Motoscrubs.com

Taking the plunge and buying a new combined ignition/alternator system and just want to check the stator is a four hole fixing, but encountering an issue.
Bought a nice stainless steel rotor puller from a well known auction site/seller ( Whose narrow case puller worked a treat) and it is 1mm thread pitch but it wont engage on the rotor and whilst hard to do i seem to be measuring the rotor pitch at 1.25mm. All threads in very good condition. The ignition is Motoplat.
I am hugely suspicious the engine is Spanish built (Late 1975 model and it had a fibre timing gear), did these engines have different thread pitch, is my puller incorrectly made or some other work of the gremlins.
Many thanks Ian

My 350 mk 3 is also I suspect a Spanish built engine......denoted by the taller (than std Italian) cooling fins above the exhaust port, the more pronounced curved fin above the rear 3 way oil drain pipe and the clutch inspection cover which does not say "made in Italy" on it. But to somewhat confuse the issue my engine has from new a steel intermediate timing gear and an alloy generator flywheel, I also bought some time ago a flywheel puller from a well known Ebay seller (Laurie) which fitted perfectly, I have used it several times with no problems.
Cheers,
George

Some of the late Motoplat flywheels, as fitted to the last Italian singles do have a 62 x 1.25 thread.
Laurie Richardson did have a few flywheel extractors made to this thread pitch and may have some still for sale.
Very late Motoplat flywheels, as fitted to the last narrowcase Road models, together with Strada, Vento and Forzas use a 33 x 1 male threaded extractor.

Jon

Thanks both. It is indeed 62 x 1.25mm and i'm glad to say it doesn't have the Mototrans fins etc so is just a late Italian one. I have sent an email to Laurie and await his reply but also visited a friendly local engineering firm to make an adaptor that threads into the female 1mm thread and give me a 1.25mm female thread, so i can use one tool between the 2 sizes. Wishful thinking i'm allowed another single again.

Apologies for raising this thread again, but at present I have a problem removing the alternator flywheel from a 350 MKIII engine that I have started to dismantle. I can provide an engine number if this will help diagnosis, but knowing the Ducati policy of, "...if it was handy, it was used", especially towards the end of the production run, which I suspect this engine might be.

A "bell" puller that Laurie supplied me many years ago will engage, with the thread on the flywheel centre, but not sufficiently to take the force applied when tightening the centre bolt. The flywheel fitted to the 350 is brass in colour, has no external markings and has 9 rivets fixing it to the tool steel centre, which is 3.7mm in depth and has 3 threads cut into its circumference, with an OD of 62mm. Whereas the aluminium alloy 450 flywheel that the puller removed, with ease, has 8 rivets fixing it to the centre; this also has a depth of 3.7mm and 3 threads cut into its circumference, with an OD of 62mm. It is also clearly stamped with "DUCATIELECTROTECHNICA" and powered the early "DUCATIELECTROTECHNICA" EI system fitted to the later MKIII's and Desmo's that I have come across.

I am unable to measure the pitch of the threads, but think that I have 1.25 pitch threads, so "HOW?" do others measure theirs?

I have tried contacting Laurie via email, but have had no reply to my enquiry and I haven't found any tools on eBay advertised by him, as I don't remember his "username". Does anybody know if Laurie is still about, but not involved in tool making any more, or has he passed?

Jesus Llorente Guzman is advertising a 62mm x 1mm pitch puller for the "widecase engine" and a 50mm x 1mm puller for the narrow case engine on eBay at present. But, as I intend to use the Electrex alternative in the rebuild that uses a conventional puller, this seems an uneccesary expense. Maybe I should just bite the bullet?

If I get desperate I will have to resort to the drilling and tapping of holes through the tool steel hub for a puller. I will also try a homemade 2-legged puller hooked behind the edge of the rotor.

Once removed, I intend to use an Electrex replacement upgrade in the rebuild, rather than re-using the OME. I don't want to butcher the flywheel removing it, BUT!

Thank you for your time to read this and maybe offer practical advice.

Good health, Bill

Hi.

Laurie Richardson. eBay - 1114laurie

I've just phoned Laurie, he didn't answer, which is unusual for him. If he had answered, I would have asked him if it is OK to pass on his phone number.

Will phone again later.

Sincerely hope he's OK, top guy.

Regards

Bob

Hi again,

Managed to get through, he's just out of hospital, however, he said I can give out his phone number.

07904 52202

Hope this helps

Take care

Bob

I hope Laurie is OK, as said he is a top guy and he is getting on a bit.




Colin

Hope he is all ok, he has been very helpful to me over the years and has made me some very nice parts.
Cheers,
George

Aye Bob,

Thank you for your sleuthing and for contacting Laurie Richardson.

I too am concerned that he has been hors de combat in hospital and wish him a speedy recovery. I may contact him later this week, after he has got his feet back under the table in his own house, rather than bombarding him with calls. I suspect that he may be on R&R anyway, as hospitals tend to chuck you out at the earliest opportunity they dare and leave you to the tender mercies of local external agencies!

Standing in front of a lathe maybe the last thing that he wishes to be involved with at present.

I will post on this thread how I find him and if he might, at sometime, be in a position to do some machining.

Good health, BillR