1976 350 Road

[Dave354]

Hi, please excuse me if this has been posted before. It’s quite an interesting blog about a Ducati road restoration. I certainly found it helpful to see the inside of most things and the restorers take on dealing with the rebuild.

http://moticosroyo.com/category/ducati-road-350

Regards

Dave

[George]

Hi, please excuse me if this has been posted before. It’s quite an interesting blog about a Ducati road restoration. I certainly found it helpful to see the inside of most things and the restorers take on dealing with the rebuild.

http://moticosroyo.com/category/ducati-road-350

Regards

Dave

Thanks for the link Dave very useful. Lots of photos and identical to my Road. I notice that the headlight is square the same as mine so perhaps this is the correct one.

Hi George,

Looking good! Regarding the carb, strangely, the carb setting for the 350 Forza is different to the Road 350 in the slide 2.5, and 25 pilot jet. I find this strange for the same engine, but Burlen do say that there are differences between the Spanish carb and the English one.

What rear shocks are they on your Road?

Cheers,

Colin

Hi Colin
It will be some time before I can check if carb is suitable, fingers crossed. I seem to remember that you found a substitute hose to connect carb to filter do you still have information on where you got it
The rear shocks are original and were in good condition. Not sure of make

[Jon Pegler]

Hi George,

The square headlamp is not original for the Road.
It is a cheap aftermarket item manufactured by Rinder, a common replacement in Spain.

Jon

[Duccout]

Hi George,

No, I never did find any rubber tubing to connect to the air filter, in spite of searching high and low; who would have thought something so simple could be so hard to find? The best bet is a steering rack gaiter, so if anyone has access to car parts and knows of a suitable type, let me know!

I have seen so many Roads fitted with that square headlamp that I thought that they were original. Sometimes I see round Mototrans headlamps on eBay, so if I come across one I'll let you know.

Colin

[themoudie]

Aye George and Colin,

Personaly I wouldn't bother with a tube to the air filter, as it might mess up your carburation?

However, would a fork gaiter not make a good substitute? Various sizes and after market manufacturers abound! However, the most resiliant that I have found so far are those made by 'Ariete'.

Alternatively, you could peruse the catalogue of 'Hose World', Eyemouth, Scotland. I have added a link below to their 'Medium duty wire reinforced PVC ducting' page in the catalogue, as an example of the range of products they supply. Not cheap! But, their reinforced marine fuel hose is what I use for mounting the carb on the 450 MKIII and it is far more resiliant than AMAL rubber mounts for the MKII 2900 Series carbs. Backfires don't puncture it!

Hoseworld_medium-duty-wire-reinforced-pvc-ducting

Good health, Bill

[George]

Thanks for your input Bill.
Two simple solutions
1) leave unfiltered as per Elite carb and extend breather tube to rear of bike
2) add pod filter available from Burlen https://amalcarb.co.uk/air-filters/thre ... s-mk1.html

[George]

350 Road 1976 widecase five gear update.
Engine assembly progressing well. Setting valve timing with following procedure:
Crankshaft bevel has two dots. I have used the right (not left) facing engine. Timing set up 0.3mm tappet gap and using 0.1mm feeler gauge valve timing figures are:
Inlet opens 50 degrees BTDC closes 90 degrees ABDC
Exhaust opens 95 degrees BBDC closes 60 degrees ATDC
Hoping Jon will be along sometime to offer his views on timing. Exhaust opening seem excessive to me

Tappets set to 0.1mm clearance
Ignition set to 8 degrees BTDC
All opinions welcome.

Engine turns over OK, oil pump good, all gears engage. Onwards and upwards, hoping to have running for the summer. Electrics next on the agenda.

[Duccout]

Hi George,

Your cam timing figures seem a bit odd, but Mototrans did use some wild timings. The 250 Strada and 350 Forza have timing figures of inlet opens 68° closes 95° and ex opens 84° closes 78°. Would it be a good idea to take the figures again using the other dot on the bevel gear to see what they come out at? My brain cannot work out if they would be advanced or retarded doing this, but it would be interesting to see what they would be.

Funnily enough, this morning in the downloads on my tablet, a spares catalogue for the 24 Hours and Road 250 has appeared by magic! I have not downloaded it, so some kind person has sent it to me, so whoever you are - thank you!


Cheers,

Colin

[veloduke]

Inlet opens 50 degrees BTDC closes 90 degrees ABDC
Exhaust opens 95 degrees BBDC closes 60 degrees ATDC

Is there any marking on the cam to help identify it?

Cheers

[George]

Inlet opens 50 degrees BTDC closes 90 degrees ABDC
Exhaust opens 95 degrees BBDC closes 60 degrees ATDC

Is there any marking on the cam to help identify it?

Cheers

Hi Max, thanks for your interest. I will give full details of head that I know of.
Bike has not been used for 25 years shows approx 30000 KM on speedo and general condition would seem about right. Head is stamped with 'P' and Jon Pegler tells me this is correct for 350cc Road engine. Inlet tract is 27mm. The carb fitted was Amal 27mm. again Jon tells me that according to his Mototrans riders hand book lists both 27mm and 30mm used on 350. Valves are 36mm inlet 33mm exhaust. These sizes are shown as suitable for 250 Road on various sites, Lacey Ducati etc.
Camsaft is marked '2.5 scr' looks to be original with some wear but not excessive.
With regards to timing set up I am using Workshop manual from 1973 with supplementary notes From DOC spares possibly translated from Italian.
Not sure if the method I am using is correct with regards tappet clearance etc, (how do you set up yours Colin?)
I removed head and barrel to aid removing from frame not knowing about two dots on crankshaft bevel.
Bevel has 21 teeth, changing dot to left would alter crank forwards approx 17 degrees cam at half speed would retard cam approx.8 degrees.
To give:
inlet opens 58 BTDC closes 82 ABDC exhaust opens 103 BBDC closes 52 ATDC

Figures shown in manual supplement are:
inlet opens 70 BTDC closes 84 ABDC exhaust opens 80 BBDC closes 64 ATDC

At the moment I have:
inlet opens 50 BTDC closes 90 ABDC exhaust opens 95 BBDC closes 60 ATDC

Given + or - 5 degrees what I have seems the closest.
Sorry for the long post. hoping Jon Pegler might have some words of wisdom.