The Service Dept

THE SERVICE DEPT

JODY NICHOLAS

LEAKY FLOAT BOWL GASKETS

I was quite interested in “The Violation of an Ossa ” article by Eric Raits which appeared in the April, 1971 issue of CYCLE WORLD.

I have a 230-cc Ossa Pioneer which has a few problems, mostly with the IRZ carburetor. For some reason, the factory-installed rubber float bowl gaskets leak once they have been removed and reinstalled, even though they seal very well before the carburetor is dismantled. I have tried several types of gaskets, but the best thing I have found is Goodyear Pliobond rubber cement. Pliobond resists gasoline and seals tightly, but is easily removed.

The float bowl can be sealed by applying a coat of Pliobond around the inside edge of the cover. Allow it to dry for a few minutes before reassembly. No other gaskets are required, and a dab of Pliobond around the O-rings will keep them from leaking too.

William Lahr Pismo Beach, Calif.

DUCATI FORK MODS

I have just finished reading your Sept. ’71 issue. I own a 1971 450 Ducati. I also own a 1967 250 Ducati with Ceriani front forks and Koni rear shocks with 60/90 springs. I have also found the 450 to be ultra-quick in steering. How do T correct this enough to make it a real competitive enduro mount? I have found the Ducati engine to be bullet-proof, and I would like to make the handling equally as good.

Also I have the Konis which are 3/4 in. shorter than the ones on the 450. How would the installation affect the handling?

Terry W. Heiberson New Martinsville, W. Va.

In spite of a rather long 56.5-in. wheelbase, the Ducati 450 R/T is a very quick steering machine. The simplest way to slow down the steering is to change the steering geometry by substituting different fork triple clamps (fork crown and yoke).

Jack Simmonds Motorcycles, 15514 S. Atlantic, Compton, CA 90211, is a Ducati specialist who is having special triple clamp assemblies manufactured for the 450 Ducati. These extremely robust items are machined from solid pieces of aluminum alloy and serve to increase the fork rake angle about 4 deg. by tilting the tops of the fork tubes toward the rear of the machine.

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In order to gain back some ot the steering trail (castor angle) that such an operation loses, the bottom triple clamp is also moved rearward in relation to the steering head. Hence, the wheelbase only grows by about Vi in. or so. Ot course, this is only a stopgap measure, but one which allegedly helps the Ducati’s handling quite a bit.

The installation of the slightly shorter rear shocks will probably not affect the handling qualities to a marked degree, but you’ll lose some ground clearance.

OVERCHARGING BMW

Your column for August had the answer to one of the problems with my 1 96 6 BMW R60-sticking valves. I would appreciate it very much if you could give me any help for these other troubles with the same motorcycle.

The generator overcharges, causing the battery to boil over, and acid blows back all over everything. / have tried replacing the regulator and battery several times but this does not help. The ammeter / installed shows that the generator never cuts hack below one or two amps when the battery should be fully charged, l or several years I have been riding most of the time with the brushes removed from the generator, only replacing them for about 50 miles at a time to charge up the battery.

The clutch makes an awful noise rattling when idling in neutral and warmed up. I have replaced the clutch plate, which did not help. The shaft from the transmission, on which the clutch plate fits, seemed to be worn some on the splines. Is it possible that some shaf ts and gears were not properly hardened7

I have owned this motorcycle since new and these troubles started at low mileage.

Carl 11. Schaaf Richmond, Va.

The fact that you’ve replaced the voltage regulator (presumably with a new one) several times indicates that the trouble lies elsewhere in the charging system. Try disconnecting the DF7 (field) wire from the generator and measuring the voltage across the battery

terminals (or by watching your ammeter) while revving the engine. If a charge is shown, there is evidently a short between the field coils and the armature of the generator, indicating that a rebuild is in order. You might also check for a short between the DF terminal at the regulator and the same terminal at the generator. Disconnect the wire at both ends and measure the resistance of this wire with a volt-ohm meter; there should be no resistance shown.

Since the clutch noise occurs when the engine is warm, 1 suspect that the mainshaft ball bearing on the clutch side is excessively worn. These large bearings have a reputation for providing long and silent service, but yours could be worn or pitted excessively. The possibility of an improperly heat treated transmission mainshaft, and resultant wear, is remote