Changing the Oil and Filter - Ducati 1000DS Engine
by Rick K. for webBikeWorld.com
More:
Motorcycle
Oil Page |
Triumph Oil and Filter Change |
Visitor Comments (Below)
NOTE: See important update regarding
recommended oil viscosity (below)
| Dec. 19, 2006 - New information added regarding
the oil pickup screen below
Background
We often rant about motorcycle owners who bring their
rides to the dealer for the most basic maintenance tasks
rather than doing it themselves.
The ranting has boxed me into a figurative corner, so
to speak, when it comes to maintenance on my own bike.
So I'm calling my own bluff (is that possible?) by personally
taking on the all-important first maintenance task on the
GT1000: the 600-mile oil and filter change.
After looking things over, I figured that an oil and
filter change on a Ducati GT1000 should be a relative piece
of cake and it is, but there are some issues that I discovered
which made me yearn for the guidance of a good shop manual
-- you know, the one that doesn't yet exist for the GT1000?
Without it, I am basically flying blind on any and all
maintenance or customization projects. And since the GT
is such a new-to-the-market bike, there isn't much in the
way of help that can be offered by my fellow GT owners either.
When my heart bought the bike, my brain wasn't thinking
about a shop manual. But since I'm an inveterate tinkerer
(my wife was ready to have me committed on more than one
occasion after I purchased a new motorcycle and proceeded
to completely tear it apart in the garage to make sure it
was put back together according to my QC standards), it
sure would be nice to have some written guidance that at
the very least would inform me of the correct torque settings
for the many nuts and bolts.
Never one to fear a job that might necessitate the
purchase of new tools, and in the interest of science, I
dove right in.
GT1000 Oil and Filter Change
The GT1000 uses the same 1000DS (dual spark), two-valve,
air-cooled engine found on several other Ducatis, including
the Multistrada 1000, the Monster and, of course, the other
Sportclassics.
I could probably buy the shop manual specific to one
of those bikes, which would at least provide a minimum of
information about the shared engine, but I've been holding
off, hoping that the GT1000 CD-ROM based shop manual will
become available sooner, rather than later.
I must confess that I did get some basic information
via a couple of pages from what appears to be a Haynes shop
manual, faxed over by a fellow Mid-Atlantic Ducati Owner's
Club member. The pages describe the basics of a 1000DS oil
and filter change, and they indicate that in addition to
changing the oil filter, the tubular-shaped oil pre-filter
screen that should also be removed and cleaned at each oil
change. More on that in a bit...
One of the nicest things about changing the oil on the
GT1000 (and, I assume, all of the other Ducati models using
the 1000DS engine) is that the oil filter hangs right out
in the open on the bottom of the engine on the right-hand
side.
Whether this exposure helps or hurts the off-road pretensions
of the Multistrada, I don't know. Actually, I guess one
could say that maybe the oil filter doesn't hang right out
in the open, but the top 1/8 or so of the filter hangs out
enough to grasp and remove.
Easy, that is, if you have the right tool for the job,
which brings us to problema numero uno.
Oil Filter Wrench
Of course, of the 5 different oil filter hex end cap
oil filter removal tools I have collected over the years,
not a single one would fit the strange Ducati 74mm diameter
oil filter with the eight-sided hex top.
I searched all over, looking for a tool that would fit,
but without success. I ended up using a modified version
of the "universal" oil filter friction band grip
tool (don't know what else to call it; it's the tool with
the orange handle in the photo above) I had on hand.
A few days later, I did find the correct hex end cap
tool at Pro Italia for $10.95, which seems like a slightly
exorbitant price, but I suppose it's not bad actually, considering
the rarity of the thing.
Ironically, it's labeled "Made in USA" by a
company called Vector, part number 17030. I have not been
able to find a company called "Vector", even when
searching through the Thomas Register, but I did discover
that this oil filter wrench (and possibly the same oil filter)
is commonly used by Moto Guzzi owners.
If anyone knows of another source for this oil filter
wrench, please drop us a line at the email address noted
at the end of this page. UPDATE: see suggestions for oil
filter wrench sources in the
Visitor Comments section
below.
In any case, the small diameter metal band grip wrench
shown above actually works fine -- in fact, I've now discovered
that for gripping, removing and installing the new filter,
the band grip wrench works better than the Ducati hex cap
tool (photo directly below). It's also pretty much the only
tool that will fit on the original factory larger-diameter
filter, because the thin band of the strap easily fits between
the filter and the engine casing that surrounds 7/8 of the
filter body.
By the way, don't forget the rubber gloves! I use
the heavy-duty, pre-formed type found at Home Depot, but
mine recently wore out and I'm using these el Cheapo dishwashing
types (photo above), found in the local grocery store, until
I can replace them with a better pair.
Ducati 4A filter and special
filter end cap removal tool.
Let me explain this issue of the "fat"
vs. "skinny" oil filters a bit, because it's
yet another puzzling Ducati idiosyncrasy that I suppose
supports one of the charms of ownership.
Apparently, the oil filter that is installed on this
engine at the factory is a Ducati part number 444.4.003.2A.
But I'm told that the 2A is only installed as original
equipment and is not available for purchase at a Ducati
dealership; instead, the 444.4.003.4A is the correct
replacement.
Both have 8 flats on the hex, but the 4A is noticeably
smaller in diameter (74mm across). I don't know the
diameter of the original 2A because I threw it out before
I realized this was an issue. There is more room between
the filter and the recess in the engine case when the
4A is installed -- enough room, in fact, that I thought
I had the wrong oil filter and had to call the dealer
to make sure.
This difference is only noticeable at the first oil
change, and if the owner has the oil changed at the
dealer, he or she will probably never realize that there
is a difference in the two filters. Curious... So the
thin metal "universal" band grip wrench is
actually the best tool for the initial job, as it fits
between the original "fat" 2A filter and the
filter recess.
But the problem with this strap wrench is that it
lacks traction -- it slips easily around the outside
of the painted Ducati filters as I'm trying to loosen
or tighten it. This is a problem I have always experienced
with that tool on any oil filter I've ever tried it
on, car or bike. The solution is a piece of emery cloth,
which I wrap around the inside of the metal band between
the band and the filter body, which provides traction
for the band as it is tightened on the oil filter.
The "correct" Ducati hex end cap tool also
has problems. It has a flange around the edge that makes
it difficult to fit in the small space between the oil
filter and the filter recess in the engine case, especially
on the 2A oil filter that came with the bike, which
is thicker than the 4A replacement.
The advantage of using a hex cap type tool is that
it has a 3/8" square drive, which allows a torque
wrench to be used to correctly install the filter back
on to the engine. But since I didn't have a manual that
told me the correct torque value anyway, I ended up
using the old hand-tight-and-a-bit-more method.
Klein Tools "Grip
It" oil filter universal strap wrench.
By the way, while I was looking for the correct oil
filter wrench, I also found a couple of others that
work. The Klein Tools "Grip-It" universal
strap wrench (6", part number S-6H) shown in the
photo directly above is also made in the U.S.A. and
it fits the smaller diameter, 4A Ducati oil filter.
It has a grippy rubber-like strap, but all the pressure
is put on the tip of that pot-metal handle against the
oil filter body, so this wouldn't be my first choice
to unfasten a stuck filter, because I think all that
pressure on one point might collapse the filter.
K-D Tools universal 3-Jaw
oil filter wrench works only one way: to remove the
filter, but not replace it.
Another oil filter wrench that works is the KD Tools
Universal "3-Jaw" wrench, part number 3288,
which expands from 2.5" to 3.75". It
has three arms that grip the filter and the more torque
that is placed on the wrench, the tighter it grips.
This wrench is usually available or can be ordered in
a local auto parts store.
Note that it will only remove the filter, it does
not spin the other way, i.e., clockwise, to screw the
filter back on!
OK, enough about the oil filter wrenches, let's get
down to business.
The oil drain plug under the engine uses a 10mm Allen
wrench, sometimes referred to as a "hex key".
This plug, indicated by the red arrow in the photo directly
above, requires a crush washer, which must be renewed
whenever the plug is removed.
The photo above also shows the space between the
oil filter, in this case the narrower 4A, and the engine
case, looking up from underneath the engine. The yellow
arrow indicates the cover for the oil screen, which
is supposed to be removed and cleaned at each oil change.
More on that later...
The blue arrow indicates another drain plug; I'm
not sure what this one does, I assume it drains the
chamber with the oil screen (Note: see
visitor comments
below). I did not remove this plug, but if it is
removed, it appears to have a crush washer also.
Here's another photo (directly above), looking at
the right side of the engine. The oil level window can
be seen and just below it is a yellow arrow, indicating
the hex cap for the oil screen. The wire is attached
to the tip of the hex cap and is easily removed. I think
this wire sends information about the oil temperature
up to the dashboard.
It's obvious from this photo that the oil screen hex
cap is difficult to access on the GT1000. The right
side exhaust pipe is in the way. I could not fit a box
wrench or open end wrench up in back of the exhaust
pipe to access the hex cap, which I believe is either
21mm or 22mm, relatively rare sizes for motorcycle fasteners.
If Ducati had only lowered the exhaust pipe by about
a tiny 1/8", a socket could fit over the hex cap,
but noooo....
I tried dropping the exhaust pipe by loosening the
10mm nuts that hold the pipe on to the front cylinder.
This allowed me to fit a 12 point, 22mm socket on to
the hex cap, but either the socket is not the correct
size or the 12 points don't provide enough grip and/or
the hex cap metal is very soft AND it's really torqued
down tight, because the socket immediately slipped and
bunged up the corners of the hex.
[UPDATE: "The size of hex head to remove
the oil screen on the Ducati 900 is 14 mm. I found a
socket type with a half-inch drive extension is the
best way to remove it." From "S.B."]
Since I don't have the shop manual, I don't know
how much torque to use on the 10mm exhaust pipe nuts,
but they came off rather easily, so I didn't overdo
it and will check them again once I learn the correct
torque values.
At that point, I gave up and I have since ordered
20mm, 21mm and 22mm deep six-point sockets and will
try again next time. I've asked around but no one seems
to have the answer to removing this cover, so if anyone
can provide any insight into this, please contact me
via the email address at the bottom of this page.
By the way, the dealer sold me a special crush washer
for this cap also, and he reminded me that the screen
should be removed and cleaned at each oil change, so
this is, apparently, an important maintenance item.
This is (ironically I suppose) one of those reasons
why I'd rather do it myself than leave it up to an unknown
mechanic. I'd rather run into these problems and figure
out a way to get them resolved because -- and I apologize
in advance if I offend anyone -- I just don't trust
that a shop mechanic will take the time and energy to
successfully resolve these type of challenges.
The double irony is that I didn't successfully resolve
it myself, but I now understand what is required to
fix it and I will resolve the problem by the next oil
change, of that you can be sure. I'd rather take the
extra time to fix the problem, unlike the owner who
uses a shop to change the oil and both the owner and
the mechanic may not even be aware that this problem
exists or they may never get it successfully resolved.
In this case, if the screen really does collect large
bits of metal before they get to the filter, I want
to make sure the screen is cleaned and not to assume
that the job has been done correctly. The lesson here
is that if you don't change your GT1000's oil yourself,
make sure you ask the servicing mechanic some questions
about the filter screen issue and the answers will either
make you feel comfortable that the job was done correctly
or not.
Update on Oil Pickup
Screen
A visitor wrote "I
just called my dealership (DeSimone Ducati/BMW/Victory)
and they said I should definitely not be cleaning the
screen on my own and it only needs to be done, at the
most, every 12,000 miles. Your thoughts?"
Interesting.... It's my understanding that the screen
(or "oil intake mesh filter") should be cleaned
at every other oil filter change. Here's the information
taken directly from the Multistrada shop manual, Section
D4, page 14; that bike has the same 1000DS engine:
| "Every two oil changes, clean the
oil intake mesh filter.
Unscrew the outer plug (3) with seal
(5). Unscrew the screws (B) and remove the
guard (A) before proceeding. Remove the
spring (D) to release the horizontal exhaust
pipe mouthpiece, unscrew the screws (E)
and remove the pipe (F) from the balance
pipe (G). Release and withdraw the mesh
filter (4). Clean the mesh filter with gasoline
and compressed air. Care must be taken not
to break the filter mesh.
Refit the mesh filter (4) and its seal
(5) on the plug (3) and tighten to the specified
torque (Sect. C 3). Remove the filler plug
(6) and fill with the recommended oil (Sect.
C 2). Fill until the oil reaches the MAX
mark on the sight glass. Refit the filler
plug (6).
Run the engine at idling speed or several
minutes. Check for oil leaks. Check that
the oil pressure light on the instrument
panel switches off several seconds after
the engine has been started. If this is
not the case, switch off and trace the fault.
Switch off the engine and allow several
minutes for the oil to settle. Check the
oil level and top up to MAX mark, if necessary.
Refit any parts you have removed."
|
But I went back and checked the GT1000 owner's manual,
page 64 in the English language section, which claims
that the "engine oil pick-up filter" only
needs to be cleaned once every 22,500 miles or 36 months:
If anyone has more information on this subject, please
let me know. Possibly the Multistrada's screen needs
to be changed more often because the bike could be used
in harsher environments?
Oil Change
I removed the oil drain plug,
which came out without drama. The faxed pages I had
indicated that the drain plug has a magnetic tip which
attracts metal filings, and some metal should be expected.
Here's a close-up of the plug; the metal filings can
be seen attached to the magnet.
This doesn't bother
me and is expected for a brand-new engine on its first
oil change. But this also stresses the importance of
changing the oil and filter (and the pre-screen) at
the correct intervals.
I cleaned off the filings by spraying them with carb
cleaner, which has a powerful stream and also evaporates
quickly. The magnet actually slides up and down on the
copper-colored tube seen at the tip of the plug on the
left-hand side in the photo below, which means it's
important to direct the carb cleaner spray up underneath
the magnet to make sure everything is good and clean.
Torque Values
Once the oil was drained, I replaced the crush washer
with a new one and torqued the drain plug to the correct
values of 42Nm (range of 38-46Nm, or 28-34 ft. lbs.)
as indicated in the owner's manual (yes, this information
is in the GT1000 owner's manual).
By the way, the correct value for the oil screen
hex cap is apparently 45Nm (33 ft. lbs., with an acceptable
range of 28-34 ft. lbs.). Be aware that I'm not 100%
confident in these numbers; if anyone has better intelligence
on this, please forward it to me at the email address
at the end of this article.
All I can say is -- be careful! It's better
to sneak up on the correct torque setting by using 3-4
lower and intermediate settings while feeling for signs
of over-tightening or stripping. It's way, way too easy
to strip the aluminum threads on a motorcycle.
One more torque value that I got from somewhere is
for the oil filler cap at 5Nm (range of 5-6Nm or 3.6-4.4
ft. lbs.). While I was changing the oil, I replaced
the cap with a way-too-expensive aluminum billet cap
from Pro Italia; see the
GT1000 blog
for photos and information.
Let's see -- what else can I say? After draining
the oil and replacing the drain plug with new crush
washer, I removed and replaced the filter, remembering
to put a thin coating of oil over the rubber gasket
before installing the new filter.
The Ducati Multistrada 1000DS shop manual lists the
following torque values:
Torque Values for Ducati Multistrada
1000DS Engine
| Part |
Thread (MM) |
Nm (Tolerance ±10%) |
Notes |
| Oil cartridge filter |
M 16x1.5 |
11 |
Engine oil on seal |
| Oil filler plug |
M 22x1.5 |
5* |
|
| Oil drain plug |
M 22x1.5 |
42 |
|
| Oil mesh filter |
M 22x1.5 |
42 |
|
| * "Critical
point for dynamic safety. Tightening torque
tolerance must be: ± 5% Nm." |
By the way, I also filled the filter as much as I
could with fresh oil prior to installing it. This helps
prevent oil starvation when the engine is first started
after the oil change.
The GT1000 owner's manual says that the 1000DS engine
takes 3.9 liters (3,900 cc's or 4.12 quarts of oil.
I did not measure how much oil came out of the engine
(warmed up, of course), but I could only get 3.5 liters
(3,500 cc's) back in. The first 3 liters went in with
no problem and filled the sight glass half-way, but
after leaving the bike for about 20 minutes, I was able
to pour in another 500cc's. I suppose that the other
400cc's are up there in the oil cooler.
On the old BMW Airheads that are equipped with an
oil cooler and thermostat, there's an entire procedure
and special tool to drain the cooler. I wonder if this
is also the case with the Ducati; perhaps that other
drain plug underneath the screen hex cap will drain
the oil cooler?
There's also a tube-shaped tunnel with a hex bolt
and washer on the end that is located just above the
sight glass. This tube is indicated by the yellow arrow
in the photo below. Perhaps this drains the oil cooler?
Again, if anyone can provide intelligence on this, please
forward it to the email address at the end of this article.
And that's about the size of it. Lots of information
here, but this is to be expected for the first oil change.
I'm sure the next ones will be easier. When I figure
out the oil screen hex cap problem, I'll report back
with an update.
By the way, what oil did I use? The owner's
manual recommends a variety of oil weights, centered
around good 'ol 10W40 non-synthetic. Believe it or not,
I'm not very fussy about motorcycle oil, believing that
any decent oil is fine, as long as it's changed at the
intervals recommended in the owner's manual.
Let's face it: the vast majority of motorcyclists
run maybe a couple thousand miles per year, so any decent
oil will protect the engine for about seven eternities.
In any case, I usually use BMW oils (made by Golden
Spectro) when I can, because the local BMW dealer is
nearby and supposedly BMW oil is good stuff. I used
the basic BMW 10W40 on the GT1000 and will continue
to do so.
A visitor asked if we could put together a cross-reference
list for the Shell Advance lubricants that are recommended
in the GT1000 owner's manual. While doing some research,
I discovered that the Shell Advance Ultra 4 oil that
Ducati recommends on page 149 is a fully synthetic motor
oil! The owner's manual says nothing about using
synthetic oil on page 140, where it lists the capacities
on the "Checking the oil level" page.
This is obviously a bit confusing, but if Ducati
is recommending Shell Advance Ultra 4 (which is apparently
not distributed "officially" by Shell in the
U.S.A.), then a substitute would be a 10W40 or 15W50
fully synthetic oil. BMW (Golden Spectro) makes a fully
synthetic 15W50 that I will use from now on.
The table below compares the Ducati recommended
Shell Advance lubricants to possible substitutes
in the U.S. market. If anyone has more information regarding
this topic, please forward it to us at the email address
at the end of this article. Shell also has a special "Shell
and Ducati Road Bikes" page that may be of
interest to Ducati owners.
By the way, I contacted Shell to ask if they had
a suggested substitute for Shell Advance Ultra 4 in
the U.S.A. and this is the reply I received: "Unfortunately,
there are no US replacements from Shell for the Shell
Advance oils. We suggest checking with a Ducati dealer
to determine acceptable US-available replacements."
Possible Lubricant Substitutes for
the Ducati Engine
| Use |
Ducati Recommendations
(Owner's Manual, page 149) |
Possible Substitutes |
| Engine Oil |
Shell Advance Ultra 4 (Synthetic) |
BMW or Golden Spectro Platinum Full
Synthetic |
| Brakes/Clutch |
Shell Advance DOT4 |
DOT4 Brake Fluid |
| Fork Oil |
Shell Advance Fork 7.5 or Donax TA |
Spectro Golden Cartridge Fork Fluid
7.5W (125/150 is 7.5W) |
| Contact Cleaner |
SHELL - Advance Contact Cleaner spray
for electric systems |
Strike Hold Electrical Contact Cleaner
Spray (Used by U.S. Military) |
More on Oil Types
See
my update on using Motul Synthetic oil for oil change
#2 (on the Blog page). It's expensive, but seems to
decrease oil temperatures significantly, while keep
them in a more stable range.
In the meantime, here's one more photo: this job
was made much, much easier with the help of the Pit
Bull rear stand (webBikeWorld
review) for the GT1000 and Sportclassics.
►Your Comments and
Feedback
Please send comments to
Comments are ordered from most recent to oldest.
Not all comments will be published (
details). Comments may be edited for
clarity prior to publication.
From "J.G." (January 2012): "Thanks
for all the hints and reviews - it helped me a lot to come
to a final decision - and I bought a 09 GT 1000 eight weeks
ago. After 20 long, long years without a motorbike I'm now
back in heaven - although Germany is really cold and ugly
in December/January.
I just want to add something to the article "Changing
the Oil and Filter - Ducati 1000DS Engine". You tried
to find a nut to open the oil screen, and finally you bought
several new ones. But is it thinkable that you already had
one in your toolbox, because it seems to be a "normal"
spark plug nut? They tend to be quite long.
Maybe I'm wrong, but when I hear "approx. 21 or
22 mm" I always think on this spark plug nut ... Perhaps
this can help to save some money for your reader. Again,
thank you for your site, I like it a lot!"
From "M.M." (03/11): "About
emptying the oil cooler, I do not believe it is necessary,
it is draining automatically when you change the oil filter,
because the cooler output is to the filter. Without changing
the filter there is an airlock and most probably pump, cooler,
filter and lines are left full of old oil. Then you
might turn the engine a few rounds with starter, to get
more oil out.
This is based on my experience on MTS1000, don't know
if all DS1000 engines are the same. In the MTS DS1000 engine
all oil is primary pumped through the cooler. Cooler
output is to the oil filter input.
When you remove the filter, oil will flow from cooler
down. Input side is coming from the pump, but it is not full
airlock I think.
There is so called oil cooler bypass valve in the filter
base which enables oil to bypass a potentially frozen (!)
oil cooler directly to the filter, and to my eye that valve
is not fully airtight. It is only limiting the flow so that
most oil is going through the cooler.
To make sure you get also pump empty, turn the engine
a few rounds with starter if you want really clean oil."
From "J.W." (10/09): "I
just read your article and for comparisons sake the oil
change on a 2001 Monster 900 is almost identical, (there
is no oil temp sensor on the screen) except the header runs
under the engine and out of the way, not beside.
One of the first changes I made was to start using K&N's
oil filter for this bike as it has a 17mm nut (pre drilled
for safety wire) on the top (bottom?) of the filter. For
an extra couple bucks a filter you don't have to get a new
socket or fiddle around with strap style wrenches and can
easily torque the filter to spec.
I always wondered why a 30 year old engine design putting
out a modest 80 horsepower and running a dry clutch required
the latest greatest expensive full synthetic oil, but then
again it is a Ducati."
From "C.I." (8/09): "Hi
there, thanks for putting up this info. I Just finished
changing my oil on my 2007 Sport 1000. Here’s the information
I’ve found out.
In Canada, Kawasaki full synthetic is made by Mobil 1
and 15w50 sells for half the price of BMW oil. I cleaned
the oil screen and used the following: 21mm hex long socket
to remove the cap, and then found out that the inner screen
needs an ½ inch extension bar and a 14mm hex key to remove
it just like on the 696 oil change video on YouTube. I also
torqued them back in at 42 Nm.
All three oil change components have the same torque
setting. I confirmed that the parts were the same using
Ducati Omaha’s online parts diagrams, excellent site
for figuring things out, with all the part numbers."
From "Ducati Dave" (6/09): "Thanks
for the article (with good photos) of this oil change. This
past weekend, I tried to tackle the change on my 2007 Sport
1000. The access cap (21 mm) for the oil screen, was handled
by an American SAE 6 point deep well socket 11/16 (I think)
after miking the inside of the hex, it worked just fine.
The steel hex on the end of the screen, was handled by
the same Snap On hex bit I used on my '99 M900 front axle.
The oil filter is cooked on, and the screen hex was like
it was welded in (at first).
Going back with the screen, I used a smear of anti-seize
on the threads and torqued to 42 nm, (my value). I use 20/50
Mobil V-twin (oil) in my Ducatis. Thanks Again!"
From "R.R.": "Reading
these articles is always fun. I had a few ideas to pass
on ... First when I bought my first Ducati in 1994 one of
the first things I bitched about was the socket Allen style
drain plug and the uncommonly sized hex on the oil strainer.
Also the recessed nature of the oil filter.
All of these things have been problems going back 15
years. My oil filter wrench of choice is the one that is
like a slip ring pair of pliers with big round serrated
grippy jaws, common in a lot of Auto parts stores. Beats
the old drive a screwdriver through it to get it off.
I am surprised to this day that no one has tackled
the oil strainer in the aftermarket. Almost every part you
can think of someone has tried to improve upon for Ducatis
except that oil strainer. Drain plugs been fixed with standard
hex head designs in nice precise aluminum. The socket head
is a POS, and if you are not careful easy to have slip and
bugger it up. Just like that oil strainer hex.
I believe that is actually a coated brass, it just looks
like steel or aluminum. The worst thing that can happen
is the fit into case is tight, I actually had the plastic
strainer piece get stuck and it pulled off the metal end
and it was quite a feat to retrieve it from the cases. Oh
the cussing and gnashing of teeth that accompanied that
job will go down in history as my finest black hour.
Amazing how so few things have changed in the world of
Ducati considering how many things have changed, like 1098R.
You would think some of these minor details would have gotten
worked out by now. Clearly Ducati does think about these
things as evidenced by the detail that goes into some of
their fasteners.
Still in other areas it is like we have been doing this
for 20 years let’s just do it for another 20. Ducati does
have a pretty interesting range of tools, from the high
tech to the cobbed together at the last moment welded sockets
to combination wrenches. So likely there is a special wrench
for that oil strainer. Unfortunately.
R.R., current owner of 2001 996R."
From "D.M.": "Thanks
to your blog site I was able to attain valuable information
regarding the GT 1000 oil change and related matters. Just
a few quick observations and a question:
I found that the correct size deep-well socket to remove
the nut / thermistor assembly in order to clean the screen
mesh filter was a 21mm. I was also able to do this without
loosening the exhaust pipe. Once the assembly was removed
to expose the mesh filter, I was unable to remove the filter
for cleaning. It appears this filter is threaded and screwed
in place with removal done by loosening with a hex key.
My question to you and anyone who might have knowledge concerning
this matter is: What size hex key does it take to remove
the screen mesh filter ?
The drain plug is removed by using a 10mm hex key. I
was able to install almost 4 quarts of oil for the change.
Again, thanks for the valuable info."
Editor's Reply: Interesting - I wonder
if Ducati changed the location or bend of the exhaust pipe
on later models to allow easier access to the mesh filter?
I don't know what size hex key is used for the filter, I'll
ask at the dealer.
From "D.S.": "I appreciate
the trouble you have gone to in making all of this information
available. I would like to add the following tip in the
interests of cooperation: While it is well worth getting
new aluminum oil drain plug washers as they are quite cheap,
if you forget or if the dealer isn't nearby, you can reuse
the old ones if you anneal or soften them. When used once,
they are compressed and hardened and will not conform to
the seal surface. You need to heat the seal with a torch,
and let it then cool off slowly. This softens the metal,
allowing it to be reused. Don't heat the seal too much or
it will lose is shape and sag making it useless."
From "B.P.": "Gentlemen,
I think there is mistake in information about oil filter
wrench as described in the article. The proper size of the "hex
end cap tool" for filter removal is 76mm, not 74mm.
This mistake has been repeated in the visitor comments;
I have ordered referenced filter wrench from RepairManual.com
and this is not the right one - it has 15 flats and is too
small. I've checked with them that the proper size is 76mm
(they are sending replacement). I also verified in the second
source - ThumperTalk also lists 76mm as proper size for
Ducati."
Editor's Note: I measured the oil
filter and the wrench across the flats again and I come
up with 74mm. Not sure if there are different sized
filters, or....? Can anyone help clear this up?
Here is a photo of the measurement across the flats (8
flats, an octagon) of the Ducati branded oil filter. The
Mitutuyo Vernier calipers show almost exactly 74 mm.
Here's a photo showing the measurement of the inside
of the oil filter wrench, it's just about 74.5 mm across
the flats, leaving some room for play for the cap wrench
to fit over the oil filter. The top photo is a close-up,
cropped from the bottom photo:
From Tom at Battley Cycles: "The
34A filter is the one specified by Ducati technically in
their parts fiche for the GT1000. The 32A is put on at the
factory OE. They also have a 32B. They are all the same
as far as we can tell. They will ship us both 32B's and
34A's under the same part number. We have never seen reference
to a 32A besides what the put on the bike from the factory.
We can't order one from the Ducati ARCO system. Sorry for
the confusion. You can imagine how hard it is for the dealers
to keep these things straight...."
From "I.B.": "Hello
Rick, Regarding your story on your oil change with your
GT:
1. The plug denoted by the blue arrow (under the oil
screen plug on the bottom of the engine) is a galley plug.
Ducati makes a hole there when boring the oil uptake and
uses a screw-type plug. ALL belt-drive Ducatis have a plug
at this location. It does not need to be removed for oil
changes. To my knowledge, the only time you'll have it out
is for assembly.
2. I have ALWAYS used a pair of Channel-Lock pliers to
remove the oil filter. They are an indispensable home tool
and are perfect for almost any size oil filter. That being
said, I DESPISE single-use tools in my tool box. Channel
Lock pliers are good for a number of things whereas an oil
filter tool is not.
3. I use
Perf-Form
oil filters for my Ducatis. They are as better than
the factory type. The factory filters are made by
UFI
Filters of Italy.
4. Ducati has a history of bikes which have funny-access
issues. I have a Ducati-engined Cagiva Elefant 650 which
requires removal of the right-side frame member to get to
the oil screen.
5. PLEASE stress the importance of a deep socket for
removing the screen. A normal-depth socket will hit the
oil temp sensor head and break it. It is called a “thermistor”
and it is part # 552.1.045.2a (ask me how I know!). Previous
models used the same size plug head, but did not need a
deep socket.
Also, the 600 mile check is not just an oil change. I
don't have a full list of all the checks they do, but a
large part of it includes belt checks, bolt/nut torque checks,
and exhaust tuning. I do all my own on my older bikes, but
haven't gotten around to getting the equipment for the newer
EFI bike (I have an S2R as well as several other bikes,
all Ducatis)."
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