Started Looking at My Paso Project Bike

Desmo_Demon · Post by **Desmo_Demon** » Mon Nov 06, 2006 1:14 pm

I FINALLY added another page for the project....

Page Five - http://www.desmodemon.com/paso_project_4.html

Desmo_Demon · Post by **Desmo_Demon** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 2:53 pm

For those following this project of mine....

Page 6 - http://www.desmodemon.com/paso_project_5.html

I think I have a lead on an upper triple clamp.

Post by **jcslocum** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 10:13 pm

You have really gotten into it!!!

That bolt in the triple clamp was criminal....

persempre907 · Post by **persempre907** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 8:29 am

Hi Demon,
how have you fixed the dashboard, since the three vibration dampeners were missing?
Ciao

Desmo_Demon · Post by **Desmo_Demon** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 2:12 pm

persempre907 wrote:Hi Demon,
how have you fixed the dashboard, since the three vibration dampeners were missing?
Ciao

I replaced the dampeners with new ones, as they are still available through Ducati. Afterwards, I took the measurements and found some that would work with a little bit of trimming at MacMaster-Carr for a small fraction of the cost of Ducati's. I posted the info on those, somewhere else in this thread.

I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do with the upper triple clamp. New ones are still available through Ducati....at $322! My local dealer gave me a price of $250, if I order it through them. I'm still looking for a used one or for a feasible way to repair this one...in the meantime, I've done a valve adjustment and belt change on my ST2.

Fraser · Post by **Fraser** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 11:15 pm

What about a helicoil for your triple clamp? Have used one on a bevel drive cylinder head for the spark plug, worked a treat and was easy to install.

Fraser.

Desmo_Demon · Post by **Desmo_Demon** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:55 pm

Fraser wrote:What about a helicoil for your triple clamp? Have used one on a bevel drive cylinder head for the spark plug, worked a treat and was easy to install.

With the hole being oblong, I'd have to drill it out to something like 1/2" or larger to install a helicoil. I've looked at some inserts, and I've found some press-fit inserts that allow use of a 3/8" bolt where the hole for installation is 0.689" (17.5mm).

I've got two good leads on upper triples, but I spoke with a friend who is a welder by trade, and we were talking about press fitting a 1/2"-1" dowl into the bottom of the hole, welding the upper protion and then redrilling and tapping it. I haven't made up my mind what I want to do, just yet. I'm hoping one of these leads on an upper solves this issue.

Desmo_Demon · Post by **Desmo_Demon** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 8:13 pm

Update: I haven't been able to assemble the front end, yet, as I'm still running into problems. Here's what I've done, so far...

1) A fellow member here sold me a nice upper triple clamp
2) The slider's caliper mount was welded/shaped/drilled/tapped for the caliper
3) Rebuilt both forks with new seals and dust boots (still available through Ducati)
4) Found replacement taper-roller bearings for the steering stem
5) Had the front rim straightened and trued

Now, it turns out that there are two seals and two o-rings that are obsolete and no longer available that go into the steering stem. I'm trying to locate both of these items and then I still need to replace the wheel bearings before reassembling the front end onto the bike. Once I find these two seals, It'll only take a couple of hours to get it back together.

Here's what I've written about the seals and the o-rings on another thread:

Desmo_Demon wrote:Note - There is a "distance piece" (part #037037020) which is a spacer and has a groove in the ID for an o-ring. This o-ring (part #46320046A) is also obsolete. Fortunately, it is a fairly standard metric o-ring and can be found in many places. I believe the measurements for this o-ring are 2mm thick with an ID of 24mm. I found them available through McMaster-Carr.

Desmo_Demon · Post by **Desmo_Demon** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 3:28 pm

Here's an update that I did last night....

http://www.desmodemon.com/paso_project_6.html

Desmo_Demon · Post by **Desmo_Demon** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 12:35 pm

This is taking longer than I was expecting, initially......

Here's Page 8 of the series - http://www.desmodemon.com/paso_project_7.html

At least the front end is back on the bike....FINALLY!

bf-fly · Post by **bf-fly** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 2:07 am

Dude you are either a hard working man or a glutton for punishment. Nice work though. Your trial and tribulations will be helpful to me in my far more modest quest. Thanks for the info.

Any chance of doing the same to the stearing stem and you did to the fork leg? Weld it closed then retap?

Desmo_Demon · Post by **Desmo_Demon** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 1:12 pm

bf-fly wrote:Any chance of doing the same to the stearing stem and you did to the fork leg? Weld it closed then retap?

It was considered and I spoke with my welder friend abotu it. Because of how deep the hole is, and its narrow diameter, either it would have to be bored much larger to get to the bottom of it with the welding rod, or possibly insert a 1/2" or so long aluminum plug, then build up the weld from there. In a small hole, such as this, there will be a lot of opportunities for inclusions, which will break apart when it is drilled and tapped. Also, if built up high enough, the cut in the triple will have to be recut so it can be used as a clamp on the steering stem.

I was also looking into a helicoil (difficult to install for the hole diameter and the outer section not being threaded) and some epoxy resins that allow drilling and tapping, but whose strength is questionable due to my very limited experience with these products.

It was just much easier to find another upper triple. I still have the original triple, just in case I want to try to repair it, someday.

BTW - I'm a glutton for punishment....and like a good challenge. I currently have that Euro VIN rolling chassis w/bodywork and another US-VIN Paso frame where the guy is still trying to find the title, so, I may have a complete, ground-up custom Paso project in the future.....17" wheels, USD Showa forks, carb'ed or FI 900 engine?......I have a while to think about it while I finish this project......if I ever can find the time. :umm:

Post by **paso750** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 7:52 pm

Hey Desmo,

as you`re in process of rebuilding the bike`s front end which I`m currently also doing, did you have a large metal disc below the ring nut ? From inside out the parts catalogue lists the washer, the bearing, the distance piece with the O-ring in it, the seal and the ring nut. On my bike there`s one more disc which is not listed. Like the ring nut it`s slightely larger in diameter as the frame. I`ll try to make a pic tomorrow.

The second question is about the lower roller bearing. As normal when one removes the triple clamps the lower bearing remains on the steering axle. I cannot get the bearing from the axle though. It`s not rusted or so, in fact it looks very good ans is nicely greased. Very strange. In fact on my complete spare fork it`s no problem to move the bottom roller bearing up and down on the steering axle although that one is in bad shape. Any idea ?

Last question is about washers. The parts catalogue shows washers for the bolts of the front lower frame rails and the bolt of the engine mount. Those were not on my bike. I`m not even sure if they are necessary as these bolts are the large headed type with the grabbing egdes on the head`s bottom.
Do you have washers under these bolts ?

G.

PS: it would be great if your site would also have a "back" button

Desmo_Demon · Post by **Desmo_Demon** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:06 pm

paso750 wrote:...did you have a large metal disc below the ring nut ? From inside out the parts catalogue lists the washer, the bearing, the distance piece with the O-ring in it, the seal and the ring nut. On my bike there`s one more disc which is not listed. Like the ring nut it`s slightely larger in diameter as the frame. I`ll try to make a pic tomorrow.

Mine went washer, bearing, distance piece with internal o-ring and the seal that rode on the outside of it, then the nut which is this huge piece....

The split, threaded collar, which is the stem nut, has that huge washer formed into it. Maybe yours is two separate pieces or an additional distance piece was added to get the appropriate clearance from that washer section of the stem nut to prevent it from rubbing on the frame.

paso750 wrote:The second question is about the lower roller bearing. As normal when one removes the triple clamps the lower bearing remains on the steering axle. I cannot get the bearing from the axle though. It`s not rusted or so, in fact it looks very good ans is nicely greased. Very strange. In fact on my complete spare fork it`s no problem to move the bottom roller bearing up and down on the steering axle although that one is in bad shape. Any idea ?

As with many of these lower triple clamps and the lower bearing, the cage portion is press fit onto the stem. I had to have mine removed and the guy used a special pulled just for removing those bearings. He badly scratched the aluminum distance piece in the process, so I had to spend some time smoothing it back out before reusing it. My new bearing was a press fit, also. I've heard of many people removing the bearing by cutting it with special care as to not nick the steering stem.

paso750 wrote:...Last question is about washers. The parts catalogue shows washers for the bolts of the front lower frame rails and the bolt of the engine mount. Those were not on my bike. I`m not even sure if they are necessary as these bolts are the large headed type with the grabbing egdes on the head`s bottom.
Do you have washers under these bolts ?

The spare 1988 Paso frame that I picked up last weekend has the ones like yours, minus the washers, and I'm not too sure which ones are on my project Paso. I don't recall if the rolling chassis I have has those bolts or not, as it didn't have the lower frame rails with it (but I have a set I picked up from another guy).

paso750 wrote:...PS: it would be great if your site would also have a "back" button

Excellent suggestion. I think with my next update, I'll go through all fo the pages and add a "Previous Page" and "Next Page" buttons to the bottom of each page.

I hope this helps.

Post by **paso750** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 10:26 am

thanks very much. As monday is still a holiday here in Germany I`ll take the swingarm apart to check the bearings. Saw on your site that that`s also your next step.