Stuck front axle

[Jan_P]

I am never finished, sooner or later someone takes it away.

Yes Sir someone does ... please give info on the " Danger zone " the Ducati with the carburetor explosion
was it a hung intake valve. ???
Perhaps not on topic but nevertheless a story worth telling and interesting being an interesting " difficult " bike

 

[gggGary]

Yes Sir someone does ... please give info on the " Danger zone " the Ducati with the carburetor explosion
was it a hung intake valve. ???
Perhaps not on topic but nevertheless a story worth telling and interesting being an interesting " difficult " bike

Someone took it away. Mice had pissed in the intakes It was well beyond repair without a large parts stash at hand. Pistons were rusted into the bores.

 

[arcticXS]

Perhaps not on topic but nevertheless a story worth telling and interesting being an interesting " difficult " bike

Actually, 1990-2000+ Two valve/ cam belt Ducatis are both reliable and easy to work on. At least for reasonably skilled individuals. Cam belt check/ tension adjustment/ replacement is dead easy. Valve clearance checks likewise. Valve adjustments are also easy, but do require some planning. I usually keep a shim log, so I know exactly what shims are in the engine. If I then find one or more clearances out of spec next time around, I know exactly what size shims will be required. So I can order them, if I don't already have them in my shim box. Easy as that. And these desmo engines hold valve adjustment really well, so re-shimming normally is needed after 20 to 30 000km. The cylinders are Nikasil, so last "forever" and also have better cooling properties than cylinders with liners. Ignition is electronic and crank triggered, so reliable as well. The oil filter is almost same size as a car filter, so clean oil is pretty much guaranteed. 10 000 km between changes is perfectly OK if a good oil is used.

 

[Zonie]

Well the axle is out. Hauled the bike over to a friend and he had it out in 6 minutes. I was so worried about doing damage to the old girl that I didn't apply the proper amount of force. It is amazing what can be done with a 4LB hammer. Cleaned up the axle with a Scotch Brite laid a coat of never seize and put it back in and hauled it home. Time rebuild the forks, brakes and bearings.

 

[gggGary]

Great to hear back that you got R done!
Keep the cards and letters coming.

 

[arcticXS]

I was so worried about doing damage to the old girl that I didn't apply the proper amount of force. It is amazing what can be done with a 4LB hammer.

Sounds about right. Often, a few blows with a large hammer causes a lot less damage than many blows with a smaller one. So a proper, big hammer is an important tool to have ( I have one 2 kg, one 1 kg, and a 1 kg copper hammer, plus various smaller hammers)
Btw, I get "allergic reactions" when I see people using a carpenter's claw hammer for any mechanic's or fabricator task