Doing the valve clearances

[katana]

Well i'm doing the valve clearances on a 98 600 and I have come to a problem and I wonder what I'm doing wrong.

I've read the haynes manual and the ducati suite thing and seen the video.

Well I'm trying to do the valve clearances on the upper cylinder but cant seem to get the valve to close at top dead centre as when it goes a little further the valve gear goes up. I'm using the later of the two dots, if that makes sense.

I also tried to get the collets out of the exhaust valve closer to put new ones in so i can complete the valve clearance check with new collets but cant seem to get enough movement, when i push down on the closer arm, to remove the collets. So what am I doing wrong.

Oh and the heads are on the engine still.

Please help as after three hours of annoying me I'm getting really annoyed.

[Petorius]

Don't know much about 2 valvers don't know much about four valvers either but having just done my clearances for the first time i found it a little confusing finding the right timing marks for the vertical cylinder. I put a screwdriver in the plug hole and turned the engine over several times until i found the TDC mark. probably best to confirm this first.

[katana]

Yep I've comfirmed its at TDC but I don't know if it's compresion TDC or exhaust TDC.

Have figured out why i can't get the collets off its beacause the cam is keeping it closed so where do i move it to, which dots, to get the closer to open to remove the collets and install the new ones so i can do the clearances.

[Petorius]

I'm sure someone will reply that knows better than i but on my 4 valve found a TDC that lined up with timing mark with clearance on all valves (cam lobes away from rockers). Slid out opening rocker shafts and dropped opening rockers, removed opening shim, removed cam, slid a wire loop behind the closing rocker, pulled down and wedged in place with brass rod. I had lots of travel on the valve left to drop the closing shim and remove the 1/2 rings using a flexible magnet taken from the bottom of a cheap spirit level

[eonan]

Katana have you taken the belts off?

[katana]

No belts still on.

I want to complete the clearances first then check the valve timing (do know how yet, but hope to learn) then finally the belts.

[lcjohnny]

Katana
Hi - just done the clearances on mine & found it is much much easier to strip the whole bike to do clearances, Tank, battery, airfilter box & cam belts need to be off for this to be easy.:fiery::dizzy: :cry:

Especially the belts because you want the piston at tdc to stop the valve falling in to the cylinder. And you want to move the cam backwards & forwards
firstly to slide the rocker arm to one side
and then to allow the closer to go down far enough to release the closer shim.

As regards finding compression tdc - turn the engine forwards until the inlet valve closes then the next tdc is compression on that cylinder.:flag:

Or if you want a more old fashioned way? Put your thumb over the plug hole and turn the engine by hand till compression stops it. Remove the thumb then next tdc is compression tdc:flag:

BTW great race at Catalunya :flag: :flag: :flag: :flag: :flag:

Jon

[katana]

the two dots 2nd one is tdc on the verticle cylinder