Head and cylinder removal and refinishing

[suzyj]

My 695 will be due for an oil change etc at 24,000km (in around six-8 months).  The paint on the cylinders and heads is badly discoloured from running excessively lean for it's first 10,000km.  I've removed much of the discoloured paint using acetone for now, but would very much like to refinish the heads and cylinders, and have the exhaust headers ceramic coated when I'm dumping oil etc anyway.

So I'm compiling a list of bits I'll need to get in order to do this job.  So far I have:

• Engine oil
• Oil filter
• Oil drain crush washer
• Valve cover gaskets (4)
• Exhaust studs and nuts (4)
• Exhaust seal (2)
• Timing belts (2)
• Inlet O-rings (2)
• Camshaft cover gaskets (2)
• Head nuts (8 )
• Head gaskets (2) (I couldn't find reference to head gaskets in the service manual, but presume they are there)
• Cylinder base gaskets (2)
• Cylinder top-face O-rings (4)

A few questions before I even seriously contemplate doing this.

Firstly, will I need to remove the engine from the frame to pull the heads and cylinders?  It's obviously rather more work if I do, and work involving heavy stuff (like supporting the engine) is something I need to plan a lot more carefully, as I'm not terribly strong.

What other work should I do once I've got the heads and cylinders off?  I was thinking clean the carbon deposits from the undersides of the heads and top of the pistons at a minimum, and replace the belts at a minimum, but other things that would be useful?

Finally has anyone else done this?  Are there any pitfalls or special tools (beyond the usual collection of sockets, spanners, torque wrench etc) that I'm blithely ignorant of?

[Speeddog]

Add:
Oil screen crush washer (1)
Cylinder top face O-rings; (2) for around the alignment dowels, (3) for oil drainbacks, different styles.

Delete:
Head gaskets (2) - No head gaskets on 695.
On a related note, lap the heads to the cylinders while you've got 'em off.

You don't need to remove the engine.

You could get the valves and seats lightly cut while you're in there, that would require re-shimming.

You'll need a special wrench for torquing the head nuts, Ducati sells one for big $ or you can make your own.
Also, a ring compressor to reinstall the cylinders onto the pistons.
The oil rings are cast iron, and are quite fragile, so the ring compressor is a *really* good idea.

[suzyj]

Thanks for that Speeddog.

Here's the list of Ducati OEM bits I think I'll need, courtesy of commonwealth's website:

2 off 0400.17.030 O-ring
3 off 886.4.121.1A O-ring
2 off 786.1.095.1A Cylinder-Crankcase gasket
1 off 220.3.208.3A Oil drain plug gasket
1 off 852.5.005.1A Oil mesh filter gasket
2 off 0660.92.310 Camshaft cap gasket
4 off 766.4.017.2A Exhaust flange stud
4 off 788.1.032.2A Valve cover gasket
2 off 463.2.022.2A Intake manifold O-ring
2 off 0370.84.005 Exhaust manifold gasket
4 off 748.4.033.1A Exhaust flange nut
8 off 748.1.050.1A Head nut
8 off 856.1.064.2A Head washer

I'll go with the CA cycleworks belts (in case I ever need something to lift cars with), and a K&N filter, so they aren't listed.  I imagine most people doing this wouldn't need to replace the head nuts and exhaust studs/nuts, but in my case these are getting pretty corroded from being hot (at least on the exhaust side), so I thought I'd replace the whole lot.

Total cost for parts is ~US$70 (plus oil, filter and belts), so not bad at all.

I've ordered a tool for torquing the head bolts too, from motoreva.  I'll source a ring compressor locally.

[tbyte]

You'll need a special wrench for torquing the head nuts, Ducati sells one for big $ or you can make your own.
Posted by: Speeddog

Not to thread steal but: Would a crowfoot be adequate to loosen/torque the head nuts?  I rounded off one of the horizontal intake valve cover bolts and I may as well pull the head to drill it out and finish valve clearance check.  Any experience?

[suzyj]

Not to thread steal but: Would a crowfoot be adequate to loosen/torque the head nuts?  I rounded off one of the horizontal intake valve cover bolts and I may as well pull the head to drill it out and finish valve clearance check.  Any experience?

Here's the tool I just bought:

http://www.motoreva.com/item.cfm?itemid=102&categoryid=171

I also saw plenty of pictures of sockets welded to ring spanners, so it's an easy one to DIY.

[Speeddog]

That's a nice one. 

My DIY version:



For loosening, you can use a standard box wrench.
You may need to grind the end a bit for easier access, check the box end of my wrench above.

[tbyte]

I was just thinking it is ~$15 for a crowfoot vs $42 plus shipping for the specialty tool.  I can use my breaker bar with the crowfoot and I will not have to grind my shiny SK box wrench.  I probably just blunder forth.  Of course I will report my findings.

[koko64]

That's a nice one. 

My DIY version:



For loosening, you can use a standard box wrench.
You may need to grind the end a bit for easier access, check the box end of my wrench above.

I got one of those.
Did you get your specs to make it from the Haynes manual too?

[booger]

I'm wondering about how you can accurately torque the head bolts with a tool like that, where the actual wrench part is so far away from the part where the ratchet head connects? Somebody explain how this works to me.

[battlecry]

Shouldn't make a difference at 90 degrees.  Torque to spec.

When torqueing in line, you need to torque to the required torque multiplied by the ratio of the lenght of the single torque wrench/lenght of the torque wrench plus extension.   In other words, torque less because the  moment arm is longer.

[Speeddog]

I got one of those.
Did you get your specs to make it from the Haynes manual too?

Nah, I just did what seemed would work the best.

I use it at 90 degrees, so the length doesn't matter.

[suzyj]

Another stupid question.

My plan of attack for sorting the heads and cylinders involves taking them off the engine, and taping the inlet and outlet ports and bore up, then using a media blaster to remove the paint from between the cooling fins etc, before cleaning them up and repainting.

Obviously there will be carbon deposits on the combustion chambers and valves, and in the inlet and exhaust ports.  We have an enormous ultrasonic tank at work.  Is it safe to dunk the whole head in a suitable solvent (I'm thinking diesel or whitespirits) and give it a couple of minutes in the ultrasonic tank to remove the carbon deposits?  I've seen the ultrasonic tank make badly fouled spark plugs (a workmate rides a Royal Enfield) look like new ones in a couple of minutes.  Or alternatively are there sealed bearings and whatnot in the valve gear that would have their lubricant stripped by doing this?

[Howie]

Another stupid question.

My plan of attack for sorting the heads and cylinders involves taking them off the engine, and taping the inlet and outlet ports and bore up, then using a media blaster to remove the paint from between the cooling fins etc, before cleaning them up and repainting.

Obviously there will be carbon deposits on the combustion chambers and valves, and in the inlet and exhaust ports.  We have an enormous ultrasonic tank at work.  Is it safe to dunk the whole head in a suitable solvent (I'm thinking diesel or whitespirits) and give it a couple of minutes in the ultrasonic tank to remove the carbon deposits?  I've seen the ultrasonic tank make badly fouled spark plugs (a workmate rides a Royal Enfield) look like new ones in a couple of minutes.  Or alternatively are there sealed bearings and whatnot in the valve gear that would have their lubricant stripped by doing this?

remove anything not metal first.

[Speeddog]

The bearings in the head are not sealed as far as lubricants are concerned.

There is a rubber seal under the pulley, and a seal on one side of the bearing in the cam cap.

If I were going to media blast or ultrasonic clean like that, I'd strip the head casting bare.
That's a lot more work, but you do get the benefit of seeing all the parts in the head. 

[suzyj]

Yeah, that is a lot more work, and requires undoing the nuts off the camshaft pulley, with all the joy that appears to entail.  Given that my heads have only done 15,000 km, I might keep them away from ultrasonic tanks and restrict my mucking about to a squirt of carburetor cleaner down the intake and exhaust ports...