The $400 1999 Monster 750 Dark Thread

[IamnotJim]

So I scored big time! I picked up a 1999 Ducati Monster M750 Dark for $400!



When I went to pick it up, it had a full battery charge, but nothing... no lights.. no horn... no crank...

I took it home and pulled the battery and tested it. 100% charge. 12.9V.

So, I started jimmying around the cables and the headlights buzzed on for a sec. Holy shit!

I turned the terminal over and there was a ton of corrossion. A little degreaser and a wire brush, and she started cranking!!!



Here she is next to my 2003 KTM 625 SXC.

She was cranking and cranking, but would not start, so I started tearing her down.



The guy I bought it from bought a carb rebuilt kit. He replaced most of the components.



I put new springs in it, and titanium needles.



Put her all back together and still won't start D:

I was getting backfires and flames shooting out of the right exhaust.

Did a quick search on this forum and BAM!

Someone had the same problem, and they had the spark plug cables switched.

I pulled them off, switched them around and BOOYAKASHA!!!!

SHE STARTED!!!!!

[IamnotJim]

Now, there are a few issues I need to fix before I can get her on the road.

The First:

The oil pressure sensor was cross-threaded and had all of the threads on the cover stripped out.



I ordered a M10 x 1.0 Helicoil kit from Amazon along with a 13/32" drill bit.



It's going to be here on Wednesday, so I'll post some pictures when I do that.. Never done it before. pretty excited. haha.

Second issue:



Bad news. This is the fuel level sensor. I haven't really looked into repairing this yet.

Anyone have any input on the way to do this?

I'm not terribly concerned about it, because it starts without it, but after I get the major issues fixed, I want to restore this to as near perfect condition as I can.

Third issue:

Horn/Blinkers/Neutral Indicator Light/ most of the electrical components don't work.

I haven't checked if the speedo does, because she is gushing oil out of Issue #1.

I'll be working on this after Wednesday when I get to go on my first test ride.

[ducpainter]

Grease the tap for the helicoil to keep shavings from entering the oil passages. Crank the motor after to flush any that do get in.

Fuel level sensors are a known problem on Ducs. They're expensive. Most just use the odometer to gauge when to fill up.

Check the fuses?

[IamnotJim]

My plan was to remove the entire cover. That would eliminate the possibility of shavings getting into the engine, as I imagine that is a key area of oil movement.

I checked the fuses with a gauge. They all buzzed green.



I did notice that all of the 7.5 Amp fuse slots had 10 Amp fuses in them, so I'll get that fixed.

I was thinking about buying a generic electric connector and cutting the OEM and soddering it in to get the fuel indicator sensor working.



Would that work?

[ducpainter]

Most likely the wires are cut because the light was on all the time.

You still need to make sure you get all the shavings out of that passageway cover on or off.

So the fuses themselves are OK. Do you have voltage at the fuse panel? Voltmeter would tell.

[Howie]

Speedo is mechanical.  Your connector fix will be fine, but as duckpainter said, the sensor may not be.  Either way, always go by the trip meter.  The wiring diagram for an '01 750 found here http://www.ducati.com/services/maintenance/index.do  at the back of the owner's manual should help.  Pretty close, notable differences being no safety relay or tach on your bike.  Get yourself a cheap digital multimeter.  Let us know what you are getting going into the fuse box, get the heliCoil in and let us know if the bike starts. 

And congrats!  That exhaust is worth $400!

[IamnotJim]

Update

So, I got the Helicoil kit in the mail today and got to work right when I got home.

First, drained the oil.



You can see the threads were wasted inside there



I carefully drilled it out with a 13/32" drill bit



Not bad



Most important part is getting all of the debris out. I blew it out after every step



You can't see it, but I threw some locktite in there. It turned out pretty nice.

[IamnotJim]

I got her started and took her around the block for the first time 

When I pulled into the garage, I looked down and saw oil leaking from right here.



What the hell is going on?

Is the sensor busted? It's leaking from the top of the sensor.

I'm thinking about just throwing a bolt in there to ride around with. Is that sensor a vital piece in the operation of the engine?

I have another issue with the bike.

It will not idle. If I keep the throttle pulled back just a hair it is fine, but if I let go of the throttle it will stall out.

I'm thinking the easiest fix would be to adjust the idle screw on my carb.

Maybe I'll pull the airbox tonight and get that done.

Thoughts?

[Howie]

Yes, you need to replace the sensor.  Oh my, the drain plug is the big one with the copper washer, not the one you removed.  The fastener above the plug you removed ain't right.  It is supposed to be a 14mm. allen, and under it another 14mm. allen with a screen attached to it.

As far as your idle goes, there can be many causes.  Could be as simple as a simple tweak of the idle speed screw or throttle synch, or more serious problems, we cannot tell over the interwebs.  This may help you with carb adjusting   http://ducatisuite.com/carbsynch.html   You should read the whole Ducati Suite.  Since you don''t know the history of the bike and quality of the PO's work are...ummm...suspect, new timing belts and a valve clearance check are in order and a check up by a good professional might not be a bad idea.

[ducpainter]

His oil screen could be a hex head. The one on my '96 900 is a 21mm and one piece.

There are two screws one is for idle one is for synch. You reach up from underneath to get at them. Don't bother taking the airbox off. The ducatisuite page will tell you how to identify which is which.

[Howie]

Yep, old 900s were one piece screen.  I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure post Pantah 600 and 750s had seperate cap and screen.  IMO, worth taking a look.

IamnotJim, do you have a tach?  Too high an idle speed will cause problems.

[ducpainter]

I could be wrong too.

[koko64]

To adjust the idle you'll need just the right length screwdriver. You access the idle speed screw from an angle up under the airbox which has a cutaway to guide you. Use a strong flashlight and lay next to the bike angling the screwdriver up. Watch out for the hot exhaust pipe! You may have to undo the oil cooler bolts that hold it to the valve cover and let it hang out of the way.

The oil pressure switch can leak from the top if it's had a knock.

What a bargain at $400.

I agree with having the bike checked over by a Ducati specialist. Even if you do the work yourself, they will be able to identify any areas that need attention.

[IamnotJim]

Thanks for all of the info.

I'll buy a vacuum gauge on my way home from work this afternoon and do a carb synch on her.

I knew that was the wrong oil drain plug, but I wasn't doing a full oil change, only emptying her, filtering the oil, and putting it back in.

It worked for my purposes.



I do not have a tach on the bike, so I'll just have to play it by ear.

Where can I find that sensor online? Anyone know a good source *preferably with fast shipping* 

[DarkMonster620]

Thanks for all of the info.

I'll buy a vacuum gauge on my way home from work this afternoon and do a carb synch on her.

I knew that was the wrong oil drain plug, but I wasn't doing a full oil change, only emptying her, filtering the oil, and putting it back in.

It worked for my purposes.



I do not have a tach on the bike, so I'll just have to play it by ear.

Where can I find that sensor online? Anyone know a good source *preferably with fast shipping* 

Dunno how far from a dealer you are but, get the OEM one.....