Ducati Cucciolo

[Tim Tom]

I've been waiting to see what you do with this engine! Already it looks loads better. Nice work.

You planning on putting it into a bike frame?

 

[Guest]

Nice project, Pete, I am going to have to check in on it from time to time.
Hope this one goes a bit quicker than the 450. .

Cheers Steve!

I think I'm pretty safe from the 10 year span this time around

The time consuming part I expect will be sourcing an appropriate push bike frame if that's the direction I take...

I've been waiting to see what you do with this engine! Already it looks loads better. Nice work.

You planning on putting it into a bike frame?

Thanks Tim! Yes, much improved on what it was! I think I need to replace the newspaper next time I'm in there as I think I'm adding grunge now when I lay the motor down.

At this stage I'm thinking yes to the bike frame... not 100% firm yet though

 

[daturat100r]

The cucciollo is actually a pull rod engine,typical italians to do do something differently,and was purposely detuned for bicycle use as a clipon motor but wre so good ended up using them for litleweights.very cool and good luck with it

 

[Guest]

The cucciollo is actually a pull rod engine,typical italians to do do something differently,and was purposely detuned for bicycle use as a clipon motor but wre so good ended up using them for litleweights.very cool and good luck with it

I was cleaning around the rods tonight and I see why you say that. The rods definitely appear to pull down on the valve springs... I wonder if I should point that out to the Ducati Pushrod Singles mailing list I'm on? Could be a tad rude as I suspect they probably already know...

 

[Guest]

I put fresh newspaper on the work bench tonight and kept going.

First thing was to get the clutch actuator off and cleaned up.

Looks like I'll be making a new pivot shaft:

And sleeving the arm:

I can see why it was so wobbly now!

Then I got the gear shift lever off and cleaned up also:

And pulled out the spark plug spanner and flywheel puller as I'll need them real soon:

Gave 'em a bit of a clean and as a bonus the flywheel puller works! It easily threads through and the circular bit on the end rotates around the shaft very easily:

 

[Guest]

Pulled the oil filler cap tonight and there was definitely oil inside, so got the sump plug off and drained it:

Cleaned up the oil filler cap and sump plug:

Then I cleaned around the pull rods (now that I know what they are thanks daturat100r ):

And if you look close you can see they appear to have worn into the cooling fins either side:

I'm guessing there's some wear on the rod arms where they attach to the head, so might be some more sleeving required there.

I'm not sure how much further I'll be able to go at the moment until I source a tool to get the flywheel cover off.

It's a two prong tool like you use on an angle grinder but it has different spacing to the one I have here, so I'll have to work that one out yet.

 

[Guest]

Back into it tonight.

Discovered Supercheap sell an adjustable angle grinder tool so I picked that up this avo on the way home:

Removed the spark plug:

Then I got the arms off the top of the pull rods:

Then I put the angle grinder tool to use and got the flywheel nut exposed:

And put the flywheel puller to good use:

Under the fly wheel is the coil, condenser, the lighting coil (not sure what that's for yet), and the contact breaker:

And all cleaned up:

I need to revisit the manual, but I think next is either the head or the left case cover.

At this stage I'm thinking once it's dismantled I'll get the head, case covers, flywheel, and potentially the rod arms sent down to the guy who did the wet blasting on the 450 head and cylinders. They came up awesome after that and it's non-abrasive so is safe. I'll give it some thought anyway as it's not the cheapest process in the world...

I'm guessing the "Cucciolo" in red there is enamel, so I should be able to put that back on with some model paint and a fine brush.

 

[SVSooke]

I don't know how available it would be down under but One Shot pinstriping paint might be more durable than model paint.

 

[Guest]

nice looking work there. about enough to inspire me to get back to my wife's honda 305 that has been back burnered....

 

[Guest]

I don't know how available it would be down under but One Shot pinstriping paint might be more durable than model paint.

Good call Greg, I'm sure we would have something like that here even if not that particular brand. I can hit up the refinishing place I buy the POR 15 and my 2K paint from.

nice looking work there. about enough to inspire me to get back to my wife's honda 305 that has been back burnered....

Do it Greg, this is fun stuff indeed!

 

[musicman]

Interesting project!

Quick question though, how do you pronounce the name of that thing? Soo kee oh low? Been bothering me! Haha

 

[Guest]

Koo-chee-o-low, I think

 

[Guest]

Interesting project!

Quick question though, how do you pronounce the name of that thing? Soo kee oh low? Been bothering me! Haha

Koo-chee-o-low, I think

That's pretty much how I pronounce it, but Google gives about 3 different variations...

It's Italian for puppy... I know that much!

 

[Guest]

Back into it tonight, and I got as far as splitting the cases.

Sorry for the horrid photos, but I had to deal with some dodgy screws and I'll be replacing them all before putting it back together:

Stuck all the screws in some cardboard so I know where they belong, although as it turns out all but two are identical:

And I have no idea why but these two have a raised head and two perpendicular holes going through them:

And the case cover taken off the left side:

And no caged roller bearings here!

Got those rollers cleaned up and in some engine oil to preserve them until they need to go back in:

Next I need to delve into the workshop manual and work out how to proceed from here without damaging anything.

 

[Guest]

been meaning to compliment you on the quality of your photography, actually. rare to see sharp close-ups like that. thanks!

 

[cowboyup3371]

Sounds like a great time. I need to have another project too but not sure what since my other hobby requires too much money right now.

I'm wondering if maybe those raised heads with the holes weren't for safety wiring something? I don't know anything about this bike but did they go into something that would need it?

 

[Big T]

Pete,

Just a thought here - Ducati singles from the 60's and 70's need to have the internals shimmed precisely to the cases, the dimension that can change over time with wear.
(because, being Italian, why machine it precisely in the 1st place)

So, check your manual all the way thru and keep track of exactly where any washers go

 

[Guest]

been meaning to compliment you on the quality of your photography, actually. rare to see sharp close-ups like that. thanks!

Thanks Greg, although I struggle to get focussed shots alot of the time.

The camera I'm using is quite old and the lighting in the garage is dodgy at best, so it has lots of difficulty focussing properly.

I probably should read the manual and work out how to manually focus it one day...

Sounds like a great time. I need to have another project too but not sure what since my other hobby requires too much money right now.

I'm wondering if maybe those raised heads with the holes weren't for safety wiring something? I don't know anything about this bike but did they go into something that would need it?

Cheers Scott, and yeah this is definitely fun and interesting What's your other hobby?

I was thinking the same thing with safety wire, but there's absolutely nothing special about the location of those two screws in comparison to everything else, so I'm not sure.

A question for the Ducati mailing list I think...

Pete,

Just a thought here - Ducati singles from the 60's and 70's need to have the internals shimmed precisely to the cases, the dimension that can change over time with wear.
(because, being Italian, why machine it precisely in the 1st place)

So, check your manual all the way thru and keep track of exactly where any washers go

Thanks for the tip! I've been keeping close track of everything so far and intend to keep doing so with the engine internals in particular. I have lots more photos of how things are before dismantling so I hopefully have enough reference material to assemble it the same way.

The workshop manual has been written by one of the guys on the mailing list so doesn't have a lot of clearances and specifications, so there's a certain amount of play-it-by-ear going on with this.

I'll very soon need to bag and tag all the external bits so I can free my parts trays up for the internal stuff ready to bag and tag.

 

[cowboyup3371]

Cheers Scott, and yeah this is definitely fun and interesting What's your other hobby?

.

Woodworking. I'm not great at it but I enjoy it; just haven't been able to do much for the last few years as the sheds in Colorado didn't give me much airflow to work with.

Here are a few of my things sitting around the house.

My fiancee's dresser

My daughter's shelf for her knick knacks

And my step-daughter's music box

 

[Guest]

Cool Scott, they look pretty good to me!

My house mate's very handy with wood which is excellent because I'm quite crappy with it... I always tend to cut slightly off where I mark and get things crooked

Those look like quality work from where I sit!