Oil Galley plug questions

[thebronze]

'97m900, 9k miles

Some signs of the galley plug backing out are there.  Found metal shavings on the sump screen.  I havent pulled the v cyl to verify the plug is loose. Has anyone been through this before? Ive got tons of questons.  Ive been reading all the various threads on this on the other boards.  It seems like an easy fix once the cases are split but its usually a mofo'r to split cases.  Ive never done that on a ducati or other modern bike but done it on 3 other Italian bikes.   Lots of rubber mallets, swearing, and hammering involved.  Getting it back together can be just as hard.  I'm speaking of vintage bikes, maybe modern tolerances make it a lot easier.

I've been past the alternator cover on mine to replace the starter.  The alt cover came off without the puller.  If the cases come apart as easily as that i'll be in good shape.  I'm wondering if this galley plug and the alt rotor nut are the only things keeping this motor from being a keeper.
Thoughts?

[ducatiz]

its rare, but it's a pregnant dog.  nothing to do but drop the whole engine and split the crankcase just to remove, loctite and stake the plugs.

while it's out, have it balanced along with the rods.  you'll have a whole new bike.

did you check to make sure the shaving are a) non-magnetic and b) semi circular?

also, check the alternator bearing.  those fail too and put shavings in the oil that are the same.  much easier to check and fix.

[thebronze]

Thanks man, that would be much easier to check.  Is that the bearing on the end of the shaft underneath the little cover?  When I replaced the starter those two screws were stuck in there and I couldnt get them out but the whole cover came off easy enough.

To answer your question, I didnt check.  I changed the oil and cleaned the screen when I brought the bike home a while back.  At the time I just figured no one had ever cleaned it.

[ducatiz]

Thanks man, that would be much easier to check.  Is that the bearing on the end of the shaft underneath the little cover?  When I replaced the starter those two screws were stuck in there and I couldnt get them out but the whole cover came off easy enough.

To answer your question, I didnt check.  I changed the oil and cleaned the screen when I brought the bike home a while back.  At the time I just figured no one had ever cleaned it.

yep that's the one

you need to check.  if they are non-magnetic, then follow up.  magnetic swarf in the strainer could be a number of things, it really depends.  if it's really small, it can be ring material which isn't surprising in a newish bike.