!
Your sandwiches? Well that's what I normally use clingfilm for! More seriously, look forward to seeing how things progress.
Very good! The story is that as the whole bike was in bits AND the crank journal needed grinding I decided to get all the aluminium grit and vapour blasted. No point going half measures on the engine when it has to be rebuilt (and I only want to do it once). I used I Cleenze macheanze ( or what ever the stupid spelling is). They are actually friends of the misses so I'm a bit biased but George and Chris are bikers so know all about our demands as well as the practical stuff like blocking off oil ways etc. I needed undersize big end shells and could only find the Dutch boys (back to classics) stocked them. they are significantly more expensive than the standard size. (Don't ask me why I know). If you have a spare crank sitting in the shed or garage go out now and slap some grease on it! Currently at HT Howard. I'm pretty sure I'm going to modify the pantah seat into a permanent single seat affair and set it up so I can have the battery in the hump. Should then be able to take out the tray in the middle and have a nice clean look. I may save some money and keep the allazzura tank but fill in the bits where the seat edge goes into. Probably going to make some rear sets as I have just today taken delivery on a new milling machine. If I have time a fork brace may be in order. Later mods may include a dry clutch. I have the correct (I think!) case for it. The basket has to be turned down a little bit I have read to allow the nut to tighten up. At the moment it's just an idea based upon second hand information gleaned from the Internet! Short term I will stick with the 18 inch wheels. Anyone know what (limited ) choices I have rubber wise? Ultimately I think I will modify to take some later Ducati 17 wheels front and back. This stage 2 will also include some bigger discs and rotors. As I said at the beginning I don't normally post but I thought this would be a good way to force me to document its progress and maybe canvass comments /ideas along the way (or even - don't do that you idiot, you are entering a world of pain comments). Next instalment may include a bit of pointless milling to get my hand in Thanks in advance for any comments (positive and negative) Keith MM
I agree - I Cleenz Macheenz are helpful and efficient, and know what they are doing. I Cleenz Macheenz! | Welcome to our site
Pirelli Sport Demons are available in 18 inch sizes, are pretty good, and look OK on an Eighties bike. Pirelli
Hi the wiring appears complete but a bit butchered near the clocks and tacho so some work there.The infamous 'wires in oil' section will be replaced. I plan to just get it functional for a bit before I start from scratch with a new one. Noticed the other day one of the ignition boxes was missing from the aluminium plate! Found it in one of the boxes of bits. Looks like it was suspect and removed. I have a couple of spares I picked up on eBay about 10 years ago- the numbers have come off. Are they are the same? Or are they slightly different for different bike applications?
I've just rebuilt a 750F1 harness that had the rear half burned off in a carb fire. I am going to be setting up to make wiring harnesses in the New Year and I'm looking for bikes so I can work up proper harness patterns and build notes so I can replicate them easily rather than having to build them on the bike. This harness was rebuilt using standard automotive cable to replicate what was there, in new harnesses I intend to use thinwall wire and also better fuse boxes. I uprated the alternator wires and the main earth which had been badly overheated in the past. If you are not too far away would you be interested in having a chat? As far as the coils are concerned, I believe the switched from Bosch mid 80s, but Pete 1950 can confirm.
Pantahs had Nippon Denso coils. A pair of Electrex HT14 coils will do the job: HT14 - HT Coil - Ducati, Honda, 80mm hole spacing, single lead, 2 terminal | Electrex World Ltd The ignitors are Bosch (code number 1 217 280 034) and there are two 0.9 Ohm resistors between each ignitor and coil to make them compatible. This one is grossly overpriced: 1985 Ducati Cagiva E 650 Elefant Computer CDI ECU ECM A 1 217 280 034 | eBay
Hi Hopefully this has gone to the right place- Its not clear where 'conversations' 'pm'and General threads Begin and end,if you know what I mean. The new milling machine has monopoliesed my time for the last two days but I decided to start playing with the heads. Got carried away with cleaning up the valves! One is very badly pitted. Not sure if grinding will take the pitting out. Maybe tomorrow will reveal the answer.
Thanks for observations.I Will measure wear tomorrow and see if I can resurface the valve. Decided to stay off the mill today and clean up Pistons. Stupidly I did not photograph them before but the tops were like a bloody two stroke from my youth! I have recently purchased a parts cleaner from machine mart and it's such a brilliant piece of kit I wish I had bought one years ago. You just sit a part in the tub and point the squirting head onto the part and go do something else (like cleaning /polishing the other one!) The Pistons had been sitting in the shed gathering a massive layer of crud so it's perfect. I got a bit carried away with polishing it as well. Nowhere near a mirror finish but better than stock I think. Bearings should be coming from the on line bearing supplier tomorrow so I shall be making a few bearing drifts n the lathe and making some space in the freezer for the bearings! Keith mm
Decided to make a home made valve grinding attachment for the lathe today. The stem had wear of around 0.005mm(half a division on a mic) so decided I would use it. Do not have internal mic so could not do valve guide bore but whole thing very snug when assembled. All I needed was a dremel, angle iron, Square section bar, welder and some clips. See attachment for item on lathe ready to tickle down the valve seat faces. The finish was not as nice as I had hoped but to be honest they came up well after a short time lapping them in so maybe not so bad. Happened to find a valve cutting tool I had forgotten about so had a go at the valve seats as well. Didn't feel brave enough to use it under power and what with the multiple angles involved I just ran it over the seats by hand. Got them close enough to good before the grinding paste/lapping finished them off. Took some of the worst pitting from behind the exhaust valves off in the lathe with a formed tool but did not totally clean it up as I did not really want to remove much material if I m honest. Again honestly speaking, I would have been better off with two new ones but this is an exercise in keeping costs down, making things, learning new skills, pushing the boundaries of what I can do and having some fun in my man cave. Hope it's of interest to some of you.
Decided to start popping out the bearings in the recently blasted engine cases. When I popped out the two main shaft bearings ( the ones in a near blind hole) I noticed the one on the LHS had a metal seal/shield on one side only. Does anyone know why? The bearing is inside on the 'wet' side of the engine, what's the point of the metal seal/shield. Is it to some how regulate the amount of oil moving in that part of the engine? Seems unlikely. Could the Ducati buyer only get metal shielded bearings in on that week and the design department said "yeah use them- just make sure one of the shields is popped off before you fit it". Curious minds need to know! Keith MM
If you are referring to the bearing which is close to the gear selector mechanism (in the left crankcase above the output sprocket), there is a risk of any loose metal fragments dropping into the bearing and causing a seizure. The metal shield reduces the chances of this happening. The other gearbox bearings have less likelihood of this, given their locations, so don't need shields. Well that's my theory anyway.
umm maybe. Thing is the shield is on the outside. Anyway, decided to make some decent drifts for the bearings as sockets don't always locate nicely on to the outer race whilst you hammer away. I also made one for the big end with an odd bit of scrap I had in the scrap bin (see photo). If anyone near me needs to borrow them then please let me know. (give me a couple of weeks though - not all bearings in yet!) I had some years ago purchased some NOS big end bearings which wil save me a few quid. Image my surprise when one side appeared to be significantly too small - what the f**k had I purchased. Penny dropped when I realised the two bearings are different sizes. I had two of the same size -doh!! Hay hoe that's another £80 to the total cost! Also had a chance to check out the 650 crank I purchased on ebay. Looking good. Took out all the crank plugs to ensure it was all clean. If you look at photo 2 you will see the thick dense 'plug' of compressed crud that accumulates in crank plug due to centripetal forces acting on the heavy bits floating in the oil. Not easy to see if there was much more space for more crud but pleased I got it out! Hopefully should be putting the crankcases together next weekend. View attachment 63334
Sorry I don't understand what you say about big end bearings. The two big end bearings must be the same size. Unless ... could you be saying 'big end bearings' when you mean 'main bearings' (which are different sizes)?
Opps yes! Main crankshaft bearings. The large axial thrush bearings sitting in the steel sleep in the Ali casing (why do ducati do that? f I do another pantah engine I can replace one side with my duplicate! You live and learn. Keith mm
Why the steel sleeves in the crankcases for the main bearings to sit in? Because if the bearings sat directly in the alloy casting, the housing would wear out sooner and the chances of the bearing shifting would be greater. For example, Vincents have the main bearings sitting directly in the alloy casting, and after a few hundred thousand miles they come loose. Using a steel sleeve is more expensive, but better practice.
