7500 mile service

[Ranger06]

OK, the actual procedure doesn't look that complicated.  I think it will be cost prohibitive because the shim set for a 2V Ducati is about $2000.  I wonder if the dealership would only do the valve adjustment, so I could do the rest at home...just a thought.

[Langanobob]

I'm not stupid enough to think that just because I can turn some wrenches on a helicopter, that makes me a car or motorcycle mechanic, they're completely different animals.

If you're an A&P you will not have any trouble at all doing your own valves.  You will probably do a lot better job than most dealer techs.  There's a lot of how-to info on the web that you can find via Google, plus at the top of the tech section page here there is a sticky with do-it-yourself videos, including valve adjustments.  Also you can download factory shop manuals for cheap and also there is a guy named LT Snyder (www.desmotimes.com) who wrote a maintenance manual for DIY'ers.  I think there is also a goodwebsite at www.ducatisuite.com

The valve checking is not hard, for me it just requires some focus and thought so that I understand what I'm doing and not just blindly following instructions. 

Personally, even if the dealers only charged $50 I'd still do my own work, especially belt changes and adjustments.

[bigiain]

OK, the actual procedure doesn't look that complicated.  I think it will be cost prohibitive because the shim set for a 2V Ducati is about $2000.  I wonder if the dealership would only do the valve adjustment, so I could do the rest at home...just a thought.

You can buy a shim kit from emsduc for ~$300 (or $340 for newer 7mm stem bikes).

I'd buy on of those sets, but I've got a local Ducati Mechanic who's happy to swap shims over for me for free (s long as I waste my time finding the ones I want out of his cupboardful of shims, and the ones I trade him are in OK condition).

big

[Ranger06]

Good to know, thanks guys, that makes a lot of sense to me.  I'd rather spend the $$$ on the tools and the shims and be able to do it myself,  I have the snyder book and am looking for a good Ducati 695 shop manual.  I find that most manuals don't cover the 695, looks like the 620 is the closest they come.  The engines look identical though.  Does anyone have a line on a Ducati shop manual for the 695?

[clubhousemotorsports]

At $700 for a two valve valve adjust you must be paying almost $100 per hour shop rate.
Typically a 2 valve  7500 mile service is 5-6 hours tops. that includes valves, belts, fuel injection set-up/ calibration  , hydraulics and a chassis tune (nuts bolts,chain lube and adjust).

If you do everything but the belts and valves that shorten that time by a couple of hours.

As to wether the bike needs it I don't think I have ever not had to adjust valves on a two valve first valve adjust. But then I am picky with my valve clearances. The larger range you give yourself the better chance is that you will not adjust anything. at the point the range gets so large you will never adjust a valve, just replace broken half rings.

[Ranger06]

Well I bit the bullet and just took it in for the service. thought a long time about it, then realized between the family and work, I'd probably not have 5 hours of uninterrupted time to myself.  Plus, this being the first valve adjustment, I was curious to see if they were out.

First pleasant surprise was that the tech thought I had a 696 when I was on the phone with him.  He changed the quote from $750 to $400 +/-.  It took him about 4 hours to do, my ride never showed up so I spent that time drooling on a white 848 on the showroom floor and BS'ing with the mechanic.  I was glad I didn't try to do the valves without seeing them done first.  I had no idea the amount of stuff that had to come off to get to the rear cylinder.

He didn't find anything too crazy.  Seems I have been neglecting my chain and may need a new one.  I put 7000 miles on the bike in 2 months, so I should have been lubing the thing about every 300-500 miles...weekly...which I wasn't.  One of the valves was out, not by much, but enough to need a new shim.  He swapped the plugs and said the bike is running lean due to the cored exhaust.  He tried to install a new map but turns out the computer already had the current one installed.  Some of the paint around where the header mounts to the engine is beginning to flake/bubble a little.  That was happening well before I cored the pipes though.

All in all, uneventful.  The bike does feel a little better...front tire was a little low, maybe that's why it feels a little crisper in the turns.  Sounds as good as ever though. 

I took the extra money I saved on the service and bought some frame sliders.

[64duc]

That's what I was quoted, as if it were a deterrent to not have the service performed.  I got the indication that the tech really trying to talk me out of the valve adjustment.  How hard is it to do yourself, I mean, I'm an FAA A&P mechanic and have all the tools one could ever need.  Is there something really tricky to it to justify the money?  I'm not stupid enough to think that just because I can turn some wrenches on a helicopter, that makes me a car or motorcycle mechanic, they're completely different animals.  But, I'd like to think I'm at least a little mechanically inclined.  With that $750, I could buy a nice lift for my garage, oil, a filter and still have some $$$ left over.

Anyone out there ever do their own valves?

  I'd say dam near everybody who owns more than $200 worth of tools.

[Ranger06]

Ya, I'll jump on the next one now that I have a better idea of what I'm getting into.  Strangely enough, the mechanic told me that adjusting your own valves shouldn't void your warranty, which I find hard to believe.  He said they had a guy in last week with a bent valve from a DIY valve job (didn't time it before reinstalling the belts) and the dealership floated the bill for fixing it.  That's about the oddest thing I've heard in a long time, you'd think he would have been SOL.