748 running hot after valve adjustment - Ducati.ms

thx138 · Jul 8th, 2006, 12:11 am

2001 748

Just finished a valve adjustment, put the bike back together and sounding great. One problem. Now she's running hot well above 180 where as before on cool nights it would run at 180 or below 180 with occasional hot days at 200-210 while idling. On a 75 degree evening it was running about 210 at stop lights and around town. Only the electric fan kept cool as it kicked on at the normal temp(197) As I increased speed after lights it did cool off a bit while moving .but still well above it's normal range.

I checked for correct spark plugs. I'm running new NKG DCPR9E which are correct for the bike. I checked my water.I'm using a good quility ethylene glycol type that i got from my Volvo dealer. The res. is full. I ran and leaned the bike side to side to release any air bubbles. It still remained full. The bike has been sitting( not run) for 3 months with still water and 3 months emptied of water. Could the thermostat be stuck? I feel it may be an oil flow issue although I have not had the oil pressure warning light come on. I must have checked the postion of the camshaft end caps a million times before installation though. Any other oil specfic placement of parts I may have missed. The end caps are the only part of reassembly that I am aware of that needed to be in correct position. Did I miss anything?

OldBaldy · Jul 8th, 2006, 12:18 am

what ratio glycol to water are you running?

j911brick · Jul 8th, 2006, 1:44 am

How long did you have pure water in it? Was it distilled?

cyclebrain · Jul 8th, 2006, 3:56 am

No matter how many times I "learn this lesson" what was the last thing you changed. You said you "adjusted the valves". Did you just check the valves or actually adjust them. I would backtrack to the things that I messed with.

watto · Jul 8th, 2006, 11:06 am

Could it be a Air lock in the cooling system?

Namor · Jul 8th, 2006, 12:13 pm

he adjusted the valves, not the simple check.

mig1221 · Jul 8th, 2006, 9:44 pm

I don't want to highjack the thread, but is there a difference between distilled and tap water (as far as cooling abilities)?

j911brick · Jul 9th, 2006, 2:11 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by mig1221

I don't want to highjack the thread, but is there a difference between distilled and tap water (as far as cooling abilities)?

Not so much in cooling ability, but system longgevity. Tap water has minerals and other bad stuff in it that cause corrosion in the cooling system and will eventually block the core. Aluminum systems are particularly bad about this. Add steel and copper into the sytem and your asking from problems. This was the case with my formular car with an iron block, copper radiators, and aluminum tubing. After just a few months of sitting there were crytal like growths as large as a golf ball. Some parts of the aluminum tubing were totally eaten through. This is what the previous owner left for me. Now I use Rotella ELC premix which uses special de-ion purified water.