[desmohardpipi]

Some clutch hydraulics need to be bled very ride. Mine is one of them. I have heard several solutions but nothing definitive. What have people tried and how has it worked out for you? I don't think it needs to be D16 specific, any fix for Ducati clutch hydraulics would be of interest.

So far I've seen:

drilling more holes in the banjos

a spacer kit for the slave cylinder

new slave

new master

[RD16RR]

-- dealer installed the new slave - meant nothing - still have to bleed it

-- delaer installed new master - meant nothing - still have to bleed it

-- i've seen spacer kit on other bike - mechanic said: meant nothing - still have to bleed it

-- have not explored drilling more holes in banjo

-- frankly, since mine does not require a "constant bleeding" <each ride>....i'm not doing anything more - a friend simply carries an 11mm wrench with him on the bike, and it has served its purppose countless times

-- personally, i think it relates to the fact that the clutch line lies directly on the motor, uninsulated....it is here that i think it is getting heated up....i thought that before all these fixes were debated....and it looks like thats one thing that hasn't been tried - i will wrap the line on the next service - my bike however, does not require frequent attention, but i do still have to bleed it occasionally

[desmohardpipi]

I forgot one. There is a fix, purportedly per Ducati, involving poking a hole(s?) in the dust boot on the master. I've heard that is a waste of time as well. For grins I'm going to try swapping out the banjo bolts. Further bulletins as events warrant.

[RD16RR]

-- that dust boot hole idea - tried it in 2001 on my 996 - meant nothing

-- also tried on sedici - meant nothing

-- i'm having fun with the "meant nothing" phrase

-- i did contact an aftermarket slave cyl mfgr <evolutione i think was the name...out in california>...the owner actually called me and we went into a lenghty discussion on the "hows and whys" of whats happening.....his real "from the gut" feeling of what could help was in fact to poke a hole in the dust cover at the master cyl.....i mentioned to him that it did nothing on either my 996 or the sedici - he did seem to think that most holes that were being tried probably did not make the hole decent sized enough, so he recommended to use a hot tipped paper clip, so the hole actually gets formed and does not get re-sealed, as a simple pin hole might do - <why not rip the dust seal off completely!!>

-- i did not try that - his point was made based on the fact that the air is almost always trapped up at the master cyl, that there is the only weak point in the system, the seal behind the dust boot, and that the dust boot "might possibly" have enough pressure to force air past the seal

-- he also commented on recent chatter at the dealer level, that the shaft in the slave was spinning....causing heat build up in the fluid - he said that if any shaft were spinning the O-ring seals would eventually disintegrate and fluid would be leaking everywhere - i recently saw how a friends clutch fluid was black in color...we traced it to a blown O-ring at the slave cyl...

-- thats all i know

[Thorsten]

Clutch bleeding is a hard thing sometimes......

[RD16RR]

-- hey Thorsten....do you have the Brembo rear master cyl clear hose, with fittings in stock ? - (listed in the special parts section of your web site)

-- if the intake on the stock master is at a 90degree angle, would it still work, or must you remove the stock fitting ?

-- if you do, how much in dollars shipped to New York zip code 10705 ?

-Danke !

[orthopgy4]

did the first clutch bleed tonight. haven't ridden it in 2 months, low and behold...

[RD16RR]

-- a clutch bleed is just the nature of the beast - most sedicis will need a quick bleed every now and then....no big deal - tape a 11mm wrench to the bike somewhere, it'll come in handy

[D16 DEL]

I have been told to remove the cap on the resevoir, lay a breathable cloth over the top to let it breath and keep the worst of the dust out, and then use a tie wrap to pull the clutch in and leave overnight. By morning, job done......apparently. Not given it a go yet though

[Thorsten]

@D16- I have the clear rear Master reservoirs in Stock.
The stock fitting of course needs to be removed, as I fab mostly no simple bolt on Bits .

Turning the Loop back to clutch Actuation: Hydraulic is crap, even if it works somehow.
It's all about the Feel.