Starting a long stored engine.

If you need technical information or help with your bevel drive Ducati single cylinder engine - post your FAQs, comments & questions here.
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Wally Anderson
Cucciolo - the Lil Pup
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 9:46 am
Location: State College, Pa.

Starting a long stored engine.

Post by Wally Anderson »

I'll be starting a 250 Monza engine that hasn't been turned over for years.
Just wondering what product to use prior to kicking over engine to avoid damaging rings if they have rusted to cylinder wall.
TIA,
Wally
09: I presently own an 06 Sport Classic and a 65 250 bitsa.
bobnorton
860 GT / GTS
Posts: 279
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:18 am
Location: bromley kent

Post by bobnorton »

HI wally, I would remove a valve cover and squirt oil over the cam, remove the plug and kick over to get the oil round, put some redex in a gallon of new fuel which will lube the piston, the carb is likely to be gummed, you will need to warm up well or you will just create moisture and acid.
MotoMike
Cucciolo - the Lil Pup
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2010 9:28 am
Location: Illinois

Post by MotoMike »

The owners manual for my 450 says to pull the plug and put a couple squirts of engine oil in the cylinder. Mine sat for 15 years before getting back on the road. I put oil in the cylinder, kicked it over many times with no plug to spread the oil around. I asked on another forum if the pump could be spun independant to oil everything before attempting the restart. One suggestion, a good one I think, was to pull the bevel cover, and use a small plastic bottle with a nipple and squirt oil in the hole at the end of the cam. I used a regular quart bottle of engine oil and one of the nipples that you typically get on a bottle of hypoid gear oil. I forced it in the hole at the end of the cam and squeezed in the whole quart. It initially went easy and then Im guessing after filling up the oil ways got hard to squeeze. I did the whole quart. the slot across the cam end where the hole is allowed oil to ooze out, but I am confident I got most of the engine oiled before my restart. I think the only thing that might not have gotten oiled would be the rocker tips and valve ends as they rely on oil getting splashed around and slung off the moving valve gear when it is running. I was advised by a knowledgible old timer that this was probably not needed, but it made me feel better. :)
Regards,
Mike
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