175TS in UK

[George]

I find using a very thin flexible paint scraper to start helps. Being thin and broad spreads the load with less chance of damage to face. This is followed by thicker paint scraper. you will need new gasket. Worth checking cover face is flat before putting back. Thin smear of Hylomar Blue non setting gasket jointing helps.
The other option I have read about is to undo camshaft nut and tap cover out with camshaft. care required to keep timing settings
I think every joint on my Ducati has been split open with large hammer and screwdriver will be interesting when putting back together.

[blethermaskite]

Set the engine at top dead centre on the compression stroke, remove the four cap head screws from the camshaft bearing carrier, remove the bevel gear end cover, bend back the camshaft nut locking washer and remove the camshaft nut........now tap the camshaft from the threaded end towards the bearing carrier (BUT NO MORE THAN ABOUT 5mm)......the camshaft itself is now acting as a drift to drive out the bearing carrier, with no damage whatsoever.
Stay well,
Cheers,
George

[ranton_rambler]

Thanks all, I just need to decide if a tiny weep is worth the aggravation.
George, I had to use a similar technique when I first stripped mine. I tried the rod down the middle but the end bent over before the cap shifted and it was then stuck in place. I believe I should have silver steel rather than whatever I had around. I think I got the flange flat again but don’t want to risk it again.

[blethermaskite]

In my experience any minor imperfections on the joint face of either the cylinder head or the camshaft bearing support plate can be filled with JB weld and dressed flat, this should effect a fairly permanent repair another trick is to put a small blob of silicone instant gasket on the end of each rocker spindle before fitting the camshaft bearing support plate(this is probably the only place on a Ducati engine I would ever risk using silicone gasket goo......very dangerous stuff!!!).
Stay well,
Cheers,
George

[LaceyDucati]

Hi Ian

Make sure you release the head bolts slightly as the housing distorts slightly with the bolts tight and grips the cap. The cap can be removed by use of a nylon drift twisting the cap slightly and tapping the flange slightly one way then the other and tapping each side. Works for me and I've never damaged a cap. However do not tap on the thin material above the counterbores as it will be damaged. If you want to chat it through give me a call sometime.

Sometimes a little smear of sealant can help seal near where the oil way passes on that gasket. Quality silicone or other setting sealants are safe to use (if necessary), but like many things, correctly used in moderation they are perfectly acceptable. My personal dislike is non setting goops that can break free and potentially cause blockages. I guess we all have our preferences and experiences...

Regards Nigel

[ranton_rambler]

Just got back from the Giro South-West, a social tour round Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.
540 miles in 4 days, mostly on small Italian bikes.
My little bike ran pretty well, although I have a couple of little jobs to do now. It seemed to pull better up hills than the various other 175’s I was with - Morini, Gilera and MV.
The other Ducatis (450 Scramblers) on the run both had problems. One had the scary experience of the rear brake backplate shattering. The other had a complete ignition failure somewhere in it’s Electrex system. Backplate from that bike loaned to the other to make it usable.

[Duccout]

As I've just fitted an Electrex kit, that is a trifle worrying!

[George]

Sounds like a good trip Ian and the weather was good to.

[ranton_rambler]

As I've just fitted an Electrex kit, that is a trifle worrying!

We had 2 ignition system failures on the trip.
One was a Powerdynamo kit on a Gilera. The guy had parts to put it back to points, although as it wasn’t charging he persuaded someone to swap batteries with him periodically.
The Electrex kit on the Ducati was brand new. We checked all round the wiring for dodgy connections but were not equipped for any in-depth fault-finding. I have heard that electronic bits can sometimes fail early in their lives but many manufacturers use a burn-in process to screen these out. Not sure about Electrex. My RR163 reg-rev failed very quickly but they sent me a replacement which has been fine.
Ian

[ranton_rambler]

I haven't put much on here recently, but I thought I would update.
Going back to the end of last year, I bought a "sporty" camshaft of unknown type to try and get a bit more performance. Not expecting miracles as the 175 head has small valves.
Having measured it and established it did seem to show some promise I fitted it, then found the dots didn't time it properly. After guidance from Nigel I moved it round one tooth and seems OK.
Since then (early December!) I've been fighting to get it running right. Deflected off course by a duff condenser and a faulty spark plug, I think I have finally got something to try for the remainder of the riding season. The faulty spark plug had me foxed for a few days as it sparked when held against the block, so I had discounted it early on after my 2 mile push home.
Getting it to idle has meant increasing the pilot jet from 35 to 50. Even at that it is a bit slow to drop back to idle, which I think is the same problem reported by someone in another thread. It also seems to idle faster when cold, which must be telling me something but I don't know what!
Main jet has had to go the opposite way, reducing from 112 to 98. This was arrived at after a good many road tests, the final one being on Wednesday. I settled on 98 as anything bigger/smaller was noticeably worse, but even with the 98 it had a misfire at high revs under load.
The last tweak was to move the ignition timing a bit. I had been told that modern fuels need less advance, but in the end I advanced it a bit more. I haven't measured it yet, but I will do.
Ian