Bimota Forum

[brian]

Ordered some parts last week before I had to go back to work for a week. Parts have started turning up now so I’ll be able to get back into this job. I’m now home for 3 weeks so hope to make a fair bit of progress.

Started cleaning up the dirty and stained crank cases and engine covers last week, trialling different cleaning products and hardware. I’ve not found the magic ingredient yet, but I’m told that oven cleaner is NOT a good idea, who knows, but I’ll take this gentlemans word for it as he’s very anal when it comes to cleaning..... nuff said, you know who you are



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'99 DB4 #104, '96 SB6 #1165, '94 DB2 J #652, '99 DB4 #088, '08 VTX1800, '93 ZXR750R M1, '95 ZXR750, '95 ZXR750 Race Bike, '94 CBR400rr NC29 Race Bike, '94 CB250, '49 BSA C10 250, '61 BSA A10 650, '89 ZXR750, '91 Ducati 851

[Bud977]

You need to pull the engine apart now to clean it properly Funny how a minor refurb turns to this. With the bikes I'm restoring at the moment - RGV250, TZ250U, RD350LC - I conceded defeat at the beginning and stripped them down to the last nut and bolt. Then cleaned, repaired and re-assembled.

To clean your engine, I'd use WD40 and a stiff plastic parts cleaner brush. Spray it on, loosen the dirt with the brush, then flush it off with more WD, rags and an air nozzle. For unpainted areas, you can use a wire brush, but take it easy. It's amazing how clean parts come out just using this method.

[brian]

[brian]

The bottom of the inside belt cover on the vertical cylinder has popped out at some point and been rubbing on the belt. So I decided to remove it and see if it can be repaired.





I don’t have any fancy Ducati special tools so I made my own tool to remove the belt pulley nut





Easy enough then to pull the pulley off and very carefully rattle out the capscrews holding the inside cover to the head






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'99 DB4 #104, '96 SB6 #1165, '94 DB2 J #652, '99 DB4 #088, '08 VTX1800, '93 ZXR750R M1, '95 ZXR750, '95 ZXR750 Race Bike, '94 CBR400rr NC29 Race Bike, '94 CB250, '49 BSA C10 250, '61 BSA A10 650, '89 ZXR750, '91 Ducati 851

[brian]

Does anybody know a torque setting for the pulley nuts?
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'99 DB4 #104, '96 SB6 #1165, '94 DB2 J #652, '99 DB4 #088, '08 VTX1800, '93 ZXR750R M1, '95 ZXR750, '95 ZXR750 Race Bike, '94 CBR400rr NC29 Race Bike, '94 CB250, '49 BSA C10 250, '61 BSA A10 650, '89 ZXR750, '91 Ducati 851

[2bims]

I have a Haynes 900ss/Superlight WOrkshop manual so I'll look....also...somewhere....I have the Ducati one on line/pdf...

[brian]

[brian]

[2bims]

[brian]

[brian]

Finally all cleaned up. The condition of the paint on the cases and covers isn’t good as I’d like. If it was going to be a full rebuild I would go the extra mile and repaint it, but it’s really only a freshen up so I’ll leave it alone.








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'99 DB4 #104, '96 SB6 #1165, '94 DB2 J #652, '99 DB4 #088, '08 VTX1800, '93 ZXR750R M1, '95 ZXR750, '95 ZXR750 Race Bike, '94 CBR400rr NC29 Race Bike, '94 CB250, '49 BSA C10 250, '61 BSA A10 650, '89 ZXR750, '91 Ducati 851

[brian]

I even found a nice gold chain under all the muck. It cleaned up nicely and looks to be in good condition.


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'99 DB4 #104, '96 SB6 #1165, '94 DB2 J #652, '99 DB4 #088, '08 VTX1800, '93 ZXR750R M1, '95 ZXR750, '95 ZXR750 Race Bike, '94 CBR400rr NC29 Race Bike, '94 CB250, '49 BSA C10 250, '61 BSA A10 650, '89 ZXR750, '91 Ducati 851

[2bims]

Dont be too hard on yourself Brian....,Thats a lovely job of cleaning up of a little pipsqueak 400 Ducati engine....youre lucky theres any paint left on the casings....they are notorious for the paint to flake off upon a single breath from an asthmatic hamster......so its been stored well and not abused....

And =/////...Dont forget....Not a single ruddy piece of it is visible when the clothes go back on.....other than the Vertical cylinder.....even the clutch cover is hidden as is the sprocket cover.....Might want to soak that chain a little in ethanol or petrol and work a few of those links back and forth...looks like theres a couple of sticky ones in there....other than that...keep up the grand work....love seeing these little gems...or any Bimota gem...being slowly made better under new ownership....we are just mere temporary custodians of such gems

[brian]

Thanks 2bims. There’s one patch on the RH engine cover that the paint has flaked off but the rest isn’t too bad considering it’s age. And yep, I carefully studied some before photos with bodywork on and then decided it would be best left alone.
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'99 DB4 #104, '96 SB6 #1165, '94 DB2 J #652, '99 DB4 #088, '08 VTX1800, '93 ZXR750R M1, '95 ZXR750, '95 ZXR750 Race Bike, '94 CBR400rr NC29 Race Bike, '94 CB250, '49 BSA C10 250, '61 BSA A10 650, '89 ZXR750, '91 Ducati 851

[brian]